NBCU's Olympics Coverage To Be Template for Future TV, Comcast CEO Says

NBCUniversal's approach for Olympics coverage this summer will be "a glimpse" of how it will approach TV in the future, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said at NCTA's INTX 2016 show in Boston Monday. The 1996 Atlanta Olympics -- the last "live" Olympics where U.S. programming wasn't hampered by time-zone differences -- saw a total of 172 hours of programming on one network, Robert said. For Rio de Janeiro, NBCU will use 11 of its networks for 6,200 hours of programming, including live streaming of every event, he said. Through its cloud-based X1 platform, the company plans a variety of interactive features whereby viewers can search for content or information by sport, athlete or nation, Roberts said. He said roughly 35 percent of its customers use its X1 platform, with that expected to grow to 50 percent by the Olympics. Asked whether making content available in so many ways cannibalizes prime-time ratings, Roberts said, "Our experience has been if you put more in the top of the funnel what comes out in prime time will be greater than if you just had a single feed." Two-way capabilities have always been the competitive advantage cable has over satellite, and technology has caught up to the point where cable companies can now use it in such applications as voice commands and interspersing streaming video, he said. Roberts also said Comcast is heading to a model where all customer transactions, including signing up for service, can be done digitally. He also said Comcast is interested in making its X1 platform -- already licensed to Cox Communications (see 1507230038) -- available globally. Roberts said Comcast has no plans to get into an over-the-top model and compete outside its cable footprint. From its service trucks to its call centers, he said, "we have a clear value-add in market."