NBC's all-taped coverage of the Sydney Games drew the lowest U.S. television ratings for any Olympics, summer or winter, since the 1960s.
But other broadcasters, also with time zone problems, have seen booming ratings. Said Michael Payne, marketing director for the International Olympic Committee `` In the global take, we expect the overall numbers and reach to be significantly higher (than for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta). Generally, the numbers from Europe have been significantly increased.?
He added that the BBC were ``just raving about how their numbers were up.'' Ratings also have risen in Canada and in some South American countries. ``Chile was talking about doubling over Atlanta,'' Payne said.
In Asia, where time zones are closer to those of Australia, Japan, Korea and China have reported significant ratings increases.
Payne stressed that NBC?s poor performance would not have a damaging effect on Olympic funding in the future. In the early 1980s, ``U.S. television rights accounted for more than 90 percent of all (IOC marketing) revenue,'' Payne said. ``Today the U.S. television rights account for half of the television rights around the world and television rights overall account for less than half of the marketing revenue.?
U.S. TV rights now accounts for less than 20 percent of the total Olympic revenue package, Payne added.
