IOC – “Show Me the Money”

There is definitely a perception around the world that Americans are arrogant. Have you ever seen an American tourist who doesn't try to learn the native language they are visiting or just assume the U.S dollar will work? And Americans wonder why people don’t like this country.

Well, once the Beijing Olympics begin, people around the world are going to be shaking their heads again. In an article in today's Advertising Age titled, "Why NBC Will Charge Dearly for Beijing Olympics Ads," the story noted, "In addition, NBC learned last week that after five years of talks, it has persuaded the International Olympics Committee to schedule two of the most popular sports -- gymnastics and swimming -- at a time that will allow the network to broadcast them live in prime time in the U.S. Events that begin at 10 a.m. in Beijing can be covered at 10 p.m. in prime time."

How many other countries are there in the world? The IOC is scheduling the two events so the Americans can watch it live. O.k., I understand a large percentage of marketing and sponsorship dollars come from the United States, but seriously, the events should be held in prime time in the host country. This is a slap in the face to Beijing and its residents.

NBC is trying to get around the fact that people DVR most shows and the network knows it can charge more advertising fees if these two events are held in primetime.