NBCUniversal yesterday announced it is teaming up with the television tech company TiVo and research start-up RealityMine to "track how people watch" the '16 Rio Games on TV, mobile and digital platforms, according to Emily Steel of the N.Y. TIMES. The partnership "is intended to provide insights into the daily habits of Olympics viewers and the interplay between watching coverage on television and using tablets and smartphones." It is also "expected to deliver clues to how people watch outside the home, as well as the effect of social media on viewership and the effectiveness of advertising during Olympics coverage." NBCU President of Research & Media Development Alan Wurtzel said that getting the research right "was crucial" to the company, which in '14 agreed to pay $7.75B for "exclusive broadcast rights to the six Olympic Games" from '22-32. The research "helps dictate programming decisions." Wurtzel said that research around the Olympics "is also valuable because it can accelerate the adoption of new media habits." His prediction for the '16 Games "is a surge of mobile viewing among broader audiences." Wurtzel: "During those three weeks, you get a glimpse into the future" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/14). TiVo Research and RealityMine said that the aim "is to help NBCU improve cross-platform measurement and better understand consumer consumption" (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 12/14).
