NBC and IOC in talks to form an Olympic themed network

[bing101]

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/programming/nbcu-ioc-usoc-team-olympic-themed-tv-network/161831


Slated to start in 2017.  I don't think you can have an Olympic themed network because the only time most viewers are paying attention to the Olympics is during the 2.5 weeks the event is taking place. I say this really a ploy to form NBC Sports net 2.

[Alps]

And yet there's 52 weeks of NFL Network.

[jeffandnicole]

And yet there's 52 weeks of NFL Network.

And the worst show on that network is when they actually air a NFL game.

[Max Rockatansky]

Interesting they seem to think that there is that much interest in following everything Olympics.  Most of the sports are pretty niche and the general public seems to only care when the actual event is ongoing.  It also seems like the Olympics tends to draw a more casual sports fan or someone who might not watch much mainstream sports, that's a tall order expecting much of a viewer commitment. 

[bing101]

https://www.nbcumv.com/news/ioc-usoc-and-nbcuniversal-announce-olympic-channel-partnership-united-states?network=33131 Here's an official word from NBC Sports over the IOC channel deal. But still how is this channel going to survive odd number years? It's easy to want an all Olympic channel when its 1 month before the games and final qualifications rounds to the 2.5 weeks of medal competition. But after the olympics it would have to be renamed NBC Sports Net 2.

Well in fact NBC already provide two regional sports channels for Northern California such as Comcast Sports California and Comcast Sports Bay Area both serving Sacramento and Bay Area covering Bay Area teams. It's got to be a ploy for a second NBC Sports net feed that will morph into general sports programming like NBC sports Net 1.

[SP Cook]

This is really just a rehash of the failed Universal Sports Channel, which was also in the NBC corporate family.  Blunt reality is that most people have no interest in these sports except for the Olympics.

[english si]

Blunt reality is that most people have no interest in these sports except for the Olympics.

Rather a lot of Olympic sports would be watched: Athletics, Basketball (international, obviously), Beach Volleyball (though I'm not sure that's the sport that's the pull), Cycling, Equestrian, age-restricted Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Swimming, Tennis, Triathlon, Alpine Skiing, Bobsleigh, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Speed Skating, Skeleton, Ski Jumping and Snowboard is about half the sports (and almost all the winter sports) and would all have audiences. But you need more than just Olympics, Olympics trials, documentaries about the Olympics, etc. The issue is more lack of competitions if you only have Olympics, rather than no one wanting to watch the sports.

Of course, NBC would have to learn how to cover these sports properly for it to be watchable.

Obviously the US has a long way to go before being a nation that loves sport in general, rather than loves watching the US win and it's own few sports, so I'm not expecting it to be like here, where I can currently (including the subscription sports channels) watch live Darts, 3x3 basketball from Czechia, College Football, Soccer score aggregation (x3: BBC, BT and Sky - literally pundits going oooh and ahhh off-screen and occasionally being asked to give a summary of how the game they are watching is going, live scores from ~150 games from across the UK and infrequent summaries from about 50 of those games), live Rugby, live Snooker (on a random other channel), Test Cricket, Horse racing and several live Soccer games (none premier league*). Of course, it's Saturday afternoon and peak-sports time, and later tonight it's all highlights from earlier in the day, except for some Cliff-Diving (yes, Cliff Diving) highlights from two different locations in one programme.

*two live games each Saturday from the Premier League (lunchtime + evening), two from the Championship (lunchtime + 3pm), one from the Conference (clubs that aren't in the top 92, but still play in a national league. Some teams are merely semi-pro) and a Bundesliga game (Spanish and Italian leagues have a game or two shown live in the UK each week, but not Saturday games).

[Alps]

I could see them covering World Championships and other national competitions in various sports. Maybe top collegiate meets will finally get televised and revenue.

[bing101]

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/mobile/index/article/id/105608.


Here is an update. The Olympic Channel will start Tomorrow.

[02 Park Ave]

What will be the channel number on Verizon FIOS?

[SP Cook]

Wikipedia is your friend.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Channel_(United_States)

[1995hoo]

Supposedly that channel will re-air the 1992 Dream Team basketball games. I might watch those. Easy to forget, 25 years later, just how dominant they were.

[RobbieL2415]

I have to wonder if in the future the IOC will form its own international TV network and broadcast live Olympic events outright.  They already provide the entire technical backend for the world's TV networks and they just piggyback off their feeds, which is smart because then every network would have to bring their own cameras, their own production trailers and their own uplink equipment.  It would be very easy for the IOC to retain its international broadcast rights and do it all on their own.  They would just have to regionalize coverage (i.e have separate on-air talent) for each country/region.

[bing101]

Here is what is amazing about the 2018 Games. This IOC/NBC Olympics Channel was rarely promoted when the Winter Olympics took place. I remember during the games NBC was putting more emphasis to viewers that to see a live Olympic event you would have to go to the NBC Sports app and NBC Sports Net national when the Pyeongchang Winter Events were at play.  NBC Primetime showed a highlight from the games though.  The point is that The Olympics Channel looks good on paper but not good in practice. I felt this Olympics Channel was a ploy for NBC Sports Net 2 to come into play at some point.