NBC dominates Olympic Golden Ring awards

NBC, the US television network that holds the rights to broadcast the Olympic Games in the country, dominated last night’s biennial Olympic Golden Rings awards in Lausanne, picking up three ‘golds’ for its London 2012 coverage. The International Olympic Committee awarded gold, silver and bronze trophies in five categories: Best Olympic Sports Production by Olympic Broadcasting Services; Best On Air Promotion; Best Olympic Feature; Best Athlete Profile; and Best Olympic Programme.

NBC won gold in the Best Olympic Programme category for its overview programme entitled ‘The Games of the XXX Olympiad’. It also won gold for Best On Air Promotion and for the Best Olympic Feature for its film ‘Measure and Motion’.

NBC was also runner-up in the Best Athlete Profile category, receiving a silver medal for its feature on David Rudisha, the Kenyan runner who won the men’s 800 metres in London in a new world-record time.

TV Record, the Brazilian commercial broadcaster, pipped NBC to gold in this category, for its feature on Sarah Menezes, who made history by becoming the first Brazilian woman to win a gold medal in judo.

Gold in the Best Olympic Sports Production by Olympic Broadcasting Services, the Olympic host broadcaster owned by the IOC, went to its sailing coverage.

In June, NBC retained the rights to the Olympic Games in USA after agreeing a new deal covering four editions of the games, from 2014 to 2020.

NBC won the rights in a four-games deal worth $4.38 billion, which compares with the $2.2 billion it was paying (including $200 million in sponsorship fees) for the rights for the 2010 winter Olympics and London 2012.