NBC could be on the hook for some make-good ads after "having missed its ratings guarantees" in Rio, but media buyers "for the most part ... say they are satisfied with how the network has handled its Summer Games shortfall," according to Anthony Crupi of AD AGE. NBC has "hit its guarantees on just three nights" in Rio, compared to the net exceeding expectations on 14 nights in London. However, ad buyers said that NBC "was quick to serve up ADUs (audience deficiency units) in order to make its advertisers whole." One buyer said, "They did everything within their power to make advertisers happy. They took care of those under-deliveries" (AD AGE, 8/22 issue). One buyer late last week said, "Right now they are pretty close to our guarantee targets, despite the ratings shortfalls." The buyer added, "NBC gave many advertisers extra ad units heading into the games with the understanding that if guarantees were met, the advertisers would pay back for the units if there was an over-delivery." Another ad-buyer said, "NBC has done a job for our clients giving bonus inventory at the start of the Games." BROADCASTING & CABLE's John Consoli noted because of the "record amount of coverage -- nearly 7,000 hours ... NBC went out of its way from the start to assure it would not anger advertisers." Special care "was taken to try to keep them whole based on their ad buy ratings guarantees" (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 8/19).
LET'S GO TRACKSIDE: SI.com's Richard Deitsch writes track and field analyst Ato Boldon is "one of the best color commentators working today, regardless of the sport, and he proved it yet again over the course of the Games." Boldon "educates viewers through his preparation, and when you listen to him, you realize how rare it is to have a sports TV analyst make you a smarter viewer." The "high point" was when Boldon "tipped Japan for a medal in the 4x100 men’s relay prior to the race" on Friday night. The team ended up winning Silver, finishing behind only Bolt and Jamaica. NBC Olympics Exec Producer Jim Bell said, "We are blessed with an abundance of talented analysts but Ato Boldon has been operating at a different level. A masters class in communication.” Deitsch also notes track reporter Lewis Johnson is "understated -- no shtick, no doing side entertainment gigs." Deitsch: "Just listen to the questions he asks of the athletes. They are always direct, open-ended, and he often has to interview multiple athletes given relays" (SI.com, 8/22). The AP's David Bauder wrote prior to the men's 4x100 relay on Friday, NBC "aired a creative and prescient prepared report, handing the four American sprinters tablets to see video of flubs that had ruined previous races." Japan "snuck in for the silver medal and the U.S. thought it earned bronze, but even that slipped from their grasp when they were disqualified for a faulty pass of the baton" (AP, 8/19).
STICKS & STONES: Longtime NBC track and field analyst Dwight Stones was not a part of the net's coverage in Rio, and in a recent Slate.com podcast talked about his "constant frustration with his NBC bosses, who did not listen to his pleas to give more airtime to the field events." Stones said, "Field is 50 percent of the name and 43 percent of the events. And for it to be ignored and belittled the way it has been at the network of the Olympics for the United States through 2032, is a disgrace and a disservice.” Stones said that he "believes he was not retained by NBC for the Rio Games because of his battles with management about how track and field should be portrayed on television." He said of the net's coverage decisions, "It’s safe to cover running events. They’re very segmentable. They fit beautifully into eight, nine, 10-minute periods where you can go to a commercial on either end, you can promote other things, they don’t go away somewhere, it’s predictable." Stones: "Field events, not so much. ... You can’t really know how far they’re going to throw or how far they’re going to jump or how high they’re going to jump. On paper, the event may look like it’s going to be spectacular and it can just be a dud. But they’re not willing to roll the dice" (SLATE.com, 8/20).
AIN'T THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD: In N.Y., Alfred Ng notes NBC "posted a clip on its Olympics Facebook and YouTube pages on Saturday, promoting karate" in the '20 Tokyo Games for the first time. The "only problem is, the video has nothing to do with karate -- the martial artists are showcasing taekwondo" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/22).
