Gold medal media
How have you been watching the Olympics? I have been hooked on NBC’s Gold Zone channel. Others have been using Peacock’s Multiview feature to watch multiple sports at once, or watching NBC’s highlight reels on TikTok, or streaming Alex Cooper’s soccer watch parties, or scrolling through Snoop Dogg clips. NBC is producing at least half a dozen different types of summer games TV, but we're all ultimately watching the same global spectacle and rooting for the same team.
This feels like a big future-of-TV moment, so I wrote about it for WIRED. The thesis: In a fragmented media world, the Olympics are illustrating how all the shattered pieces can be stuck back together. I interviewed several NBC Sports and Peacock execs about the viewing trends they are seeing; check out what they said here.
This summer’s other big show has been the presidential campaign shakeup. Today I'm out with a new story for Vanity Fair about the status of the debates. I also discussed it on “CNN News Central.”
Every major network is trying to get Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on stage together. As one TV exec told me, "the fall schedule is a blank piece of paper now," full of possibility. Harris is waiting to see if Trump will recommit to ABC’s scheduled debate on September 10. Here’s the current state of play.
Earlier, I penned a column for VF titled “The Mainstream Media Strikes Back” about the legacy media’s coverage of Joe Biden’s departure from the race.
On the day Biden dropped out, I was booked on several international TV networks and was reminded that simple questions are often the smartest. An anchorman in New Zealand asked: "Is it possible to beat Trump?" Here's why I said yes.
– Will America finally put a woman in the White House? NBC’s Ali Vitali joined me on the “Inside the Hive” podcast for a frank conversation about that. Other recent guests have included Molly Jong Fast, Jeff Sharlet, and Roger McNamee…
– Twenty years ago this summer I became “TVNewser.” The TV news blog’s current editors marked the 20th anniversary by going back in time with me…
– And in other TV-about-TV news, "The Morning Show" was nominated for 16 Emmy awards! Season three was our strongest yet, and season four is coming soon…
Saving the best for last: Today is Story’s fifth birthday, which meant the day began with balloons and pancakes and ended with a huge new Hot Wheels contraption in the living room. He’s already learning to drive:
Time to post some Instagrams and get to bed.
All the best,
–Brian