If the 2008 Olympics are a world event and non-profit in nature why is video of it kept proprietary?

Question

If your like me then you really love watching the Olympics. However sometimes sleeping and working are required and I can't see every event. I am sure many of you have been to youtube or other video sites and found that video footage of the games is held under pretty tight wraps. Worse still as a Canadian resident I am not even allowed to veiw the footage on NBC.

The Olympic Games belong to the world and the athletes. It is an event that in ages past united the world in sport and allowed countries to flex their respective muscles through non-violent means. The advent of the internet has only served to widen the audience and appeal of world class events such as this. Why are the videos of these games being blocked? Simply because a tool as powerful as the internet has allowed me to view the games at me leisure should not bar me enjoying the spectacle. I am not sure whether it is the IOC or the media corporations who have purchased our right to view competition on the world stage but should this be allowed? The Olympics are not like the NBA or NFL. These are for profit. I would argue that the Olympics are for the world and it is the Media that has bootlegged us. Is this just?

Answer 1

The Olympics ARE for profit.  The host city profits from all the visitors.  The IOC profits from the sponsors and the journalists.  The top competitors profit from sponsors and their countries paying them bonuses.  The only people that don't profit are athletes in lesser known sports, non contenders or sports that still hold the the amateurism rule.

Answer 2

In a perfect world where no money ever had to change hands, you would be free to see the Olympics on any network that chose to show them, and every single event would be available with just a click of your mouse.

But, we live in a world where things cost money. Do you really believe that the Olympics are "non-profit" in the same way that a church or any other charitable organization is? Even if they were strictly non profit, they still have expenses, just like every other non profit organization does. Do you think the materials for the stadiums and the labor to bulld them was all donated? Do you think that the broadcasters are using their vacation time, not getting a paycheck and paying all of their own expenses over there? The broadcast revenues (and most especially the American broadcast rights) make up a large portion of the amount that allows the Olympics to even take place. And for the investment of billions of dollars, the networks get the rights to control those broadcasts. And without those dollars, the Olympics probably would barely exist. And in today's day and age, wouldn't you think that, if a person really cares about seeing an event that may take place while they are at work or asleep that they might invest about 50 bucks in a vcr?

Sorry to say it, but the Olympics, along with their broadcast partners, have just as much right to protect their broadcast as anyone else does, whether it be sports or entertainment.