For the first time ever, NBC is live-streaming every event at the upcoming Winter Olympics. Yes, every single event (even curling). This is unlike any Olympic coverage ever before. Whether you’re viewing from your computer, tablet or smart phone, NBC has you covered. While the 2012 Summer Olympics did feature some live streaming, NBC’s coverage of the 2014 Winter Games marks the first time a network has decided to cover every event online. There’s a catch though. It is free, but to watch beyond the 30 minute trial, you must be able to verify a cable subscription. After that, the coverage is unlimited. If you do not have a cable subscription, following the first 30 minute trial, you can only watch an additional five minutes a day. Of course, remember that this is per internet browser. If you run out of time on Firefox, it may not be a bad idea to dust off Internet Explorer to finish an event. For some, the cable requirement – along a large number of commercials – has been too much. “#NBCFail” has been a popular sentiment among many Twitter users. Some are even ditching NBC in favor of a $12 a month Canadian IP address in order to watch the CBC live coverage. At the end the end of the day, NBC has the rights to broadcast the Olympics through 2020 – the peacock isn’t going away any time soon. They can disseminate that content any way they choose. While this year marks a first in all-inclusive online coverage, it’ll be interesting to see what NBC chooses to do with online distribution during the 2018 Summer Games and beyond.
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