Future of Olympic Broadcasting Vexes Experts; 2012 Anti-Doping Campaign; Isinbayeva Backs Doha 2017

Mobile Olympic Broadcasting Future Perplexing Experts

Broadcasters and sport media experts are confronting the challenges posed by the future of Olympic broadcasting, especially on mobile devices.

Speaking at Sportel Monaco’s "Olympic Games – The Lean Forward Revolution in Sports" panel, the BBC Sport’s new media director said the broadcaster will show a "full-fat" version of the 2012 Games including continual coverage of all events.

"More of a step into the unknown is content for mobiles and tablets," Ben Gallop said.

"Smartphones have transformed the market since the Beijing games in 2008. Whether the smartphone is ever the right platform for live sports is ever debatable, but it is a fantastic companion for offering news and information."

For Gallop, another challenge is internet-connected TV.

"This is the area, that's probably the most challenging, but offers the largest rewards in the long term" he said.

Ciaran Quinn, strategic director at sports media firm Deltatre, echoed Gallop’s belief about internet-ready television.

"At the Olympics 2004 in Athens, internet-connected devices on TV sets were enjoying similar global sales in terms of units" he said.

"By the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, there were approximately twice as many smart devices being sold than TVs,"

He predicts by London 2012, there will be four times as many "smart devices" sold than televisions.

"This means that consumers will have more ways to be connected to sport and they are actually using them."

Canadian broadcasters have learned from their experience with the 2010 Games to plan their multimedia broadcasts in 2012.

Stephane Kanah, the founder and managing director of Echoes, which specializes in the exploitation and protection of sports digital assets and rights, sees a new era in broadcasting.

"It is hard to say exactly, how many people will use their mobiles to watch or keep track of the Olympics, but I am convinced that we are entering the era of the mobile."

Ellen Rian, executive editor of NRK Sport Media, made two predictions for London 2012.

"It will be bigger than Beijing and the mobile internet will be one of the most important platforms. The Norwegian journalist said this poses new opportunities and challenges for journalists.

"Social networking and new media are particularly valuable in this context, but there is no cutting corners journalistically if you want credibility." Her credo: "To make people want to click on your content, you need to find that special story and present it with more information than they could find just watching it on video."

U.K. Launches Anti-Doping Campaign

Britain's Olympics minister Hugh Robertson helped launch the "Win Clean: Say No to Doping" international anti-doping campaign in London’s Trafalgar Square Tuesday.

He was joined by LOCOG sport director Debbie Jevans, Frédéric Donzé, WADA's European office chief, and UK Anti-Doping chief executive Andy Parkinson.

"Win Clean" aims to educate athletes heading to the London Olympics of their rights and responsibilities surrounding anti-doping.

"Every country and every athlete has a responsibility to help us prevent doping ahead of, and during next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Robertson.

WADA director general David Howman said the campaign will let athletes and their entourages know "in no uncertain terms that doping will not be tolerated at London 2012".

Pole Vaulting Champion Endorses Doha 2017

Olympian Yelena Isinbayeva is supporting Doha’s bid to host the 2017 athletics world championships.

"Doha did a great job organising the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships that I competed at and I believe that every athlete that competes in Doha in 2017 would have a truly unique and amazing experience," Isinbayeva said.

The pole vaulter has two Olympic gold medals and won her event five times at the world championships.

Written by Ann Cantrell.