Here in the US we are getting ready to watch the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics – hours after the ceremony actually began.
The fact that NBC is showing the ceremony in the US after a three hour delay is understandable, coverage would have begun at 4:30pm eastern time if they showed it live. Not bad for us on the east coast… but on the west coast that would have been 1:30 in the afternoon. That would have left a lot of employed viewers out of luck.
But the situation has left many angered. Not only is NBC showing the ceremony on TV late, but they did not provide a live feed over the internet, as many seem to have expected access to.
The Huffington Post (among others) responded by listing a number of dubious and/or illegal feeds. Even though they aren’t showing it live online in the US, NBC did put a series of clips (previews?) of the opening ceremony on their site.
What we have heard about the ceremony so far is that it will feature British music – and include Queen Elizabeth II (perhaps not the real Queen Elizabeth II) and James Bond parachuting into the stadium. There will be stories, fantasies of flight, Winnie-the-Pooh, the lighting of the Olympic cauldron, and a parade of more than 10,000 athelites marching behind the flags of 204 countries.
As you watch the ceremony, chime in here with your thoughts! We’ll be posting them live throughout the evening.