- It's Smart Cities meets DOOH/digital signage meets TV broadcast: NBC Olympics has partnered with smart cities technology and media company intersection to show exclusive content of the PyeongChang Olympics across four thousand large format digital screens in public places in the U.S. throughout the winter games. This is the first time the official Olympics broadcaster is cutting content specifically for the digital out-of-home medium. The Olympics content will be seen in New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia during its production of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, which take place in PyeongChang, South Korea, from February 8 – February 25.
LinkNYC, the public screen-based system in New York City–according to intersection the largest and fastest free public Wi-Fi network in the world– will be part of this program. LinkNYC was one of the pioneering smart cities networks based on interactive screens in the U.S., with a substantial public access component that went beyond a passive "digital signage" model and towards more civic engagement especially for demographics with less mobile internet access.
The custom content for the 2018 winter games, specifically created for Intersection’s urban network of digital screens will keep people up-to-date on the PyeongChang Olympics. The program will feature morning highlights, primetime previews, an Opening Ceremony teaser, medal counts, real-time alerts, athlete profiles and more, spanning thousands of screens across the LinkNYC network in New York City; digital urban panels and platform displays in the Chicago Transit Authority; and digital bus shelters, urban panels and platform displays throughout SEPTA, PATCO and the streets of Philadelphia.
“Whether walking the streets of New York, riding the Chicago L, or waiting in Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, Olympics fans in these three cities will be surrounded by the excitement of the Winter Games,” said Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics. “Emerging media platforms like the LinkNYC network in New York City represent another way for NBCUniversal to reassemble the television audience by extending the reach of our Olympic coverage, content and promotion to spaces where the American audience now consumes media.”“Our content partnership reflects a new approach to storytelling in cities using one of the most inspiring and unifying global events,” said Ari Buchalter, CEO of Intersection. “With thousands of digital screens across our cities and transit hubs, our partnership allows us to bring NBC’s coverage of the Winter Games to fans in entirely new ways, and create unique content and advertising experiences for consumers.”
