NBC Sports has a gay problem

This is disappointing.

The network failed to identify Dustin Lance Black in the audience of the men's synchro diving finals as bronze-medalist Tom Daley's fiancé. Not boyfriend, not long-time friend... fiancé. And an Oscar-winning fiancé at that (read: public interest). They are, arguably, the "it" couple of the gay community, yet NBC didn't mention a word.

When NBC broadcast the match of Brazilian volleyball player Larissa França, they followed her to the stands where she embraced her wife. NBC commentator Chris Marlowe's color commentary?

"That is her husband. She married Lili in 2013 and Larissa is celebrating with her pals."

NBC Olympics Ratings Woes

The Opening Ceremonies in Rio delivered the lowest ratings for NBC since 2004, audience down 35% from London opener 4 years ago.

NBC blames this on "changing media viewing habits" - which sounds like they've given up on trying to adapt to changing media viewing habits.

“To expect the same pure television consumption four years removed from London just isn’t logical, but overall consumption is at or above our expectations,” said NBC Sports spokesman Greg Hughes. A comparison to London, he said, is “apples to oranges” given changing media viewing habits.

Innovating inside old media is hard, apparently.

NBC delays olympics "for the women"

NBC, still living in the dystopian old-media past, tries to justify not broadcasting the games live by saying "women."

The people who watch the Olympics are not particularly sports fans. More women watch the Games than men, and for the women, they're less interested in the result and more interested in the journey. It's sort of like the ultimate reality show and mini-series wrapped into one. And to tell the truth, it has been the complaint of a few sports writers. It has not been the complaint of the vast viewing public.


stranger things

We're obsessed with this show.

Ars Technica:

After all, this is a story that could happen (and has happened) in any era. A kid has gone missing, some dark forces seem to be at play, and it'll take a village (or at least a team of adults, our D&D nerds, and their siblings) to figure everything out. But what makes Stranger Things stand out after its eight-episode first season is that the show only uses the familiar as a backdrop; it doesn't wallow in it or simply retread known stories. This isn't Ready Player One, new Ghostbusters, or any of the upcoming Star Wars onslaught. Instead, Netflix's lovely homage to 1980s genre fiction deploys nostalgia only to speed up and deepen world-building. Its story, by contrast, feels fresh by including enough twists and turns to keep even the most capable pop-culture detectives guessing and entertained.

Also obsessed with the visual branding for the show, created by Imaginary Forces.

amazon v netflix

The Seattle online retailer said Sunday it will begin offering its video-streaming service as a stand-alone option for the first time. A monthly subscription will cost $8.99, a dollar less than the most popular plan from Netflix.

Highlighting its ruthlessly competitive streak, Amazon is rolling out the new streaming-video option on the eve of Netflix’s first-quarter earnings report Monday.

Game on.