• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 9, 2008

Should NBC Olympic advertisers start to worry about the Beijing Olympics?

Yes. But such worries always come with the territory.

Like it or not, politics has always been lurking beneath the big every-other-year, two-weeks-long international sporting event. For U.S. marketers, the question is whether they want to miss out on being associated with one of the biggest -- and most rapidly growing -- markets in years: China.

For other marketers -- smaller in number -- there are moral issues that come with business concerns. China's still questionable politics and tactics -- towards Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, for example -- present a problem.

Some would pity the poor athletes -- all they want to do is compete. Some would pity poor NBC and other TV networks -- all they want to do is bring exciting competition to the masses. Some would pity TV viewers -- all they want is spectacle, drama, high-class sports action, and maybe a little controversy.

Commerce has always had an uneasy relationship when sports are put on such a big stage and problems of politics, drugs, or violent images (the 1972 Munich Olympics, for example) are attached. Of course, TV executives can be snarky -- in calling out the protesters, saying it's all about a big TV stage where everyone wants to play and be seen.

Jeff Zucker, president/CEO of NBC Universal, is working the middle ground, saying that so far TV marketers have no problems. As a matter of fact, advertising prices have been "incredibly strong" despite political tensions, he says.

NBC has sold about 75% of its intended advertising inventory, so far. NBC has said it's targeting a total of over $1 billion in media sales for the event.

A lot is riding on the Olympics, including NBC's use of the Olympics to promote all its new programming and returning shows in the fall. The big goal is to help the network out of the ratings basement among U.S. broadcast networks.

What always seems to get the back seat with any of this -- is that controversy helps stir interest. Couple this into the still-undiscovered mystery of China for many Americans, and it will be hard not to turn on the Games.

That's why marketers are really there -- and, unless something catastrophic happens, they'll be staying.