With swimming and gymnastics live in prime time, household ratings for the 2008 Beijing Games topped the 2004 Athens event by 8%. Based on one estimate, NBCU isn't so sure London will bring an increase in ratings. Yet the NBCU sales department may be playing it conservatively. Olympic viewership can be hard to predict. Compelling storylines can emerge unexpectedly, sparking national debates or patriotic surges, which can translate into higher Nielsen numbers.

Could Mitt Romney really be ceding a big Olympic stage to President Obama? In a deal with NBCUniversal, the Obama campaign has placed a $6 million national Olympic ad buy. The arrangement will have the campaign running a prime-time spot 15 straight nights on NBC, beginning Friday during the Opening Ceremony.

One of the more extraordinary aspects of the NBA's apparent done deal to place advertiser logos on jerseys is how relatively little the league expects to collect from the arrangements. While it may be intentionally lowering expectations, the league suggested last week the brand patches would bring in a combined $100 million a year for its 30 teams.

How quixotic is this? A cable executive wants Republicans and Democrats, who can't agree on whether the grass is green, to take the lead in forging an extraordinary compromise in the TV industry. Yes, Mediacom CEO Rocco Commisso is asking Washington for the kind of help it needs itself. So, marvel at his chutzpah.

In more ways than one, Wieden + Kennedy continues to be the ultimate trophy agency. Holding companies would love to acquire it, but it holds fiercely to its independence. Perhaps it's because executives fear creative freedom might disappear. The agency is certainly thriving with the opportunities that brings. On Thursday, W+K landed three of the five nominees for the "Outstanding Commercial" Emmy award. A win would add to its three-year winning streak.

It's weeks like these where a sort of TV socialism seems appealing. Really, how great is the free market?

Time Warner Cable (TWC) has seized on a sound bite a trapped Hearst CEO David Barrett made before Congress in late June as TWC and Hearst are locked in a carriage dispute. But Hearst could score some points by drawing from Senate testimony Britt made in Washington in 2010. It would take a little legerdemain, but increasingly all's fair in love and carriage disputes.

As has been well-documented, U.S. legislators have been railing against the USOC for allowing Ralph Lauren to manufacture uniforms in China. So much so, Ralph Lauren will bring the manufacturing stateside for 2014. Now, perhaps people of influence should encourage the designer to make its logo less dominant.

A&E Networks posted a standout second quarter as ratings rose at its three flagship networks thanks to new hits and higher ratings for returning series. Helped by the debut of the "The Client List," Lifetime ratings rose 12% in the 18-to-49 demo, while History and A&E also saw increases.

All those measurement companies offering services that would demonstrate a link between TV ads and product purchasing might get a few more calls from CMOs today. Turns out their bosses think their dedication to ROI is pretty wayward, at least according to new research.