NEW YORK--NBC announced this week that it will offer live streaming coverage of all events during the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 27, Aug. 12, according to reports. This represents the first time U.S. viewers will have the chance to view any Olympic event as it happens, a departure from the networks’ traditional policy of tape delaying popular Olympic events for primetime.
As more viewers turn to online to access their sports and entertainment, NBC found itself the object of derision from fans seeking to view Olympics action in real time. As part of its recent contract securing the broadcast rights to four more Olympics, the network agreed to offer live online coverage starting with the 2014 Winter Olympics, but this announcement means the network decided to move forward with this policy starting in 2012. The network will continue its policy of tape delaying certain popular events for its primetime broadcast coverage.
In related news, NBC also announced this week that Today Executive Producer Jim Bell will be the executive producer of the 2012 games and that it has contracted former Olympics head Dick Ebersol as a special adviser. Ebersol recently resigned as the network’s Olympics executive producer over a contract dispute.
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