Olympics On YouTube

The technology age is here.  The Internet is now being used more and more for marketing, and work and is connecting people and countries many miles and languages apart.  SportsAgentBlog.com is a great example of how the Internet is connecting people leagues apart through the common interest in agent and athlete information.  Now citizens all over the world who have the Olympics as a common interest will acquire the opportunity to view the events online.

The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China will be open to the world not only on television, but some events will even be broadcast live on YouTube (click here for Olympics channel).  This is especially important to the international community, as China has serious issues regarding their media and press and the content that is allowed to be aired on the Internet from China.

On Monday, the IOC came out and declared “Olympic content will reach 77 territories where digital rights have not been sold, or have been acquired on a non-exclusive basis.”  The Olympics, four years ago, saw the initiation of online broadcasting as 23 territories were granted Internet rights.  As you can see, the digital age is growing and so is the number of territories who will be covering the Beijing games.

“For the first time in Olympic history we will have complete global online coverage, and the IOC will have its own broadcast channel and content production facilities,” said Timo Lumme, the IOC’s director of television and marketing services.

This is not only a big step for the IOC, it is also HUGE step for the Chinese government as well. In this case, the government is setting their usual strict rules and laws aside to benefit the Olympics and its history and glory.  China is extremely happy to be hosting the games and has been more than cooperative with Olympic officials while getting the country ready for the upcoming games.  The Chinese have re-routed roads and changed traffic patterns in order to clean up the smog and pollution content.  They have spent BILLIONS of dollars in preparing for the Olympics in order to meet the IOC’s environmental standards.

The Chinese and their growing society and intellect deserves these Olympic games.  The added YouTube coverage will give the Olympics the international glory and exposure that it needs.  In today’s society, it is great for us to come together as one and show the Olympic spirit.  This is a time where Israelis and Iraqis, blacks and whites, and all others forget about their problems and represent their country.  If you cannot join on television, then don’t forget YouTube has all the Olympic coverage you need.  America is one of the territories where users may access YouTube coverage.