Multichannel Providers Outline Olympic Game Plan
Several multichannel providers announced their specific plans for carrying NBCUniversal's Olympic Coverage on their digital platforms as part of TV Everywhere deals with NBCU, with most of them mirroring closely what NBCU has already announced it would be delivering to operators.
Comcast will offer the full 5,535 hours of coverage of all 32 events, with extensive coverage on NBCU networks, including NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo and Telemundo, two HD specialty channels for soccer and basketball and a 3D channel. VOD content and highlights are also part of the mix.
In addition, authenticated subscribers will have access to content via NBCOlympics.com, and the NBC Olympics Live Extra app that provides access to content on mobile and tablet devices.
A second app, NBC Olympics, is available to everyone including those who don't have a multichannel subscription. It provides second screen content to accompany the games.
Xfinity.com will also offer enhanced TV listing guides with filters to help users find NBCUniversal's Olympic events.
Verizon's FiOS customers will also get the full 5,535-plus hours of Olympic programming across the NBCU channels and on VOD as well as on multiple digital, mobile and tablet platforms at NBCOlympics.com and via the NBC Olympics Live Extra app for authenticated subscribers.
Verizon will also offer the full 242 hours of the 3D feed and will provide FiOS TV customers with access to on-screen interactive applications with NBCUniversal's medal counts, athlete bios, team USA reports, Olympic news, and other information. The interactive TV experience will be available to FiOS TV customers during Olympic programming on NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo and Telemundo.
Multichannel Newsletter
The smarter way to stay on top of the multichannel video marketplace. Sign up below.
Charter will carry 4,523 hours of NBCUniversal's Olympic programming, including live coverage on NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo and Telemundo as well as VOD content.
There will be extensive digital content for authenticated subscribers via NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympics Live Extra via mobile and tablet devices.
To help promote the TV Everywhere usage, Comcast, Charter and other multichannel providers are also entering customers who sign in and verify their subscriptions by Friday, July 27, into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, an HDTV, and other prizes that are being supplied by NBCU.
"We are excited to bring our Xfinity TV customers NBCUniversal's coverage of every minute of every medal on every screen of the 2012 London Olympics," said Matt Strauss, senior vice president, digital and emerging platforms, Comcast Cable in a statement. "Through multiplatform Olympic-themed search, tools and personalized features created to help our customers view and experience the events, we are providing a virtual passport to NBCUniversal's comprehensive 2012 London Games programming."
"Whether our customers are at home or on the go, they will be able to keep up with round-the-clock Olympics programming," noted Terry Denson, vice president of global content strategy for Verizon in a separate statement announcing its coverage. "Watching NBCUniversal's Olympic coverage with the incredible speed of FiOS Internet and HD picture quality of FiOS TV will give our customers an Olympics experience like never before."
In its coverage plans, AT&T said U-verse would offer more than 5,535 hours of NBCU's coverage on NBCU channels, VOD and multiple digital, mobile and tablet platforms to authenticated subscribers at NBCOlympics.com and with the NBC Olympics Live Extra authenticated app. It will also provide 242 hours of 3D coverage and interactive TV applications tied to the live coverage on a variety of channels that will provide additional information on the competitions.
Cox Communications will mirror NBCU's previously announced offering of 5,535-plus hours of Olympic programming on linear channels, VOD and digital platforms.
Cox subscribers of its TV Essential tier or higher will have access to live and on-demand content for online, mobile and tablets via applications.
The full 242 hours of 242D content are also part of the mix.
"We are excited to bring our customers NBCUniversal's 5,535 hours of unprecedented multiplatform coverage of the 2012 London Olympics," said David Pugliese, senior vice president of product marketing for Cox Communications in a statement. "Access via Cox's HD, On Demand, and high-speed Internet services maximizes the NBCUniversal Olympic viewing experience for our customers."
As part of its carriage of the Olympics, Time Warner Cable has also outlined plans at its various systems for the amount and types of content. In New York City, for example, the operator will provide the full 5,535 hours of NBCU coverage on NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo and Telemundo, two HD specialty channels and a 3D channel.
Highlights and additional coverage will also be available on VOD. During the Games: NBCU will supply Time Warner Cable with more than 550 highlight clips, in addition to 240 full-length event replays, available within 24 hours of the event completion.
The two dedicated specialty channels for baseball and soccer will offer 770 hours of HD coverage and the 3D content will total the full 242 hours that are being produced.
Authenticated subscribers can also watch over 3,500 hours of live streams of all the events at NBCOlympics.com/LiveExtra and via the NBC Olympics Live Extra app on smartphones and tablets.