How will you enjoy your viewing experience of gymnastics, the decathlon, basketball, swimming and myriad other sports that comprise the impending Beijing Summer Olympics?

NBC really wants to know. So much so they aren’t shying away from calling the 2008 Games, which being on August 8, a “billion-dollar research lab” to see if viewers will tune into online, on-demand and mobile-phone video along with the traditional TV viewing.

There’s plenty of options and opportunities to tune in, too, and we mean plenty—3,600 hours of TV programming through NBC (guessing that’ll be the big draw with the whole high-def thing and all), MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Oxygen and Telemundo; plus 2,200 hours of streaming video at NBCOlympics.com.

NBC will be surveying online 500 viewers a day, up to 8,500 throughout the Olympiad.

We might have to wait until 2010 in Vancouver to see how Olympics coverage changes as NBC recognizes viewing habit changes. But for the Beijing Games, it will even be able to put some of the information to use on the website coverage—a particularly well-received and highly viewed sport might receive greater coverage than originally planned, for example.

In that case, I say in advance, bring on more table tennis coverage!

Via: USA Today

Arlen Schweiger - Editor of Electronic House Magazine

Arlen writes about home technology installations and product news and reviews for electronichouse.com and Electronic House magazine.