NBC to beam Beijing Olympics via TV, broadband

NBC will broadcast more than 3,600 hours of coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics on multiple television networks and the Internet, an Associated Press report said.

The Associated Press report said the bulk of that will come online, the first time live streaming broadband video of the Olympics will be available in the US, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics chairman Dick Ebersol said.

The 3,600 hours of coverage are more than the combined total of every previous Summer Games televised in the US, the report said.

NBC's prime-time coverage will feature swimming, gymnastics and beach volleyball shown live despite the 12-hour time difference between the US' Eastern time zone and Beijing.

Olympic coverage also will air on USA, MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo. About 2,200 hours of live streaming broadband video will be available on NBCOlympics.com.

NBC broadcast 1,210 hours of coverage from Athens in 2004.

The Beijing Games take place August 8 to 24, 2008.