(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
If you like Olympic videos – the montages, the interviews, the look-backs – boy, have we got a site for you. Comcast (which owns NBC, which owns broadcast rights for the Olympics in the US) has built a fantastic page chock full of high quality Olympic videos.
Part of the problem for Olympics junkies like ourselves is that the broadcast and video rights of Olympic competition are remarkably restrictive. If you’ve ever wondered why there is no ‘Best of the ’98 Games’ on tv, it’s because Olympic footage is owned exclusively by the International Olympic Committee and they are very careful about protecting those rights.
It makes sense in a way, it keeps the property scarce so that you’ll be sure to watch the Games when they are on. That scarcity is what makes that $1 billion that NBC shells out for the Olympics worthwhile. Because Comcast now owns NBC, they’ve got rights to some of the best Olympic footage – and it looks great. These links are the perfect antidote for those of us tired of squinting at grainy, bootleg YouTube videos in 360p.
These vids are pretty America-centric, and the player might not work in all places, but they are beautiful and moving to watch.
- Here’s the main page, with future stars, Beijing retrospectives, and some great montages: XFinity Olympic Main Page.
- Here’s a ‘Top 5 To Watch In London’ feature.
- We really like the ‘Top Five Memories From Beijing‘, Phelps, Shawn Johnson, Opening Ceremonies – they’re all here.
