The Athletes Are Headed to Beijing, But We're Heading to NBC

In yesterday's Rash Report, John Rash remarked that this week, "ABC, the 'Olympic Network' during the Jim McKay days of the '70s and '80s, will yield to NBC, this generation's Olympic network." It got me thinking about how wonderfully NBC has branded their coverage of the Olympics. I know that I won't think twice about which channel to flip to on Friday night when Erin and I (and probably some of our other Yaybies) will settle in on the couch for the opening ceremonies. Here are my thoughts on NBC's successful branding of their station as the home for the Olympics:

1. Logo integration. The peacock frequently appears with the gleaming Olympic rings underneath, even in years without the games. Although it does lend itself to some pretty fantastic "peaCock Rings" puns...

2. SEO/SEM. Google "Olympics," and check out the top paid search result and the second- or third-highest natural search result. (They're not doing so well for natural results on more specific terms like "Beijing Olympics" or "2008 Olympics" though.) Their dedicated website, NBCOlympics.com, provides in-depth profiles, 24-hour updates, and some streaming coverage.

3. Today show coverage. Matt Lauer, Al Roker, and the other personalities that embody the NBC brand have been prepping us for the games all summer. Who doesn't love seeing Matt Lauer and Michael Phelps in skin-tight bodysuits, anyway?

It's a no-brainer which channel to turn to on Friday night for my Beijing fix. The question is--will the ratings be high enough to make NBC's extensive investments in branding and rights to the coverage worthwhile?

UPDATE: The #1 Google search trend today (August 8) is "nbc beijing 2008 olympic games." Case in point!