NBC Beijing Olympics

The Beijing Olympics marked the first time Olympic events were live-streamed on the internet. NBC expanded beyond their multiple TV platforms to include robust web and mobile digital spaces.

Three phases constructed the website: pre-game, game-time, and post-game, and content and design shifted according to the timeframe. The site built user interest, kept them engaged during the games, and showcased historic moments long after the finale.

NBCOlympics.com featured everything related to the games. Sports information, stats, athlete and country information, schedules, medals, events, and viewing options made the site the central place for anything Olympics. This enormous amount of ever-changing data was navigatable even while being updated in real-time during the events.

While the primary attention was on the website, the national NBC Affiliate stations required Olympic promotional materials and local manageable microsites. Distributing widgets, banner ads, countdown/game day/count up clocks to the affiliate sites promoted interest. Content would live long after the games were over to encourage repeat viewings of these historic sporting events.

By the end of the games, NBCOlympics.com had aired 200 hours of live coverage featuring 25 sports over 17 days. Mobile usage (for the website and video views) reached 475,000 downloads. NBC's online commitment and direction for future games became established.

See The Vancouver Olympics Skating App and The London Olympics for more examples.