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Live sports have long gotten credit for keeping cable customers subscribing. With almost everything else streaming on websites such as HuIu, sporting events have often resisted the call of the web. That has been changing, little by little. Earlier this year, the Super Bowl was streamed live on the web, and now, NBC is upping its streaming game during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The network announced last month that all 32 Olympic events will be streamed on NBCOlympics.com. While this is great news for cordcutters and those looking to view their favorite events on their smartphones and tablets - and at work - NEC's decision does come with a few caveats.
Big rating events, such as Michael Phelps going for his 15th gold medal, will be streamed only after its prime-time debut. Still, the embrace of digital viewership will provide NBC and its advertisers with an unprecedented look at how a range of spectators are viewing the games.
For the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, NBCUniversal, Inc. (NBCU) created what it called The Billion Dollar Lab. Of the 32 events covered, 25 were streamed in high definition and with multiple camera angles that spectators could control. For this year's games, NBCU will continue to provide the same great coverage, now with an almost 60% increase in streaming coverage, as well as providing content for smartphones, tablets, and other devices. According to Troy Dreier, senior associate editor of Streaming Media magazine, the games provide a great opportunity for innovation. "Companies who have the rights to [the Olympics] seem to challenge themselves to provide even more...