NBC Sports and Adobe Systems have teamed up to give fans two apps that stream the Olympics live on mobile devices, record footage for playback, and share the experience through social media.
The apps -- a live-streaming app for the more than 3,500 hours of content, and a companion app loaded with additional content launched today. The apps are now available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch via Apple's App Store, and select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.
The NBC Olympics Live Extra app features the streaming of all 32 athletic competitions and the awarding of all 302 medals, while the NBC Olympics app provides content like interviews, news stories, highlight videos and live results, according to a joint press release from NBC and Adobe. (It may be confusing because the "Extra" app is actually the live streaming app, while the one with the extras is call the "NBC Olympics" app.)
"NBC Olympics Live Extra puts the London Olympic Games into the hands of America's tablet and smartphone user, enabling us to once again use advances in technology to
provide the broadest possible access to the thousands of hours of Olympic competition," NBC Olympics President Gary Zenkel said in a statement.
Adobe's team has been working on this project since the beginning of the year, according to Jeremy Helfand, Adobe's vice president of monetization (or, making money off stuff).
He said he's proud of the way his team has pulled together to deliver the apps so quickly.
"At the end of the day, the Olympics isn't waiting for us, so we have to be darn sure that we can develop the exciting experience anticipated of us," Helfand said in an interview with CNET.
The apps were created using a slew of Adobe products including Creative Suite 6 for design, Adobe AIR to deliver the content and video playback, and Adobe Pass for account authentication, which the live streaming app requires.
Users will need a cable, satellite or telecom company to access the vast majority of the live stream content on NBC Olympics Live Extra. Adobe Pass has been adopted by every U.S. provider, so if you're in the States and you have a TV service provider, you should be OK. There is no additional charge, according to NBC.
The apps, which Helfand said will have a balance of ads and content, can be customized based on interests. Users can record events to view later and switch camera views. There's also social media integration and a schedule to see which events are coming up in real time.
The apps will be a nice addition to the Olympics' other interactive experiences for this year's event, including the torch map and a social portal linking athletes and fans.
See a preview of the app in the video below.
Source: CNET