BEIJING, China, August 8. BETWEEN its various television networks and the Internet, NBC is planning to provide more than 3,600 hours of coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Much of that time total will arrive via the Internet and live-streaming video of various events. It will be the first time that broadband video is made available in the United States for an Olympic Games.
According to the Associated Press, the coverage time will surpass the combined total of every prior Summer Olympics televised in the United States. Prime-time coverage by NBC on television will include swimming, gymnastics and beach volleyball. Of course, the swimming will be live due to the switch to morning finals at the push of NBC. NBCOlympics.com will provide the Internet coverage and NBC will be accompanied as a television outlet by USA, CNBC, MSNBC and Telemundo.