• by David Goetzl , December 24, 2009

NBC Universal will again be using a version of the "TV Everywhere" concept with live streaming of Olympic coverage from the coming Winter Games.

People can now register to view the coverage free on NBCOlympics.com in February. But they are only eligible if they subscribe to a cable, satellite or telco TV service.

Even before "TV Everywhere" became a sweeping industry initiative, NBCU was employing an incarnation last summer during the Beijing event.

The system, tabbed "Olympics Online Connect," allows people to prove via an authentication process that they pay a provider for TV service. That measure opens the gate to more than 1,000 hours of live Olympic streaming and full-event replays.

So far, most large cable operators have linked with NBCU to give access to their customers. One exception is Cablevision, the country's fifth-largest MSO.

Still, the Vancouver Games are well over a month away, and a "partnership" with NBCU may still be established. A Cablevision representative declined comment via email. An effort to reach NBCU was unsuccessful.

Satellite operators DirecTV and Dish Network are participating, as are telco TV providers AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS.

"TV Everywhere" is a concept designed to prevent customers from dropping their pay TV service if the same content is available online gratis. It will require an authentication process similar to NBCOlympics.com.

NBCU cable channels USA, CNBC and MSNBC carry Olympic events -- and operators will want to ensure that access to broadband simulcasts is limited to their video customers.