We have entered the next evolutionary stage of live sports video broadcasting.

Shall we call it "selective fingertip real-time viewing"?

While live-streaming of sports events is hardly new, having instant keypad access to even the most obscure Olympic events—as they happen—is quite ground-breaking.

Yet, that is the capability that YouTube and NBC will be jointly offering during the 2012 Summer Olympics from London. It will provide an additional 3,000 hours of coverage and will be accessible on any mobile device.

Think of it. While riding the municipal transit to or from work, a die-hard archery fan can watch the Olympic medal round of his favorite sport, exactly as it unfolds, from his iPhone.

No more need to wait for skimpy prime-time network coverage, or read about it in tomorrow's paper.

It is not presently known how (if at all) advertising will fit into the coverage.

Apparently, the arrangement between YouTube and NBC stipulates that the feed will go through NBCOlympics.com and not YouTube.com, which makes sense, as NBC is already under contract as a network provider.

Track and field fans have long utilized live-streaming to access remote global meets. Now, however, they can zero-in on particular Olympic events that typically get minimal network coverage, such as hammer, triple jump and distance races.

With Panasonic already promising up to 10 hours per day of 3-D programming, the London Olympics will set a technological viewing standard like none before.

Hopefully it is a trend that will reach into every area of sport.


Source: TIME Techland