$1 billion doesn’t go as far as it used to; Why NBC still bullish on Olympics despite losing money

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NBC announced this week that it has sold $1 billion of national television and digital advertising for its coverage of the London Olympic Games. That’s the most ever for an Olympic Games and approximately $150 million more than the total for NBC’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

But here’s the bad news: NBC spent nearly $1.2 million for the rights to the games and will incur another $100 million in production costs.

Now it’s hard to believe that you could generate $1 billion worth of advertising and still lose money, but I’m guessing network executives felt that way in the 50s when the figure was $1 million.

It’s all relative.

NBC, though, believes it actually has reason to be bullish on its latest Olympic investment. After London, the network will shell out $4.38 billion for the 2014 Winter, 2016 Summer, 2018 Winter and 2020 Summer Games.

Technically, the fees per Olympics stays relatively flat. However, the two Winter Olympics are in Sochi, Russia and South Korea. It remains to be seen if those games will produce $1 billion-plus in revenue.

Steve Burke, the CEO for NBC Universal, thinks the company made a good deal.

“We thought getting four games rather than two was a big, big deal,” Burke said.  “We wanted to make sure that we got the games at a price that would not cause this company every two years to lose a lot of money.  And we believe we’ve done that. The way to think about the four future games is, we get those at the same price that we get London, adjusted for the fact that some are winter and some are summer. Basically, unlike other sports where there are very, very large increases in rights fees when they get renewed, we got a chance to get four more games at roughly the same price.

“So over time, as these properties become more and more valuable in a world that is increasingly fragmented, and over time as you get some media inflation, some other things, we think we’re going to make money on these games.”

It goes beyond money for NBC. Clearly, the Olympics are part of the fabric for everyone associated with the network.

Burke talked of his anxiety during the bid process that he endured in 2011 in Switzerland. He had just come on board after Comcast purchased NBC.

“We knew that it would be a binary moment,” he said. “We would either come home with the Games, or we would come home without the Games, and as the new sort of people showing up in this building, it would have been an awful thing to come home without the Games.”

Burke and NBC wound up with four more Games. It’s a big, big deal in more ways than one.

As Burke says, “They’re very, very much tied up with the brand of NBC, the way that the, this company operates, the soul of the company, the culture of the company.”

And it all begins tonight with 17 straight days of the Olympics.

 

 

 

BTN analyst J Leman uses faith to heal people in Target

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J Leman is a former Illinois linebacker who just was hired to work a couple non-conference games as an analyst and sideline reporter for the Big Ten Network. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

But then I saw the following video in which Leman (on the left) talks about practicing “Power Evangelism” and healing people in a Target. With him is former Illini quarterback Tim Brasic.

Let’s just say it is a bit out of the ordinary for a college football analyst.

Leman said on the video: “I love to see people freed from pain. We had a back pain healed. He went from a very high level of pain to zero.”

Leman, who simply uses J for his first name, also dealt with a situation in which he helped a person who “had multiple encounters with the supernatural in dreams.”

Leman’s personal site makes it very clear where he stands regarding his faith. He writes:

Wherever I go, I can’t wait to empower the people I connect with to tap into the grace and power of Jesus Christ. My deepest desire is for everyone to know their true identity in Christ! And I want them to know they have the ability to bring His Kingdom to a broken world.

It didn’t take long for J Leman to get into the Internet spin cycle. Deadspin, as is usually the case, got everything rolling with a post today. Boers & Bernstein enjoyed the video so much, they played it at least twice (from what I heard) during their afternoon show on WSCR-AM 670 in Chicago.

Does Leman’s strong religious convictions matter if Leman does a good job for BTN? Perhaps not.

However, everything is linked these days, and your association with a network goes beyond the booth. Not sure that the BTN was looking for this kind of publicity.

Let’s just say, thanks to the Internet spin cycle, I wouldn’t be surprised if Leman’s video started trending really soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Astonishing and memorable moment’ promised for Opening Ceremony

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Yes, yes, we love surprises.

Jim Bell, NBC’s executive producer for the Olympics, is promising a big moment during tomorrow night’s opening ceremonies in London.

Bell said, “One moment I think will be among the more astonishing and memorable in Opening Ceremony history, one that people will be talking about for years to come.”

Of course, the all-time Opening Ceremony surprise occurred when Muhammad Ali appeared from nowhere to light the flame in Atlanta in 1996.

What will be Friday’s surprise? Queen Elizabeth, at age 86, vaulting up the stairs with the torch in hand?

Actually, the drama of the big moment could get ruined for a lot of people in the U.S. The Opening Ceremony will be aired on tape on NBC. With a five-hour time difference to the East Coast, there’s a good chance the surprise will get out.

 

 

 

NBC producer coy about Costas moment of silence for Israeli athletes

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From listening to Jim Bell, NBC’s executive producer for the Olympics, I’d say Bob Costas definitely will speak out against the IOC’s refusal to have a moment of silence for the Munich 11 during NBC’s telecast of  opening ceremonies Friday.

But it remains to be seen whether Costas will go through with his vow to have a moment of silence to honor the athletes.

When pressed about the issue during a conference call Thursday, Bell said, “You’ll have to watch the coverage.”

Bell spoke of the coverage regarding the controversial issue being “measured and balanced,” and that it would be handled “respectfully.”

“If anybody knows how to handle that situation, to have the right tone, it would be Bob and (Matt Lauer),” Bell said.

Bell also stressed that even though NBC has a multi-billion dollar relationship with the IOC, it won’t shy away from criticizing the organization.

“We have a good relationship with the IOC,” Bell said. “But we will cover the Olympics as we want to cover them.”

 

 

 

Big news! More people staying at ESPN! Extensions for Nessler, McDonough, Jones

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Yes, they love ESPN!

In the continuing effort to show that not everyone wants to jump ship at ESPN, the PR machine put out yet another release announcing contract extensions for some of its play-by-play voices.

We didn’t get these kind of releases in the past. However, in the wake of Michelle Beadle, Erin Andrews and Jim Rome leaving, and speculation about others departing, the ESPNers want to point out that there are plenty of its employees happy in Bristol.

From ESPN:

ESPN has signed Mark Jones, Sean McDonough, Brad Nessler, Dave Pasch, Joe Tessitore and Bob Wischusen – six of sports television’s most versatile play-by-play commentators – to multi-year contract extensions.

“These top announcers are recognized for their distinguished voices and ability to describe the action from many sports in a way fans appreciate,” said Mark Gross, ESPN senior vice president and executive producer, production.

Jones has worked a wide variety of assignments for ESPN, including NBA, college football, and men’s and women’s basketball telecasts since his network debut in 1990. In recent years, he has called the ESPN2 Saturday primetime football game, a regular schedule of men’s basketball games and the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.

McDonough is one of sports television’s most well-rounded commentators. He is a constant voice on ESPN’s college basketball and college football games, including the network’s Big Monday BIG EAST basketball with Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery and a Saturday college football game. McDonough also works Major League Baseball Monday Night Baseball with Aaron Boone, Rick Sutcliffe and Tim Kurkjian and as a hole announcer on ESPN’s golf coverage. He rejoined ESPN in 2000 after having worked for the network from 1989-95.

Nessler continues to be one of the leading play-by-play announcers in the business handling college football and basketball games for ESPN. He has called the ESPN Saturday Primetime football telecast since 2009 and is a fixture during the basketball season on SEC games, including Super Tuesday. He joined ESPN in 1992.

Pasch primarily works college football, men’s and women’s college basketball and the NBA on ESPN and ABC. He continues on ESPN’s Saturday college football coverage, has a weekly presence during the men’s college basketball season and has also worked the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. He joined the network in 2003, and has also worked the WNBA, Arena Football, the Great Outdoor Games and the Little League World Series.

Tessitore has a variety of scheduled assignments across ESPN platforms. He plays a major role as the longstanding blow-by-blow commentator for ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, and has become an established fixture in ESPN’s college football coverage – both in-game and in studio. Tessitore is the new daily host of College Football Live and will continue to be the face of ESPN’s “Heismanology.” He joined ESPN in February 2002.

Wischusen has been a continual voice on ESPN’s men’s and women’s college basketball and college football telecasts since he joined the network in July 2005. Wischusen will continue to work college football games and remain a weekly fixture during the college basketball season and the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.

What live means on NBCOlympics.com: No announcers at times; Gold Zone

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The operative word for the Olympics will be live. Or as executive producer Jim Bell says, “Lots of live.”

For the first time ever, every minute of every event at London will be available live at NBCOlympics.com. If you want equestrian at 4 a.m., you’ve got it.

Gone are the days when former NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol resisting live online coverage of premier Olympic events, fearing it would hurt ratings for the daily prime-time telecasts.

His successor, Mark Lazarus, contends with the advances in technology and with the way people consume information, live for 2012 was the only way to go. Unlike the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where NBC was able to show some live events such as swimming in prime-time, that won’t be the case for London.

“The decision was made because we think that as times have changed there is a sense to satisfy all the people [using digital devices],” Lazarus said. “The avid fan has that need of immediacy. We are going to satisfy that request.”

As a result, more than 3,500 hours of Olympics will be streaming to computers and mobile devices throughout the world. If you’re registered, you can watch Honduras-Morocco now in men’s soccer.

I mean, does it get better than Honduras-Morocco over breakfast?

What does it all mean? Here is some important things do know:

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Gary Zenkel, NBC’s president for the Olympics, said at peak times the network will offer as many as 40 concurrent sports via live streaming. Think about that: 40.

“That means if there are four simultaneous tennis matches at the All England Club, they will be available,” Zenkel said.

However, if you’re watching 40 events at one time, probably time reassess your life.

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If it sounds too daunting to navigate through 40 events, you will have some guidance. NBCOlympics.com will have its version of the NFL’s Red Zone. Gold Zone will take viewers to marquee action, such as event finals or overtime action in games as well as headline events.

However, Gold Zone will be without an anchor. If it was me, I would have tabbed my hero, Red Zone anchor Scott Hanson.

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Live streaming doesn’t mean you will be hearing NBC’s Dan Hicks if you tune into swimming. Lazarus said world feed announcers will be used in some cases, and for other events, there might only be graphics without any play-by-play and commentary.

So there’s a good chance you only will see horses jumping around if you tune into equestrian at 4 a.m.

NBC still is saving its best production for the prime-time audience. Lazarus believes the vast majority of live-stream viewers still will want tune in later to hear the analysis from NBC’s announcing teams. If anything, he said, the prime-time telecasts should receive a boost from people using social media to build excitement for an event.

“When we ask people, ‘When are you available to watch an event?’ The answer is after dinner,” Lazarus said. “This has been a successful formula. We shouldn’t change what’s been successful.”

Yes, some of the Ebersol model lives on.

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Viewers who want to access the live coverage at NBCOlympics.com will have to verify that they are either cable, satellite or Telco subscribers. Zenkel estimates nearly 90% of country will be eligible for the live streaming.

Also, registration is easy, and it’s a good idea to do it in advance. And one key point: Be sure to know your sign-in information for your provider.

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You won’t be able to live streaming for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. NBC is saving both for exclusive primetime coverage.

Again, the Ebersol model lives.

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During an NBC news conference in New York last month, Zenkel pulled out an iPad, calling it and smartphones game-changers in Olympic consumption. Zenkel said NBCOlympics.com produced 52 million unique users during the Beijing Olympics. Thanks to the instant access from new technology, that number could be a speed bump in 2012.

Zenkel wouldn’t make a prediction, but he said, “The potential traffic is staggeringly high.”

NBC has various apps for mobile devices. Check out NBCOlympics.com for more information.

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Will NBCOlympics.com be able to handle that kind of traffic and show 40 events at one time without any glitches? We’ll find out soon enough.

 

 

 

 

Might not play in Detroit: Harrington named studio analyst for Fox college football pregame show

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Given my Midwest sensibalities, my first reaction to Joey Harrington becoming part of Fox’s new college football pregame show was, “Detroit’s not going to like this.”

Harrington’s flopped as a high first-round pick with the Lions. He’s one of the reasons why former GM Matt Millen is working with ESPN. So now Harrington’s presence on Fox will serve as another reminder of Millen’s brutal regime.

But then I remembered Harrington was a big-time quarterback at Oregon. And Fox’s primetime slate will feature Pac 12 game.

So now it all makes sense.

Fox also announced Eddie George will be the other studio analyst, joining Erin Andrews and Harrington.

Here are the details from Fox:

Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer Eddie George and former Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington partner with host Erin Andrews to form the FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL studio team.  Andrews and the analyst duo of George and Harrington handle all pregame, halftime and postgame studio coverage live from the FOX Network Center in Los Angeles. The network’s coverage kicks-off on Saturday, Sept. 1(7:30 PM ET) when Hawaii visits USC.  The announcement was made today by Executive Producer, Co-President & COO, FOX Sports Media Group, Eric Shanks.

“We look for analysts who can break down the game while being entertaining at the same time and Eddie and Joey are the total package,” said Shanks.  “Eddie is a terrific analyst using his knowledge and passion for college football to offer a unique perspective and it’s an honor to have him back in the FOX Sports family. Joey’s charisma combined with his credentials on the field as a standout quarterback at Oregon put him in position to be one of the best college football analysts in the business.  The chemistry between Eddie, Joey and Erin sets this team apart.  Fans are in for an entertaining and enlightening show on FOX every Saturday during the college football season.”

George, a standout running back at The Ohio State University, ranks among the top three in school history in rushing yards (3,768), rushing touchdowns (44), 100-yard games (20) and holds school records with five 200-yard outings and 12 consecutive 100-yard games.  Since retiring from football, George has worked in television in a variety of roles. He served as a studio analyst during FOX’s coverage of the 2007 – 2009 BCS Championship Games alongside analysts such as Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson and Emmitt Smith.

As a senior, George set a single-season school record with 1,927 rushing yards en route to winning the 1995 Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Doak Walker Award and Jim Brown Award while leading the nation in scoring, placing fourth in all-purpose yards and fifth in rushing yards per game and yards per carry.  He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and has his No. 27 retired at Ohio State. 

Drafted in the first round by the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, he owns virtually every franchise rushing record.  He won several NFL Rookie of the Year awards in 1996 and was considered one of the NFL’s premier running backs, possessing an explosive combination of speed, power and toughness.  George earned four consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl from 1998 to 2001 and led the AFC Champion Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000.  He finished his NFL career in 2004 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. He is one of only 30 players in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards.

Harrington – once nicknamed “Joey Heisman” after a well-known Times Square billboard campaign – was a three-year starter at quarterback for the Oregon Ducks.  During his senior year in 2001, Harrington threw for 2,414 yards and 23 touchdowns to help lead the Ducks to a Pac-10 Conference Title and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl. Harrington was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award that season.  He was also named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and first team All-American.  He finished his college career with a 25-3 record. 

 The Detroit Lions drafted Harrington with the third overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.  Harrington played for the Lions through the 2005 season before stints with the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.  After his days in the NFL, Harrington started his broadcast career FOX Sports Radio in 2009 as an NFL and college football analyst.  In 2010, he joined the Oregon Sports Network as an analyst during Ducks football games.

In addition to broadcasting 13 consecutive weeks of regular-season action, including 12 prime time games and seven doubleheaders, FOX Sports boasts exclusive coverage of college football’s Pac-12 Conference Football Championship Game on Friday, Nov. 30 (8:00 PM ET) followed by the Big Ten Conference Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 1 (8:00 PM ET).  FOX Sports wraps up its 2012-13 campaign with an exciting Big 12/SEC match-up in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic live from Cowboys Stadium on Friday, Jan. 4 (8:00 PM ET).

 

Anti-SportCenter: New NBC Sports Network highlights show will be anchorless

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Still not exactly sure how this is going to work, but the NBC Sports Network is going to debut a new morning sports highlights show that won’t feature an on-camera anchor.

Imagine the money saved on make-up, not to mention lighting, studio set, crew, etc…ESPN SportsCenter anchors should get nervous if this format works.

Here are the details from NBC Sports Network:

NBC Sports Group announced today The ‘Lights, a new morning highlights show that will debut Monday, August 13, at 7 a.m. ET. The ‘Lights will use an innovative format to deliver the major scores and highlights from the previous night and will air weekday mornings during a new two-hour programing block. The program will launch NBC Sports Network’s post-Olympics programming schedule.

Designed to serve the busy morning schedule of sports fans, The ‘Lights will be produced as a 20-minute sports report, and will not feature an on-camera anchor or set. The show will use a unique presentation of simultaneous video clips, graphics and voiceovers to deliver the scores and information. The ‘Lights will repeat every 20 minutes, from 7-9 a.m. ET, and will be updated as necessary.

“We are very excited to launch NBC Sports Network’s new programming schedule,” said Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “The ‘Lights will serve as a catalyst for our new programming lineup, and will quickly provide sports fans all of the scores and highlights they crave as they start their day.”

The ‘Lights will join a lineup of signature programming that will further define the NBC Sports Network’s news, information and entertainment offerings. Programming includes: Sports Illustrated, which will debut tonight at 9 p.m. ET and the re-launch of NBC SportsTalk, Tuesday, August 14 at 6 p.m. ET.

Jewish Federations official: Bob Costas, NBC should ‘do right thing’ on honoring Munich 11

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The Jewish Federations of North America expect Bob Costas to honor his pledge to observe a moment of silence for the Munich 11 during the opening ceremonies at the Olympics.

“We encourage (Costas) and NBC to do the right thing,” said William Daroff of the Jewish Federation.

Daroff spoke on a Jewish Federations conference call this morning. It included several members of Congress and Anke Spitzer, widow of slain Israeli coach Andre Spitzer. They are working to have an official moment of silence for the slain athletes included during the ceremonies.

Costas and NBC were lauded several times on the call for Costas’ strong stance on the issue. Costas is outraged at the International Olympic Committee’s refusal to observe the 40th anniversary of the tragic event.

However, I pointed out to officials Costas’ plan regarding the opening ceremonies isn’t a done deal as far as NBC is concerned.

In an earlier post this morning, the network said: "Our production plans for the Opening Ceremony are still being finalized and Bob is part of that planning."

Daroff responded: "We support those who are calling on the IOC to do the right thing. Bob Costas has said he is baffled by the decision not to have a moment of silence. He is quoted as saying when the cameras show the Israeli team walk in during the opening ceremonies, he will lead a personal minute of silence.

"We're grateful to him for that desire. We know Bob Costas is a man of conscious. He is a man as good as his word. He has to work through with whatever issues he has with his employer, but we encourage him to follow through, and we encourage NBC to do the right thing."

Daroff noted the Jewish Federations wrote to NBC last month to request the network to "engage in these sort of efforts." Daroff said he never received a reply from NBC.

I asked Daroff how he would feel if NBC, not wanting to alienate the IOC, told Costas not to follow through with his pledge?

Daroff said: "Bob Costas' announcement has been a game-changer. It already changed the focus. It brought added attention to this. We encourage him and NBC to do the right thing."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will NBC force Costas to back off pledge to honor slain Israeli athletes during opening ceremonies?

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I imagine there are some intense discussions taking place between Bob Costas and the high brass at NBC.

Last month, Costas told the Hollywood Reporter that he is planning his own tribute to the slain Israeli athletes in Munich during NBC’s telecast of the opening ceremonies Friday. The International Olympic Committee has turned down a request to honor the athletes on what is the 40th anniversary of that tragic event.

Costas said: “I intend to note that the IOC denied the request. Many people find that denial more than puzzling but insensitive. Here’s a minute of silence right now.”

But will it happen? Ah, this is where it gets interesting.

When asked about Costas’ plan this week, NBC bounced back with a statement: "Our production plans for the Opening Ceremony are still being finalized and Bob is part of that planning."

Indeed, this is a sticky situation for NBC. If Costas goes ahead with his plan, it will put the network in the position of being critical of the IOC on an extremely sensitive issue.

The IOC clearly doesn't want to interject the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into the opening ceremonies. There is a concern how the Arab nations would react to a moment of silence for the Israeli athletes.

Last week, IOC president Jacques Rogge said that the opening ceremony, "is an atmosphere that is not fit to remember such a tragic incident."

So NBC-IOC relations aren't going to be helped if Costas injects his own moment of silence into the telecast. Not that the IOC will return the billions from NBC with a TV deal that runs through the 2020 Games, but the two parties have to interact on many issues during the next eight years. An angry IOC could make things more complicated, if you know what I mean.

I'm Jewish and the Munich Massacre had a profound effect on me growing up as a 12-year-old boy. I'll have more on that at a later date.

The issue for today isn’t whether the IOC should honor the Israeli athletes during the opening ceremonies. That’s not going to happen.

Rather, should Costas stage his own moment of silence on the telecast?

As a journalist, Costas is well within his bounds to note the controversy over the IOC decision regarding the Israeli athletes. It’s news.

But can he back off a pledge to take it to the next level? That would put Costas in a tough spot since Jewish leaders have lauded him for taking a stand.

From an Associated Press story:

Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said support from Costas would be welcome. Foxman’s organization, which promotes Jewish causes, has backed an effort to bring notice to the Munich victims at opening ceremonies for years.

“I think he’s right, and I think it will make a difference because of who he is,” Foxman said. “It’s sad that one has to characterize it as courageous. It’s such a common sense thing to do.”

NBC and Costas have two more days to make a decision. Interesting discussions, to be sure.