With the 2012 London Olympics only two weeks away, conversations surrounding the upcoming games have most likely started taking over your Twitter stream and Facebook Timeline. And if left up to the social media heavyweights, there would be an official contract allowing platforms to be a one-stop hub for information surrounding the Summer Games.
NBC Universal’s NBC Olympics division and Facebook are set to announce an
innovative partnership on Wednesday. Starting July 27, according to reports, Olympics coverage will go beyond the traditional television screen, spanning to “second screen†devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones. The two mediums will work hand in hand to disseminate what is happening at the games. On Facebook, the NBC page will feature special content exclusive to fans, and allow users to inform their Facebook friends that they’re viewing videos and reading articles on NBC’s Olympics website. The “Facebook Talk Meter†will appear occasionally on TV and reflect discussions taking place on the popular platform. The network hopes that the ability to share will result in greater content engagement, according to a recent New York Times article. In addition, the prime-time broadcast will promote a daily poll on Facebook.In an interview with The New York Times, Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, said he wants to get in on the “social conversation,†noting Facebook’s reach among the younger demographic and its worthwhile engagement level.  Not to mention, a small team of Facebook employees will be analyzing data gathered from conversations happening on the networking site. Staffers will then turn that information over to NBC and the network will turn those talking points into upcoming segments.
While all the details are not in, one things for sure, the deal will serve as an example of how big networks can join forces with social media platforms to go after a wider audience and capitalize on the increasingly social nature of television viewership.
The Facebook-NBC collaboration reports follow a similar deal the social network locked in with CNN for 2012 political coverage.