For traditional TV networks, the summerOlympicsin Paris feels at something of a crossroads.
The games kick off on Friday and will be followed by three weeks of wall-to-wall coverage from across Paris.
Rarely has information around an event been so closely guarded.
French swimmer Leon MarchandChristian Liewig – Corbis/Getty
Who are the breakouts?
People can tell who is authentic and unique and they gravitate towards those personalities.
For agents, the Olympics provides a double opportunity.
Due to the European timezone, pre-packaged skits will be an important facet of NBCs coverage during the evenings.
UTA sees this as a significant opportunity to partner with creators who dominate those platforms.
It brings them into the mainstream conversation.
Their color commentary in figure skating was not what wed seen in any Games past, he says.
That was probably the first shift in the Olympics where the story became about them.
A good number of the soccer players from across 11 countries will also be on the agencys books.
WMEs Ervin sums up the challenge for all talent at the Games.
In todays world, an athletes social media presence is inextricably linked to their brand, he says.
This could be as big a celebration of sport as London 2012 with the added charm of Paris.
You have to be nimble enough to adjust to stories as and when they appear, he says.
We have to prioritize sports where there is jeopardy to capture those huge moments, he adds.
If you want to see certain sports in depth then we will not be able to match that offer.
From the next Olympics onwards, this could change, in theory at least.
IMG declined to comment for this article.
We were paying in what we would anyway but werent in control of our destiny, he adds.
This was part of our positioning in terms of winning back the rights.
But the EBUs takeover comes with the broadcast rights market in flux, per Amperes research.
Its their competition, their story, their victories and their losses that make our content so compelling.
This is a new world for us in Olympic production, says Young.
The megaphone of WBD is unrivalled, particularly compared with previous Games.
The modern-day sports broadcaster has to be everywhere, says Young.
You cant sit back on laurels and assume everyone will watch your linear channel when you want them to.
You have to be everywhere and let different demographics and age groups consume content when they want.
Everything kicks off with that opening ceremony along the Seine.
Youll find somewhere near four billion people are going to watch the opening ceremony.
That makes it a special event.
He refutes suggestions that Parisians arent feeling quite as excited, saying: The Olympic bug is coming.
Theres nothing like an Olympic Games in your city.
