95% commentary and 5% events

Associated Press: "Once savvy, NBC’s Olympics deal is shakier after Beijing"

These Olympics were a disaster for the network: a buzz-free, hermetically-sealed event in an authoritarian country a half-day’s time zone away, where the enduring images will be the emotional meltdown of Russian teen-agers after a drug-tainted figure skating competition and a bereft Mikaela Shiffrin, sitting on a ski slope wondering what went wrong.

Many American athletes underperformed, and arguably the most successful — freestyle skier Eileen Gu — competed for China.

Viewers stayed away in alarming numbers, and NBC has to wonder whether it was extraordinarily bad luck or if the brand of a once-unifying event for tens of millions of people is permanently tainted.

I got a kick out of this comment on a Reddit post about the Olympics:

People are no longer captive audiences of the major networks. I can curate whatever I want to watch on my own terms. The Olympics, especially in different time zones, is painful to watch since it's 95% commentary and 5% events. That may even be generous. It's also tiring watching every athlete framed as some down and out individual who overcame the cliché struggles of the day to become something special.

Boring filler and a one-minute bobsled run.