NBC execs are "keeping their fingers crossed" that their coverage of the Rio Games will be "focused more on the athletes and competition, and not on all the other issues plaguing Rio in the run-up to the games," according to Jason Lynch of ADWEEK. NBC's Bob Costas said Rio "probably has the biggest array of problems or potential problems" of any recent Olympic host city. The concerns include "environmental, economic and safety issues in Rio de Janeiro, including a police crisis, questions about infrastructure, the polluted Guanabara Bay and the Zika virus." But those pre-Games concerns "usually end up fading into the background as the Olympics get under way." Costas said, "We hope it will be the same (in Rio) because there are so many great stories of the athletes." NBC Olympics Exec Producer Jim Bell said, "We're here to cover the Olympics. Should it be a story while we're here, we'll cover it." Costas added, "It's going to be impossible in some cases not to address issues that have come up before the Olympics, because they will intersect with the competition. Every competition that takes place on open water, you've got to talk about the conditions of the water." Bell said that despite the "negative stories surrounding the Olympics, awareness and intent to watch is higher than ever." Bell cited data from NBC's research team, saying, "Those numbers are as high as they've ever been, even a little bit higher than they were headed into London." The '12 Games "averaged 31.1 million viewers in NBC's prime-time coverage" (ADWEEK.com, 8/2). Costas said that the argument could be made that the IOC "should have considered moving or postponing it, given the problems that began emerging months ago." Costas: "But once the games were being held, the network that owned the rights to televise those games was going to televise them." He added the question about network responsibility "becomes how thoroughly and credibly do we cover it" (AP, 8/2).
PRIMETIME PLAYERS: On Long Island, Neil Best notes with every event "streamed live and/or spread across an assortment of channels, NBC’s prime-time slot has become a showcase primarily for the five most ratings-friendly sports" -- gymnastics, swimming track and field, diving and beach volleyball. However, Bell said that NBC "does try to make prime time an over view of sorts." Bell: "We still have a responsibility to provide that broader experience for viewers who are going to be watching just prime time, which is still a lot of people." He noted the net will "work in some other sports from time to time, maybe in a highlight or if there’s sort of an iconic moment." Bell: "That is still the mother ship, if you will, and that hasn’t changed." Best notes the "most important events" in swimming and track and field will air live on NBC "usually deep into prime time." Gymnastics will "hold most of its biggest events in late afternoon, so NBC will do its usual slicing, dicing and packaging for prime time" (NEWSDAY, 8/3).
SOCIAL SKILLS: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth writes NBC "wants to stay current" with social media, and the net has "gone so far as to hire 'social media superstar' Logan Paul to 'capture the excitement.'" NBC Olympics President Gary Zenkel said of incorporating social media into broadcasts, "We know that if we’re going to do it effectively, we’ve got to do it with a sensibility designed to engage that audience." Hoffarth notes NBC has a "Social Command Center" on Facebook "to post highlights and interviews." This "plays into NBC’s TV strategy as its data has found social media pushes more vested viewers toward the prime-time packaged events rather than cannibalizing it" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 8/3).
RISE AND SHINE: The AP's David Bauder wrote NBC's "Today" morning show has "found its footing after years in the wilderness, cutting into the advantage of ratings leader 'Good Morning America' on ABC." And since viewers "flock to the morning show of the Olympics rights holder, 'Today' hopes to reintroduce itself to people who may have drifted away." The show will send its cast to Brazil and "introduce new member Billy Bush, who is set to anchor" the 9:00am ET hour after Natalie Morales' departure. The exception is co-host Savannah Guthrie, who is "pregnant and decided to remain in New York because of concerns over the Zika virus." History indicates that "Today" will "dominate the ratings during the Olympics." But the key will be "keeping some of those new viewers when everyone gets home" (AP, 8/2).
