When it broadcasts the Winter Olympics from South Korea next year, NBC will do so with live programming across the U. S., bringing an end to the network&
When it broadcasts the Winter Olympics from South Korea next year, NBC will do so with live programming across the U. S., bringing an end to the network’s decades-old strategy of delaying coverage according to U. S. time zones.
“That means social media won’t be ahead of the action in any time zone, and as a result, none of our viewers will have to wait for anything,” said Jim Bell, president of NBC Olympics Production & Programming. “This is exciting news for the audience, the advertisers, and our affiliates alike. ”
NBC’s move effectively shifts the core of a strategy it adopted for online audiences — to provide immediate access to Olympic events — to its main platform. Live coverage from Pyeongchang will air during the day, in prime time and late at night, the network says.
The time-delay approach has long been criticized by those who complained that it exposed viewers to spoilers, reduced the scope of NBC’s coverage and diminished the excitement of a live global event.
