MUMBAI: US media conglomerate NBCUniversal will provide 5,535 hours of coverage for the 2012 London Olympics across NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, Telemundo, NBCOlympics.com, two specialty channels, and the first-ever 3D platform.

NBCUniversal will surpasses the coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics by nearly 2,000 hours. It was also announced that NBC will broadcast 272.5 hours of coverage, the most ever for an Olympic broadcast network, largely attributable to an increase in daytime coverage.

NBC is paying the IOC $1.1 billion for the rights for this event, a 32 per cent jump compared to what it paid for the 2008 edition in China.

NBC Sports Group chairman Mark Lazarus said, "We are only able to provide this level of coverage to US viewers because of the unmatched array of NBCUniversal assets. Whether on television or online, on broadcast or cable, in English or in Spanish, NBCUniversal has the London Olympics covered, providing the American viewer with more choices than ever to watch the Games."

NBCUniversal is presenting its 13th Olympic Games and seventh consecutive, both the most by any US media company. ABC is second with 10 and four (twice), respectively.

London will be NBCUniversal?s seventh consecutive Summer Games, having presented each one since Seoul in 1988.

The 5,535 hours are the equivalent of 231 days of coverage.

NBCUniversal will average 291 hours of coverage per day over London?s 19 days (including two days of soccer competition prior to the Opening Ceremony).

The networks of NBCU will provide coverage of all 32 sports and all 302 medal competitions.

NBC will broadcast 272.5 hours of London Olympic coverage over 17 days, the most extensive coverage ever provided by an Olympic broadcast network, and nearly 50 hours more than the 225 hours for Beijing in 2008.

Daytime coverage has increased significantly for London. Coverage will begin on most weekdays at 10 a.m. ET/PT, immediately following NBC News? TODAY, which is originating from London.

On weekends, NBC?s daytime coverage will begin as early as 5 am.

NBC Sports Network will serve as the home to US team sports, with 292.5 hours of total coverage from 2012 London Olympics this summer, including 257.5 hours of original programming - an average of more than 14 hours per day - the most-ever for an Olympic cable network.

MSNBC will carry 155.5 hours of a wide variety of long-form Olympic programming over 19 days.

CNBC will serve as the home of Olympic boxing this summer, including the debut of women?s boxing. The channel will televise 73 hours of boxing coverage over 16 days -- from elimination bouts to the men?s and women?s finals.

Bravo will act as the home of Olympic tennis this summer, televising 56 hours of long-form tennis coverage from July 28-August 3.

NBCOlympics.com will live stream every event and sport for the first time ever. In all, the site will live stream more than 3,500 total programming hours, including the awarding of all 302 medals.

NBCOlympics.com will live stream NBCU cable channels NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC and Bravo, which will only be available to authenticated cable, satellite or telco customers.

Two apps - one focused on live streaming, one on short-form highlights, schedules, results, columns, and more - will be available for mobile and tablet users. The vast majority of content will only be available to authenticated cable, satellite or telco customers.

NBCUniversal also announced the Spanish-language Olympic coverage in the company?s history, offering more than 173 hours of the upcoming London 2012 Olympics on elemundo."

The 173 hours of Spanish-language coverage by Telemundo nearly equals the total coverage broadcast by NBC for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (176.5).

Specialty channels for basketball and soccer are available to cable, satellite and telco providers, and will total 770 hours of coverage.

Panasonic US and the NBC Sports Group announced in January that they will partner to make the London 2012 Olympic Games available in 3D to all U.S. distributors who carry Olympic coverage on cable, satellite and telco -- nearly 100 per cent of the multichannel industry.

The effort will produce 242 hours of coverage and mark the first time that the Olympic Games will be distributed in the U.S. in 3D.

MUMBAI: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has announced a record-breaking collection of rights holding broadcasters to screen the Paralympic Games across the globe this summer.

Combining with the previous announcements of exposure in the UK through Channel 4 and China?s largest national broadcasting network CCTV, the total worldwide broadcast deals will see a record ?10 million in revenue generated from the sale of broadcast rights to the Paralympic Games - greater than for any previous Games.

The local organising committee has stitched deals with European Broadcasting Union (EBU), NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), Globo TV in Brazil, Australia?s public broadcaster ABC, Italian digital subscription channel Sky Italia, Korea public service broadcaster KBS (Korean roadcasting System) and Thailand Pool TV representing a pool of well established broadcasters in Thailand.

Host broadcaster services are being provided by OBS, providing viewers around the world with unbiased live action in high definition. Minimum broadcast commitments have been matched or exceeded in all cases with hundreds of hours of Paralympic sport to be broadcast right across the world.

LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe said: ?As the world?s second biggest multi-sport event, all eyes will be focussed on the Paralympic Games in London in 2012. Beyond how the commercial value of this package has raised the bar financially for the Paralympic movement, the fantastic broadcast coverage we have agreed will help us take advantage of this opportunity to inspire disabled people of all ages to take up sport and be a catalyst for continued change in public attitudes towards disability.?

MUMBAI: Bob Costas, a 22-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, returns as the primetime host for US broadcaster NBC?s coverage of the 2012 London Olympic Games, which begin on 27 July.

For Costas, this marks his 10th Olympic broadcast assignment and his ninth as the primetime host (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sidney 2000, Salt Lake City, 2002, Athens 2004, Torino 2006, Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010).

Al Michaels, who hosted daytime coverage at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, and Dan Patrick, making his Olympic hosting debut, will host NBC?s live weekday and weekend daytime coverage, and Mary Carillo will once again host the NBC late night show.

Additionally, Ryan Seacrest, tennis legend John McEnroe, gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi, and Carillo, broadcasting her 11th Olympic Games, will serve as Olympic correspondents during primetime coverage on NBC.

MUMBAI: Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) has unveiled its comprehensive broadcast plans on mio TV with ESPN Star Sports (ESS).

SingTel, in partnership with ESS, the IOC?s official pay TV broadcast partner, has secured the rights to broadcast the London 2012 Olympic Games.

As the largest pay TV platform across the region with the rights to broadcast London 2012 Olympic Games, ESS will feature round-the-clock coverage of the London 2012 Games across 13 channels (10 of which are in HD), available on mio TV with free access for all its subscribers.

To deliver an even more engaging experience, SingTel is also working with ESS and the IOC to explore showcasing key events in vivid 3D.

ESS MD Manu Sawhney said, ?We are very pleased to present the most comprehensive coverage of London 2012 Olympic Games in partnership with SingTel on mio TV. This is the first time fans in Singapore will have access to such a wide coverage of the Olympic Games which not only includes round-the- clock coverage on our core networks ESPN, Star Sports and ESPNEWS but 10 new additional ESPN Star Sports channels showcasing action from London 2012. To further enhance fans experience, we have lined up over 680 hours of build-up programming and original programming and along with this our talents will be bringing the highlights of the games from London. Fans can therefore look forward to the most entertaining and engaging presentation of the games ever.?

mio TV will aim to broadcast every single ?live? event that Team Singapore athletes are involved in. The platform?s technical capabilities enables viewers to use a robust search function to look for the events that they wish to watch without having to surf through all 13 channels.

SingTel CEO Singapore Allen Lew said, ?mio TV will be turning five this year. Since we launched in 2007, we have been steadily building our linear and on-demand offerings, ensuring that our subscribers have full access to key sporting events, the latest blockbusters and lifestyle programmes. Come July, our mio TV subscribers will enjoy the most comprehensive and exciting coverage of the London 2012 Games as a result of our partnership with ESPN Star Sports.?

On the home front, SingTel will be announcing a range of activities that will help ignite the flame of support for Team Singapore. Singaporeans are encouraged to come forward to give their encouragement and well-wishes for Team Singapore. More details on how to participate will be released later.

As the Official Telecommunications company for the Singapore National Olympic Council, SingTel will also be equipping the athletes with smartphones and complimentary airtime and data subscriptions while they are in London.

?Our athletes train hard for the Games and many times, find themselves spending less time with their loved ones. Using our multimedia and telecommunications services, SingTel enables Team Singapore to remain connected to their families, friends and supporters,? Lew said.