Analysts Baffled at Unpopularity of NBC’s 18 Hours of Swimming Coverage Per Day
NEW YORK- Although many world records have fallen, NBC’s coverage of the 2000 Olympics is posting ratings below expectations.  The network was anticipating at least 16.5 million viewing households a night, but has seen less than 15 million.
     "I don’t know what’s going on," said NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol.  "We show nothing but exciting swimming all day, and no one watches."
     NBC has dedicated the first week of the games to broadcasting a minimum of 17.5 hours of swimming per day.  Despite this unprecedented amount of men and women splashing through water, the coverage has been falling in the ratings.
     Los Angeles News TV critic Stacey Kisko said, "It really is an enigma.  Here we have this hugely popular sport, swimming, and it’s getting low ratings.  Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to see the Women's 400m Individual Medley Heats, Men's 400m Freestyle Heats, Women's 100m Butterfly Heats, Men’s 100m Breastroke Heats, Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Heats, Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Heats, Women's 400m Individual Medley Final, Men's 400m Freestyle Final, Women's 100m Butterfly Semifinals, Men's 100m Breaststroke Semifinals, Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final, Men's 4x100 Freestyle Relay Final, Women's 100m Backstroke Heats, Men’s 200m Freestyle Heats, Women's 100m Breaststroke Heats, Men's 100m Backstroke Heats, Women's 400m Freestyle Heats, Men's 400m Individual Medley Heats, Women's 100m Backstroke Semifinals, Men's 200m Freestyle Semifinals, Women's 100m Butterfly Final, Men's 100m Breaststroke Final, Women's 100m Breastroke Semifinals, 100m Backstroke Semifinals, Women's 400m Freestyle Final, Men's 400m Individual Medley Final, Women's 200m Freestyle Heats, Men's 200m Butterfly Heats, 200m Individual Medley Heats, Women's 100m Backstroke Final, Men's 200m Freestyle Final, Women's 200m Freestyle Semifinals, Men's 100m Backstroke Final, Women's 200m Individual Medley Semifinals, Men's 200m Butterfly Semifinals, Women's 100m Breaststroke Final, Men's 100m Freestyle Heats, Women's 200m Butterfly Heats, Men's 200m Breaststroke Heats, Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Heats, Men's 100m Freestyle Semifinals, Women's 200m Freestyle Final, Men's 200m Butterfly Final, Women's 200m Individual Medley Final, Men's 200m Breaststroke Semifinals, Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final, Women's 100m Freestyle Heats, Men's 200m Backstroke Heats, Women's 200m Breaststroke Heats, Men's 200m Individual medley Heats, Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Heats, Men's 200m Breaststroke Final, Women's 100m Frestyle Semifinals, 200m Backstroke Semifinals, Women's 200m Butterfly Final, 100m Freestyle Final, Women's 200m Breaststroke Semifinals, Men's 200m Individual Medley Semifinals, Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final, Men's 50m Freestyle Heats, Women's 800m Freestyle Heats, Men's 100m Butterfly Heats, Women's 200m Backstroke Heats, Men's 50m Freestyle Semifinals, Women's 200m Breaststroke Final, Men's 200m Backstroke Final, Women's 200m Backstroke Semifinals, Men's 100m Butterfly Semifinal, Women's 100m Freestyle Final, Men's 200m Individual Medley Final, Women's 50m Freestyle Heats, Men's 1500m Freestyle Heats, Women's 4x100m Medley Relay Heats, Men's 4x100m Medley Relay Heats, Women's 200m Backstroke Final, Men's 100m Butterfly Final, Women's 800m Freestyle Final, Men's 50m Freestyle Final, Women's 50m Freestyle Semifinals, Women's 50m Freestyle Final, Men's 1500m Freestyle Final, Women's 4x100m Medley Relay Final, and the Men's 4x100m Medley Relay Final?"
     Virtually everyone is puzzled by the lack of viewership generated by a sport followed avidly by most Americans, as well as other nations worldwide.   Some speculate that because there is already so much swimming shown during the regular season (plus Midnight Madness, the pre-season, and the post-season), fans have become overwhelmed.  Still, for most it is a mystery.
     "It’s crazy, you know," said Ebersol.  "NBC goes out of its way to show as much swimming as our space-time continuum will allow, and the viewers don’t come.  I could understand it with basketball or soccer or one of those sports no one cares about, but swimming for Christ’s sake!"

Even the most recognized athlete in the world 
can't pump up the ratings for NBC.