According to NBCUniversal, which is a subsidiary of Comcast, preliminary data released on Saturday showed the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics pulled in 28.6 million viewers in the United States. That was the most-watched opening ceremony for a summer Games since the 2012 London Olympics.

Friday's event, featuring delegations of athletes floating down the Seine past some of the best-known landmarks of the City of Light, with singer Celine Dion performing her first public performance in years, proved to be quite the spectacle for viewers. NBCUniversal has a lot riding on its success, with $7.65 billion for the US broadcast rights to the Olympics through 2032. It is the largest Olympics media rights deal in the world.

The viewership figure, which includes NBC and streaming service Peacock, is a boon for the broadcaster compared to just 17 million viewers for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Less than ideal time zones for the US audience and a continuing worldwide pandemic sank the overall viewership for the Tokyo and Beijing 2022 Olympics.

Leading up to the Paris Olympics, NBCUniversal was eager to talk up its coverage in an effort to win viewers back to the event. The goodies included pop star Beyoncé, who did an introduction for Team USA in a video that aired just before the American athletes appeared on the river—the first of many celebrity engagements for the network's coverage throughout the Olympics.

NBCUniversal is also looking at making the incorporation of AI within their broadcast, including resurrecting the voice of legendary sportscaster Al Michaels. It's an innovative approach to enhance the experience of viewers while keeping the audience at high levels of engagement during all elements of the broadcast.

The record viewers for the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics marked the fitting beginning for NBCUniversal in both global appeal and the network's push to rejuvenate interest in the Olympics. This kind of a start should help instil network confidence in its massive investment and strategy going forward for the Games.

According to NBCUniversal, which is a subsidiary of Comcast, preliminary data released on Saturday showed the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics pulled in 28.

According to NBCUniversal, which is a subsidiary of Comcast, preliminary data released on Saturday showed the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics pulled in 28.6 million viewers in the United States. That was the most-watched opening ceremony for a summer Games since the 2012 London Olympics. Friday's event, featuring delegations of athletes floating down the Seine past some of the best-known landmarks of the City of Light, with singer Celine Dion performing her first public performance in years, proved to be quite the spectacle for viewers. NBCUniversal has a lot riding on its success, with $7.65 billion for the US broadcast rights to the Olympics through 2032. It is the largest Olympics media rights deal in the world. The viewership figure, which includes NBC and streaming service Peacock, is a boon for the broadcaster compared to just 17 million viewers for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Less than ideal time zones for the US audience and a continuing worldwide pandemic sank the overall viewership for the Tokyo and Beijing 2022 Olympics. Leading up to the Paris Olympics, NBCUniversal was eager to talk up its coverage in an effort to win viewers back to the event. The goodies included pop star Beyoncé, who did an introduction for Team USA in a video that aired just before the American athletes appeared on the river—the first of many celebrity engagements for the network's coverage throughout the Olympics. NBCUniversal is also looking at making the incorporation of AI within their broadcast, including resurrecting the voice of legendary sportscaster Al Michaels. It's an innovative approach to enhance the experience of viewers while keeping the audience at high levels of engagement during all elements of the broadcast. The record viewers for the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics marked the fitting beginning for NBCUniversal in both global appeal and the network's push to rejuvenate interest in the Olympics. This kind of a start should help instil network confidence in its massive investment and strategy going forward for the Games.

Paris Olympics opening ceremony captivates US audience with record viewership

Jeff Shell, the chief executive of NBCUniversal, will leave the US-based media company and entertainment giant after an investigation over “a complaint of inappropriate conduct” was launched against him.&nbsp;

The announcement was made on Sunday (April 23) by the parent company Comcast Corp after Shell acknowledged having had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, the complaint for which has since prompted an investigation.&nbsp;

A Comcast statement said that the company and Jeff Shell have “mutually agreed” that he will leave “effective immediately”.&nbsp;

“I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret. I'm truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down,” said Shell.

Shell had been a part of the company for nearly 20 years. The media giant has said that an outside counsel will lead the investigation into the complaint. However, the&nbsp;brief statement did not give any other details about it.&nbsp;

As of now, Comcast has not indicated who will replace Shell. For the time being, NBCUniversal’s senior executives will report directly to Comcast president Mike Cavanagh.

The now-former CEO once led content creation, programming and distribution for NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment. He took over as the chief executive of NBCUniversal in 2020, replacing Steve Burke.&nbsp;

Earlier in his career at Universal Films, Shell oversaw some of the biggest franchises such as Fast &amp; Furious and Jurassic World by Universal Studios. The parent company also comprises NBC, which is one of the biggest television networks in the US, business news channel CNBC and the prominent Hollywood film studio Universal Pictures.&nbsp;

Following Shell’s ouster, Cavanagh and Comcast chief executive Brian Roberts, in a company-wide email said, “We built this company on a culture of integrity. Nothing is more important than how we treat each other."

They added, “When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here.”&nbsp;

In a previous statement to employees, Roberts also said, “NBCUniversal is performing extremely well operationally and financially.”

Notably,&nbsp;Shell took over as the CEO&nbsp;during the pandemic when Covid-induced lockdowns had forced the closure of theme parks and cinemas while TV productions were halted.&nbsp;

This is not an incident at NBCUniversal. Its vice chairman Ron Meyer left the company back in 2020, after disclosing a settlement with a woman with whom he had a consensual affair years ago, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

Jeff Shell, the chief executive of NBCUniversal, will leave the US-based media company and entertainment giant after an investigation over “a complaint of inappropriate conduct” was launched against him.

Jeff Shell, the chief executive of NBCUniversal, will leave the US-based media company and entertainment giant after an investigation over “a complaint of inappropriate conduct” was launched against him. The announcement was made on Sunday (April 23) by the parent company Comcast Corp after Shell acknowledged having had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, the complaint for which has since prompted an investigation. A Comcast statement said that the company and Jeff Shell have “mutually agreed” that he will leave “effective immediately”. “I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret. I'm truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down,” said Shell. Shell had been a part of the company for nearly 20 years. The media giant has said that an outside counsel will lead the investigation into the complaint. However, the brief statement did not give any other details about it. As of now, Comcast has not indicated who will replace Shell. For the time being, NBCUniversal’s senior executives will report directly to Comcast president Mike Cavanagh. The now-former CEO once led content creation, programming and distribution for NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment. He took over as the chief executive of NBCUniversal in 2020, replacing Steve Burke. Earlier in his career at Universal Films, Shell oversaw some of the biggest franchises such as Fast & Furious and Jurassic World by Universal Studios. The parent company also comprises NBC, which is one of the biggest television networks in the US, business news channel CNBC and the prominent Hollywood film studio Universal Pictures. Following Shell’s ouster, Cavanagh and Comcast chief executive Brian Roberts, in a company-wide email said, “We built this company on a culture of integrity. Nothing is more important than how we treat each other." They added, “When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here.” In a previous statement to employees, Roberts also said, “NBCUniversal is performing extremely well operationally and financially.” Notably, Shell took over as the CEO during the pandemic when Covid-induced lockdowns had forced the closure of theme parks and cinemas while TV productions were halted. This is not an incident at NBCUniversal. Its vice chairman Ron Meyer left the company back in 2020, after disclosing a settlement with a woman with whom he had a consensual affair years ago, reported Reuters. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell to leave 'effective immediately’ over complaint of 'inappropriate conduct'

Scenarios of Olympics under the shadow of coronavirus

Comcast Corp's&nbsp;NBCUniversal said on Tuesday it had sold more than $1.25 billion&nbsp;in national advertising for the Tokyo Olympics, a new record for any broadcaster for the games.

Nearly 90 per cent&nbsp;of its ad inventory for the games has been booked, said NBCUniversal, which holds US&nbsp;broadcast rights for the Summer Olympics on July 24 to August&nbsp;9, in a statement.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/preparing-for-successful-tokyo-olympics-2020-says-ioc-chief-283977">Preparing for 'successful' Tokyo Olympics 2020, says IOC chief</a>

The previous record, of $1.2 billion for the 2016 Rio Olympics, was also held by NBC.

Advertisers flock to major live sports events because they still attract huge audiences at a time when TV viewers are watching content on their own time on streaming services.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/coronavirus-scare-olympic-contract-allows-postponement-within-2020-says-japan-minister-283975">Coronavirus scare: Olympic contract allows postponement within 2020, says Japan minister</a>

The global spread of the coronavirus has prompted fears the Olympics could be cancelled, though the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday it was preparing for successful games and urged athletes to prepare "full steam."

Comcast has insurance for its expenses and should not incur losses if the games do not occur, Chief Executive Brian Roberts said at a Morgan Stanley conference on Tuesday.

The Olympic games occur every two years, alternating between summer and winter games.

Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal said on Tuesday it had sold more than $1.25 billion in national advertising for the Tokyo Olympics, a new record for any broadcaster for the games.

Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal said on Tuesday it had sold more than $1.25 billion in national advertising for the Tokyo Olympics, a new record for any broadcaster for the games. Nearly 90 per cent of its ad inventory for the games has been booked, said NBCUniversal, which holds US broadcast rights for the Summer Olympics on July 24 to August 9, in a statement. Also read: Preparing for 'successful' Tokyo Olympics 2020, says IOC chief The previous record, of $1.2 billion for the 2016 Rio Olympics, was also held by NBC. Advertisers flock to major live sports events because they still attract huge audiences at a time when TV viewers are watching content on their own time on streaming services. Also read: Coronavirus scare: Olympic contract allows postponement within 2020, says Japan minister The global spread of the coronavirus has prompted fears the Olympics could be cancelled, though the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday it was preparing for successful games and urged athletes to prepare "full steam." Comcast has insurance for its expenses and should not incur losses if the games do not occur, Chief Executive Brian Roberts said at a Morgan Stanley conference on Tuesday. The Olympic games occur every two years, alternating between summer and winter games.

NBCUniversal sells record $1.25 billion in Tokyo Olympic advertisements

Twitter Inc posted a better-than-expected second-quarter revenue on Friday and an uptick in daily users who see advertisements on the site, driven by changes to show users more relevant content.

However, the company forecast third-quarter revenue below many Wall Street estimates and said revenue growth would lag the first two quarters, partly due to ending some older ad formats.

Twitter's revenue and the number of users have been in focus since the social media platform started deleting millions of spam or fake accounts promoting hate speech or spreading political misinformation, contributing to declines in monthly users through 2018.

The company reported a rise in monthly active users in the first quarter, fueling speculation that Twitter was returning to growth, but has since stopped disclosing its MAU count.

Instead, this quarter it reported monetizable daily active usage (mDAU), a metric it created to measure only users exposed daily to advertising on the site and exclude those who access Twitter via aggregating sites like TweetDeck.

Its monetizable daily active usage (mDAU) hit 139 million, beating analyst expectations of 135 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey said machine learning improvements to deliver more relevant content helped drive up to this count.

Twitter reported a second-quarter profit of $1.1 billion, or $1.43 per share, compared with $100 million, or 13 cents per share, a year earlier. Profit was boosted by an income tax benefit of over $1 billion related to corporate restructuring.

Twitter's revenue rose 18% from a year earlier to $841 million, beating Wall Street expectations of $829 million, based on Refinitiv data.

Total advertising revenue rose to $727 million, an increase of 21 per cent&nbsp;year-on-year, as the company continued to improve its ad platform and formats.

It forecast total revenue for the third quarter to be between $815 million and $875 million. Analysts on average were expecting about $869.3 million.

Twitter has continued to bulk up its live and on-demand video content partnerships. On Thursday, NBCUniversal said they would team up to live-stream parts of the 2022 Olympic Games, Twitter's latest move in a series of deals aimed at boosting sports conversation on the platform.

It also expanded its multimedia features, launching a Snapchat-style camera feature in the Twitter app and releasing its long-awaited tool for clipping and publishing video.

Last week, the company rolled out its redesigned site and in March launched "twttr," a prototype app where certain users can test out new features as part of its efforts to make conversations easier to find and follow.

Twitter also recently updated its policies on hateful conduct directed at religious groups and last month introduced a new policy to de-emphasize and label rule-breaking tweets from important sources like politicians, though this has not yet been used.

Total operating expenses, including the cost of revenue, rose by 21 per cent&nbsp;to $766 million, partly due to plans to hire more employees.

Twitter Inc posted a better-than-expected second-quarter revenue on Friday and an uptick in daily users who see advertisements on the site, driven by changes to show users more relevant content.

Twitter Inc posted a better-than-expected second-quarter revenue on Friday and an uptick in daily users who see advertisements on the site, driven by changes to show users more relevant content. However, the company forecast third-quarter revenue below many Wall Street estimates and said revenue growth would lag the first two quarters, partly due to ending some older ad formats. Twitter's revenue and the number of users have been in focus since the social media platform started deleting millions of spam or fake accounts promoting hate speech or spreading political misinformation, contributing to declines in monthly users through 2018. The company reported a rise in monthly active users in the first quarter, fueling speculation that Twitter was returning to growth, but has since stopped disclosing its MAU count. Instead, this quarter it reported monetizable daily active usage (mDAU), a metric it created to measure only users exposed daily to advertising on the site and exclude those who access Twitter via aggregating sites like TweetDeck. Its monetizable daily active usage (mDAU) hit 139 million, beating analyst expectations of 135 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey said machine learning improvements to deliver more relevant content helped drive up to this count. Twitter reported a second-quarter profit of $1.1 billion, or $1.43 per share, compared with $100 million, or 13 cents per share, a year earlier. Profit was boosted by an income tax benefit of over $1 billion related to corporate restructuring. Twitter's revenue rose 18% from a year earlier to $841 million, beating Wall Street expectations of $829 million, based on Refinitiv data. Total advertising revenue rose to $727 million, an increase of 21 per cent year-on-year, as the company continued to improve its ad platform and formats. It forecast total revenue for the third quarter to be between $815 million and $875 million. Analysts on average were expecting about $869.3 million. Twitter has continued to bulk up its live and on-demand video content partnerships. On Thursday, NBCUniversal said they would team up to live-stream parts of the 2022 Olympic Games, Twitter's latest move in a series of deals aimed at boosting sports conversation on the platform. It also expanded its multimedia features, launching a Snapchat-style camera feature in the Twitter app and releasing its long-awaited tool for clipping and publishing video. Last week, the company rolled out its redesigned site and in March launched "twttr," a prototype app where certain users can test out new features as part of its efforts to make conversations easier to find and follow. Twitter also recently updated its policies on hateful conduct directed at religious groups and last month introduced a new policy to de-emphasize and label rule-breaking tweets from important sources like politicians, though this has not yet been used. Total operating expenses, including the cost of revenue, rose by 21 per cent to $766 million, partly due to plans to hire more employees.

Twitter beats revenue expectation, sees rise in daily users viewing ads

nbcuniversal

Nbcuniversal, News on Nbcuniversal, stories on Nbcuniversal, articles on Nbcuniversal, Nbcuniversal stories at Wion, Nbcuniversal news, Nbcuniversal latest news