SALT LAKE CITY, Utah and REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 19, 2001 — The Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002 (SLOC), NBC, MSNBC.com and the MSN®
network today announced the launch of the largest event website in sports history which coincides with the lighting of the Olympic Torch in Olympia, Greece. The website, which consumers can access via http://www.Olympics.com/ and http://www.NBCOlympics.com/ , is being produced by MSNBC.com, the leading Internet news source, and promoted through MSN, the world’s most popular web destination, with 270 million unique users worldwide. The site will also be promoted throughout NBC’s television coverage of the Games on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC. Internet users will have the opportunity to view coverage of the Olympic Flame lighting by logging on to the new integrated website.
“We are thrilled with the new design and functionality,” said Mitt Romney, president and CEO of SLOC. “The new features will greatly enhance our efforts to deliver the most comprehensive website in Olympic history.” SLOC has been recognized as the first Organizing Committee to fully integrate the Internet into its preparations for the Games.
For the first time in Olympic history, users have one integrated source for all their official Games information by accessing any of the three URLs or directly through MSN ( http://www.msn.com/olympics/ ). Visitors to the website via http://www.Olympics.com/ will find a homepage with feature stories geared toward an international audience. The website is also available via NBCOlympics.com, which will be the third pillar of NBC’s “Complete Olympics” coverage, including network coverage on NBC and cable television broadcasts on CNBC and MSNBC. The website will be promoted throughout NBC’s television coverage of the Games on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC and on the Internet at MSN.
“As an official online content provider to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, MSN will provide millions of consumers with simple access to exclusive game content and event standings,” said Rick Belluzzo, president and COO of Microsoft. “We are pleased that our work with SLOC, MSNBC and NBC will redefine the Olympic experience, through the use of innovative technology for the Internet.”
During the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the site will feature exclusive live results that will be the fastest and most comprehensive anywhere. A centerpiece of the site will be “slide shows” that will provide brilliant image captures from NBC that will offer an immersive storytelling device of the Games on the web.
“This strong partnership marries the strengths of NBC and SLOC with the worldwide audience of MSN and the production experience of MSNBC.com,” said Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports and Olympics. “NBCOlympics.com is a valuable part of NBC’s Complete Olympics. The website allows us to extend and complement the storytelling from our broadcasts in a way that was previously unavailable, and promote our coverage with up to the minute detail never before made available to a US Olympic television audience.”
The website features the most in-depth broadcast schedule in the history of television sports, providing a detailed chronology and description of what to expect on the NBC, MSNBC and CNBC broadcasts. The website will also feature a “Meet the Team” section that provides an analysis of every single member of the USA Olympic Winter Games team. Event analysis will also be provided by NBC’s on-air Olympic commentating team.
“In a very short time, we developed this site leveraging our success with multimedia and interactive story telling and award winning design,” said John Nicol, president and CEO of MSNBC.com. “We’re proud of this accomplishment and confident in delivering the best Olympic experience ever.”
NBCOlympics.com is part of “The Complete Olympics” and presented in concert with NBC’s broadcast and cable programming on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC. NBC, America’s Olympic Network, owns the U.S. broadcast rights to the Olympic Games through 2008, including 2002 in Salt Lake City, 2004 in Athens, 2006 in Torino and 2008 in Beijing.
MSNBC.com is the leader in breaking news and original journalism on the Internet. MSNBC.com delivers the best of NBC News, MSNBC Cable, NBC Sports, CNBC and MSN. MSNBC is a 24-hour cable and Internet joint venture of Microsoft and NBC News.
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About Microsoft
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