NBCUniversal’s NBC Olympics division and social networking giant Facebook have plans to join hands to cover the Olympics games in London. What the two big names are planning to do this summer is collaborate together to make the Olympics coverage a big success. Data from Facebook will be used to see television coverage on NBC and in return, NBC will display a “Facebook Talk Meter” on NBC, though occasionally, to tell the world what’s being said about the ongoing games online.
People these days use social networking sites to express their views on every little thing. Something as big as Olympics is surely going to be a much talked event on social networks. NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel said, “We know that a social conversation will surround the Olympics.” He also confirmed that this association with Facebook would make it possible to have access to viewers’ point of view and also take their concerns on to the television screen.
This is not the first time that television and social media have joined hands. The world witnessed this kind of association for Summer Olympics 2008 also. However, things have changed a lot since 2008. Facebook then had 100 million users and the number has jumped to 900 million this year. Also, once television enjoyed being the top media for information back then. Today, it’s facing stiff competition from other gadgets such as computers and phones. NBC and Facebook have therefore thought up a feasible way of merging the web with TV to enjoy bringing in better benefits for the masses.
Zenkel, in a telephonic interview from London said, “Facebook has the attention of a large portion of the American audience”, particularly among younger demographics. This collaboration with Facebook is one of “our efforts to reassemble with the audience” that has fragmented in a number of ways over the years.
Executives from both the companies have confirmed that this agreement is not a part of any advertisement and that no money is being exchanged in this deal. In turn, both the companies will be marketing each other’s products to attract more viewers towards the TV screens as well as on social media.
“It’s a terrific exposure,” said Andy Mitchell, a former executive at CNN who now manages partnerships at Facebook.
