Part of the thrill
of watching the Olympics is the uncertainty of who will prevail. The swimming
events are particularly exhilarating to watch... so much tension is pent up
during the seconds before the athletes dive and glory (as well as sorrow)
ensues only minutes later. Imagine my discontent when one of my Facebook
friend's outrage at the French appears in my newsfeed hours before the 4x100
meter relay is scheduled to air in New York. Social media has killed the lovely
suspense of the games.
Nowadays, results from events spread throughout Facebook, Twitter, and fan blogs like wildbrushfires well before American viewers get to watch the outcomes for
themselves on TV. How has this trend impacted ratings for NBC? I would think
that the social media-enabled spoilers would deter people from tuning into
events later when they air. The consequent lower viewing would have a negative
result for advertisers during prime time. However, NBC reports that they
actually experienced the biggest first weekend for any summer Olympics ever
with an average of 35.8 million viewers. It's also the first time NBC is
streaming all events live on the official
website. Hence marketers are getting even more bang for the buck during
these games. What gives?
One
possibility is that all the social media chatter ahead of local airtimes has
generated even more buzz and boosted interest in watching the games on TV.
Another is that social media consumers are simply restraining themselves from
checking their Twitter feeds to minimize exposure to spoilers and preserve the
excitement of the Olympics. Either way, those spending ad dollars on NBC this
summer must be quite pleased.
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