For the first time since the Olympics began, I lost a bit of interest in the coverage tonight. I think mostly it was due to Michael Phelps not having a medal to swim for this evening. He did have a 200 individual medley semifinal, but that was it for his schedule for tonight. NBC did have Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor in beach volleyball, but they dispatched of their opponents so quickly that the network had too much time to fill before heading to swimming. NBC is currently in gymnastics coverage, but that is going quite late on the East Coast so I shut off the TV and am blogging just before I go to sleep tonight.
Subscribers to DirecTV’s Sports Pack will know that over the past month and a half, the channels of the various Regional Sports Networks have been changing and this week, it’s time for Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, FSN North, Fox Sports en Espanol and NESN to change locations. This has been a gradual migration of channels that will be completed in October. The moves are being done to create more room for several new channels like the mtn. which starts later this month. For a list of new locations, you can check them out here.
Now to some linkage.
I’ll begin tonight with Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun who writes that Baltimore remains on top of the ratings heap of markets watching the Olympics.
The Sports Media Watch notes that other sports running opposite the Olympics are getting hit hard by the Summer Games in the ratings.
Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that the first numbers of NBC’s measurement index of those watching the Olympics online, on TV and on cell phones have been released.
Diego Vasquez of Media Life Magazine says despite the high ratings, teenagers aren’t watching the Olympics.
Add Patty Fisher of the San Jose Mercury News to those who are angry over NBC’s decision to delay the Olympics on the West Coast.
Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle would like NBC to ease up on the West Coast Olympics delay.
Scott Collins and Lynn Smith of the Los Angeles Times says like Michael Phelps, NBC is in pursuit of an Olympic record.
The Sports Business Daily/Journal feels NBC’s Cris Collinsworth has been just short of creepy in his features at the Olympics.
Variety’s John Dempsey and Diane Garrett write that 17.7 million people have watched the Olympics online or on cell phones.
I happened to see CNBC’s Darren Rovell this morning interviewing agent Evan Morganstein whose clients include swimmers Dara Torres and Jason Lezak and gymnast Natasha Liukin and this is the transcript of the interview. And Darren discovers that despite a DUI arrest in 2004, Anheuser-Busch would not hesitate to sign Michael Phelps for endorsements.
Paul Farhi of the Washington Post feels NBC is glossing over too many of China’s faults in its Olympics coverage.
James Hibberd of the Hollywood Reporter wishes NBC would take more of a news reporting approach to the Olympics.
A British TV photographer was among those arrested at a Tibet protest in Beijing on Wednesday.
Jeffrey Flanagan of the Kansas City Star says the Chiefs-Bears exhibition game last week almost matched the ratings of the Olympics Opening Ceremonies, however, the two events did not go head-to-head.
Deadspin has a Sean Salisbury sighting.
Christopher Byrne of the excellent Eye on Sports Media blog noticed that original NHL2nite host Bill Pidto has left ESPN and there’s been no reason given for his departure.
Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star has a story on the Indy Racing League’s meetings with Versus which will air most of the IRL’s races starting next year.
Now it’s time for the annual Big Ten Network vs. cable industry fight to the deadline stories.
Mark Alesia of the Star writes that the Big Ten Network makes its Comcast debut this Friday morning.
However, the Chillicothe (OH) Gazette says fans of the Ohio State University are getting nervous as BTN and Time Warner Cable are not close to an agreement.
Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the signs are not encouraging for BTN and Time Warner Cable.
Cory Giger of the Altoona (PA) Mirror says customers of Atlantic Broadband are unlikely to see Penn State games on the Big Ten Network anytime soon.
CBS Sports previews its coverage of the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship this weekend.
Matt Farr of the New Baltimore (MI) Voice Newspapers writes about CBS’ Dick Enberg hosting his own golf tournament in Michigan and gets his reaction to Billy Packer’s departure from the network.
I have enough links for now. I’ll be back with more links later.
