????去年6月，美國全國廣播公司（NBC）據稱耗資43.8億美元拿下截至2020年底的奧運會轉播權。這對于近半收入依賴轉播費的國際奧林匹克委員會（IOC）真可謂是從天而降的一個大餡餅。在NBC的這筆大投入中，7.75億美元將用于2014年俄羅斯索契的冬季奧運會，12億美元用于2016年里約熱內盧的夏季奧運會。但如今這家廣播公司已經切身體會到奧運會轉播并非是只賺不賠的買賣：該公司在2010年的溫哥華冬季奧運會上虧損2.23億美元，主要原因是經濟衰退導致廣告投放減少。不過，NBC仍看好贏得的播放時段。而且，有機會推廣其秋季電視劇，也使得這些潛在的損失有所值。

????隨著與奧運會相關的投入增加，NBC希望自身也能獲得更多的宣傳，吸引來更多的眼球以及資金。而且NBC也不是傻瓜：它在溫哥華雖然虧了錢，但也意識到如今的觀眾觀看（NBC擁有獨家轉播權的電視、網絡和移動網絡）比賽往往不是為了追賽事進程，而是為了看某個體育明星。看看北京奧運會的收視排名就一目了然了：唯一一晚收視率能接近奧運會開幕式當晚3,490萬觀眾的是“飛魚”邁克爾?菲爾普斯勇奪第八金的那一晚。當然，觀眾們也可能是為了觀看女子團體體操比賽，但如何解釋有3,220萬人恰恰就在混合泳接力賽開賽前切換到這個頻道上？菲爾普斯的粉絲們。著名單板滑雪運動員肖恩?懷特的例子也相似：在溫哥華冬奧會上，除了開幕式，懷特奪得男子U型槽冠軍那晚是唯一一個高收視率夜。

????當然，近年來，電視也已注重講述奧運會運動員的個人故事——NBC Universal的亞當?弗瑞菲爾德表示：“這種親近而私人的故事風格來自于美國廣播公司（ABC）的魯伊?阿利奇，迪克?埃伯索爾在這里進一步深化了這一模式”——像菲爾普斯這樣的全球偶像將這一模式發揮到極致。正是像菲爾普斯、短跑明星烏塞恩?博爾特、美國沙灘排球組合米斯蒂?梅-特雷納和凱莉?沃爾什這樣的明星吸引來了觀眾——也吸引來了錢。今年夏季預計會看到更多這樣的“生命中的一天”，美國游泳明星瑞恩?洛克特、體操明星肖恩?約翰遜等可能給觀眾帶來激動人心的感人瞬間。當然，里約熱內盧奧運會還會呈現更多的故事，但屆時需要有一位新的收視率冠軍來取代菲爾普斯（這位萬人迷將于倫敦奧運會后退役）的地位。

????譯者：早稻米

????Last June NBC spent a reported $4.38 billion to secure Olympic broadcast rights through 2020. That's a hefty windfall for the IOC, which gets nearly half its revenue from fees broadcasters are willing to pay (see chart above). Of NBC's big expenditure, $775 million will go toward the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and $1.2 billion to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. But the Peacock Network has learned the hard way that broadcasting the Olympics isn't a sure bet: It lost $223 million on the Vancouver Games in 2010, mostly because of recession-crimped advertising money. Still, the network loves the time slot wins, and the chance to promote its fall shows makes it worth the potential loss.

????But as the dollars associated with the Games go up, so too is there more hype, more eyeballs, and more money for the network, it hopes. And the Peacock is no dummy: even though NBC lost on Vancouver, it's learning that viewers now tune in (on TV as well as Web and mobile, where NBC has exclusive rights) not to catch a certain sport, but to see an individual star athlete. Just look at the Beijing ratings: The only night even close to the Opening Ceremony's 34.9 million viewers was a Michael Phelps night. Sure, they could have been coming for the women's team gymnastics, but how to explain the 32.2 million that tuned in just for the Smash Relay? Phelps fans. Shaun White gives a similar example: His men's halfpipe bid was the only night of high ratings for Vancouver, apart from the opener.

????Of course, TV has focused on telling intimate stories about individual Olympians for years -- Adam Freifeld of NBC Universal says, "The up-close and personal stories were borne from Roone Arledge at ABC, and Dick Ebersol expanded on the model here" -- but globally popular figures like Phelps have brought it to an extreme. It's people like Phelps, track star Usain Bolt, or U.S. volleyball duo Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, who bring the audience -- and the money, too. This summer, expect to see more of those "day in the life" clips about inspirational heartthrobs like Ryan Lochte or gymnast Shawn Johnson, and then, yes, even more of them at Rio de Janeiro, where a new ratings-happy head will have to grow into Phelps' place -- the fan-favorite is retiring after London.