8.08.08: NBC Brings You the Opening Ceremony Live?

The Olympics start today. Actually they start right now, at 8:08pm Beijing time. A number of times this week we’ve heard people on NBC say that the network will be broadcasting the opening ceremony live (TVNewser reports that MSNBC is saying the ceremonies begin at 7:30pm tonight — they don’t!). Why NBC chose to delay the broadcast twelve hours, and cede the power of an actual live show to just about everyone else on the planet is unclear (currently Today is talking about the arrest of the Detroit mayor). It sort of feels like the entire world is attending a huge party and NBC threw away our invite. Certainly it would be in their best interests to re-broadcast during prime time but why not also show it live? That’s what the Canadians are doing, and probably many other countries. NBC may have sole rights to cover the Olympics but they don’t own the Internet and without doubt video of the ceremony is sure to make its way online before 8pm tonight. Not to mention pictures.

UPDATE: Watch the opening ceremonies here courtesy of YouTube and a very helpful person from Italy.

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