The London Olympics have just drawn to a close, and not without a lot of heat from the press and the public (and specifically on social media site Twitter) criticizing NBC’s coverage. In fact, the hashtag #NBCFail has become all-too-popular one on Twitter.
First, we should start by saying that NBC’s nearly round-the-clock coverage of the Games over 10 suite of channels is a huge and difficult undertaking. Also, NBC must face an inordinate number of potential spoilers — from competitive networks looking to “scoop” the news before the contests are aired to social media users announcing the results before the NBC primetime airing (competitors also try to cannibalize NBC audiences).
And the high ratings seem to prove that despite some gaffes, people still tuned in. During the first week of the games, NBC beat out all the competition in primetime viewership. The average for the week was 32.2 million (18.3 rating, 30 share), all of it Olympics.
Nonetheless, viewers and press critics in particular, are still criticizing the network for its tape-delayed coverage, spotty online streaming video and some questionable ad choices.
Here are some of the biggest complaints — from opening to closing:
Cutting away from a 7/7 tribute
The British media, in particular, has criticized NBC for cutting away from a section of the Opening Ceremony meant to pay tribute to the 7/7/2005 terrorist attacks in London’s Underground. NBC replaced it with TV host Ryan Seacrest-led interview with U.S. swim star Michael Phelps.
Usain Bolt tape delay
Jamaican runner Usain Bolt made history a Sunday afternoon when he won the men’s 100m final in 9.63 seconds. Apparently two billion viewers worldwide watched it live. But not NBC’s. Those viewers had to wait until the event was aired on primetime — a major buzzkill.
Bad advertising choice
NBC has apologized for a badly timed promotional ad that featured a monkey doing gymnastics directly following host Bob Costas’ commentary on the pretty black girl gold medal winner Gabby Douglas’ performance. “Much of America has fallen in love with Gabby Douglas,” Costas said. “Also safe to say that there are some young African-American girls out there who tonight are saying to themselves, ‘Hey, I’d like to try that, too.’” Then, an ad for NBC’s “Animal Practice” came on that featured a monkey dressed in an Olympic uniform doing a routine on the rings.
Building unnecessary suspense
The network was accused of manufacturing suspense for the women’s gymnastics final by choosing not to air the competition that essentially took Russia (the U.S.’s biggest competitor) out of the running for gold. NBC didn’t show Ksenia Afanasyeva’s floor exercise, which included a serious stumble.
Spoiling the swimming competition
Just before U.S. swimmer Missy Franklin won gold for the 100m backstroke, NBC aired a promotion for the next day’s morning show that explicitly said Franklin had won along with a photo of Franklin with wearing her medal. Americans who had avoided all the other (usually Internet-based) spoilers of her victory were pretty peeved.
Closing ceremony cut off
Just last night, NBC got its fair share of criticism for cutting away from the large spectacle that was the closing ceremony in favor of premiering new sitcom Animal Practice. As a result, American viewers missed out on performances by The Who, Muse and Ray Davies, and proving that when it came to this years Olympics, controversy would last until the bitter end.
