As the Olympics kicked off last weekend, fans around the world tuned in to watch top athletes perform, but how they’ve tuned and will be tuning this year will be radically different compared to past events. In the four years since Beijing, more than half the world’s population has gotten a smartphone, according to Google, and that trend means big opportunity for brands to engage with global audiences.

Thanks to increased connectivity, fans have more ways than ever to participate in Olympics coverage this summer. NBC, for example is providing live streams of every Olympic event via their digital channels. In addition, fans can opt in to follow their favorite Olympic sports, teams and athletes through a variety of social and mobile applications. NBC is making a bold move by not only providing on-demand coverage, but also tapping into the 2nd-screen trend noting that half of mobile phone owners in the US use their phone to interact with other people while watching TV. NBC’s LiveExtra app is allowing fans to engage with each other during events and download exclusive content on their mobile device.
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