EXECUTIVE QUOTES ON NBCUNIVERSAL'S PRESENTATION OF THE XXIII OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES FROM PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea - February 25, 2018 - NBCUniversal concludes its coverage of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics with the Closing Ceremony tonight at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC. Over the past 17 days, NBC Olympics' Winter Games coverage has dominated the media landscape, averaging more than 20 million primetime viewers. Following are comments from three executives overseeing the NBC Olympics operation and coverage in PyeongChang.
MARK LAZARUS, CHAIRMAN, NBC BROADCASTING AND SPORTS
On success: "We are successful against every important measurement. Viewers came in droves across all dayparts and platforms, our advertisers are all delivered, and our affiliate and distribution partners are extremely happy."
On profitability: "This will be the fourth consecutive Olympics that we make a profit, starting with London in 2012."
On national ad sales: "We finished PyeongChang with more than $920 million in national ad sales, a Winter Games record. We added more than $20 million once the Games began due to viewership exceeding our advertiser guarantees."
On primetime viewership: "In today's media environment, to average approximately 20 million viewers over 18 nights - which is essentially the number of hours for a full season of three primetime shows - is a tremendous accomplishment. When compared to the competition, we were more dominant than any Winter Games ever."
On the power of the Olympics: "The Olympics continue to demonstrate the ability to assemble massive and diverse audiences on platforms ranging from television to mobile to Snapchat. The Games are uniquely suited to thrive in today's expanding media landscape."
On future Olympics: "Our long-term Olympic rights agreement through 2032 is the best in all of media. With Tokyo, Beijing, Paris, and Los Angeles coming up as hosts -- and coming off four consecutive profitable Games -- we are very bullish on our investment."
***
JIM BELL, PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION AND PROGRAMMING, NBC OLYMPICS
On these Games: "The 2018 Olympics came at a pivotal moment in the history of the Korean Peninsula, and we have had the privilege of delivering images of a unified Korean team marching together at the Opening Ceremony and competing together in Women's Hockey that have given the world an inspiring example of hope and peace, while further demonstrating the unifying power of sports."
On Olympics & media: "The Games are now much more than a broadcast TV show - they're on cable TV, everyone's favorite devices, 4K, Snapchat, even in VR goggles. And the narrative of Olympic domination across these multiple platforms is impossible to dispute."
On Mike Tirico: "Mike did a fantastic job. It's not easy to follow Bob Costas, but Mike is a natural, and has genuine passion for the Games and the athletes. I couldn't imagine a more seamless transition."
On broadcasting live across the country in primetime: "The Olympics have always been a patriotic, unifying experience for America, but broadcasting these Games live across the country ensured a coast to coast communal experience and celebration."
On storylines: "From a record-setting performance of the home team, to the comeback stories of Shaun White and Lindsey Vonn, the emergence of Chloe Kim, or the epic team accomplishments of the U.S. women's ice hockey team and U.S. men's curling team, the Olympics never fail to deliver magical moments and indelible stories."
***
GARY ZENKEL, PRESIDENT, NBC OLYMPICS
On PyeongChang as a host city: "PyeongChang will be remembered as one of the most prepared host cities in recent memory. From transportation to lodging to venues, South Korea welcomed the world with open arms and put on a spectacularly successful Games."
On new distribution platforms: "We will continue to evolve the way we reach viewers as they change the way they consume content. By utilizing Snapchat, Buzzfeed, Google, Apple News, Uber, Peleton, and many more partners, we were able to successfully reassemble the fragmented audience by reaching viewers where they consume media."
On NBC Olympics' Snapchat partnership: "Our Snapchat partnership was a resounding success. By creating custom content for their large and media savvy user base, including the first-ever presentation of live Olympic content on a non-NBCU platform, we reached more than 40 million users, 90% of whom were under the age of 35."
ABOUT NBC OLYMPICS
A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal's Olympic Games coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights on all platforms to all Olympic Games through 2032.
- PYEONGCHANG 2018 -
|