NBC, already in hot water with fans over its coverage of the London Olympics opening ceremonies, just can't seem to catch a break. The broadcaster, which has chosen to tape-delay certain events, is catching heat from viewers upset after NBC broadcasters spoiled the outcome of the Michael Phelps - Ryan Lochte 400-meter individual medley showdown.
[More from Mashable: 10 Brits Snubbed from the Olympic Opening Ceremony]
Instead of carrying the matchup live, NBC aired a taped interview with Phelps. After Lochte won the event by nearly 4 seconds with Phelps finishing a disappointing fourth, NBC Nightly News led with the surprising racing result before the event had aired on television. The hashtag #NBCsucks soon became a trending topic on Twitter, with fans taking to the social media site to voice their displeasure.
We're with you, Michael Phelps: eight hour later! #NBCsucks
[More from Mashable: Olympic Popularity: Starcount Reveals Which Olympic Athletes Are Trending]
— pete_dude (@pete_dude) July 29, 2012
Jim Bell, the long-time Today Show executive producer who has taken over running Olympics coverage from star producer Dick Ebersol, has responded by answering fans' questions on Twitter. Bell says NBC will make it explicit whether or not an event is live or tape-delayed and also warn viewers of spoilers.
@chemekimmi When live, there is almost always a "LIVE" graphic. When it's tape, we always either say it and/or have graphic that says it.
— Jim Bell (@jfb) July 29, 2012
@MomInStL I have confirmed with my colleagues that a spoiler alert will be given. Thank you.
— Jim Bell (@jfb) July 29, 2012
Reaction from fans online so far has been mixed, with some viewers saying they will forgo Twitter altogether during the Games and others coming to terms with NBC's tape-delayed coverage.
I've decided I'm okay with Olympic spoilers! I get just as happy/sad all over again when I get to watch the tape delay! #London2012
— Karen Pace (@KarenPace) July 29, 2012
What do you think of NBC's Olympic coverage? Tell us how you're following the latest news from the London Games in the comments.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
No comments:
Post a Comment