Bringing the Olympics Home through Social Media
As viewers around the world experience the magic of the Paris Olympics remotely through their screens, NBCUniversal is leveraging a new avenue to engage audiences – social media. In an effort to provide more than just television coverage, the media giant has recruited a collective of online personalities to cover the games through the lens of their various social channels.
numbering 29 strong, this group of influencers known as the Paris Creator Collective has been given unprecedented access to venues and events. Their mission is to document their experiences in real-time and portray the pageantry of the Olympics to their millions of followers. Content creators like Chris Matthews of Lethal Shooter fame and Jeenie Kwon of Jeenie Weenie are attending fencing competitions while providing lively commentary. Rapper Lecrae is at the pool to witness potential victories by French swimmer Léon Marchand. Canadian cliff diver Molly Carlson is set for a dive into womens gymnastics coverage.
Behind the scenes, NBC is ensuring this collective has opportunities to interact with athletes and feel the energy of live competitions. At a recent meeting, the group expressed joy and anticipation at attending various events. NBC's Geo Karapetyan outlines their busy schedule and introductions were made to the Paris Games mascot, eliciting gleeful responses. The creators see this as a chance to bring fans along for the ride and showcase untapped sides of the Olympics.
While access is restricted from filming actual performances, the influencers are leveraging creativity within the guidelines. In a successful viral clip, French natives Tom Carles and Alex Durand captured the beach volleyball venue in all its splendor. For others like Jeenie Kwon, having production support has eased the pressure of output.
Through the eyes of these popular personalities, viewers the world over can now experience the pageantry and emotions of the Games from the periphery. NBCUniversal's bold strategy of having creators cover the Olympics through their vast social platforms has brought the excitement home in a novel, engaging way. Their collaborative coverage aims to introduce the Games' grandeur to new audiences and allow all to share in its thrill.
