Though the TV ratings for the Summer Olympics have now begun turning upward, the first couple days
were a lot grimmer. The culprit just a day or so ago was streaming video, though that terminology is tortured, since it’s NBC that’s doing the streaming. So, if anything, it's suicide.
To be able to stream, you do have to have a cable or satellite subscription from which you can access an NBC station, and authenticate yourself before the streaming begins. Presumably,
many millions of people can handle that.
NBC says 12.2 million streamed part of the opening ceremony Friday night. The most exciting moment came when supermodel Gisele Bundchen
walked the entire length of the stadium. Or perhaps it never came at all. Hard to say. I drifted in and out of consciousness, dreaming of a land where the alphabet wasn't totally askew, like it is
down there.
But it’s obvious to me, streaming is the way to watch these games, so much so that by 2018, when the next games are upon us, it would make sense if all of it was
only online.
Because, let’s face it, we only watch the Olympics because of a sense of patriotism and because they’re on, and we’ve been made to feel we
should. These are not sports you would normally go out of your way to see. It’s kind of sweet that millions of us do. But it’s peculiar, too.
As evidence, I’ll note
that tonight, NBC’s prime-time Olympics schedule appears to be wall-to-wall swimming, where the USA ought to do well.
That's watchable. But when was the last time you saw
swimming in prime time? Probably, during the last summer Olympics (or possibly a year later, if CNN did a film package upon the death of Esther Williams, in 2013).
Streaming is
perfect for Olympics sports. Little bite-sized pieces make sense, for little bite-sized sports. I’m not complaining about the Olympics. I’m just sayin’...
Now,
Jessica Van Sack, who writes about tech for the Boston Herald is another story. I think
she’s really complaining.
“It’s time [for NBC] to kiss goodbye its status as the sole domestic broadcaster of the Olympic Games, an unsustainable
arrangement in the age of live-streaming and binge-watching,” she writes.
“In two years, it has to be the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea
broadcast by Hulu and NBC, or Netflix and NBC. Amazon Prime could also join the mix. Whatever contract the network entered into with the International Olympic Committee needs to be voided for an act
of nature — that young people’s viewing habits have simply changed.”
Van Sack is urging this course of action though it is more than a little self-serving, because
“two blissful weeks ago,” she cut the cable cord.
But her points are clear. A growing number of people--not just millennials or cord cutters--are not about to watch an
evening’s worth of often dry competitions to get to the few minutes they do care about. We don't live like that anymore. This is an age of YouTube videos and Facebook Live. The evolving nature
of streaming video--and the Internet--is quick and to the point. Sorry, Matt Lauer.
“Unfortunately for NBC, the IOC seems to be a little behind the times on this,” Van
Sack writes. “Trying to rein in use of its brand name as a hashtag and a bizarre ban on GIFs are two examples. NBC had better start making the case for a live-streaming partner now so that
the IOC and Comcast can both come to terms for 2018. Or, it could just strike a deal with Snapchat and hope none of them finds out.”
Now that’s a cold walk off
line.
pj@mediapost.com