Olympic Accessibility

Two weeks of dramatic and controversial action in Canada brought to a climax with the men's ice hockey final. In the past I have watched bits and pieces of the summer Olympics but I have never paid much attention to the winter edition. Thinking about it I don't know why because there are some insane disciplines (ski jumping) and some are just plain ridiculous (2man luge).

This year has been completely different, I have been glued and for me it's all to do with the way in which the Olympic content has been delivered. Firstly there was live coverage on BBC 2 going on through the night for that up to date fix. The only thing that was lacklustre about this coverage was the painful commentary on the BBC. There was an abundance of cliches and cringeworthy time killing. A particularly notable instance was Steve Cramb and Rhona Martin discussing what was for lunch 'it better not be chilli again'.

The live coverage was compiled into a highlights show everyday which was then promptly put onto iplayer. Television on demand has eliminated the need to plan or worry about missing a programme. How many times have you heard 'I will just catch it on iplayer'? The highlights were also shown on loop on the red button adding another dimension of convenience to the coverage. This convenience greatly increased my ability and desire to watch the games.

The final success of the coverage lies in social media. There was a lot of chatter on facebook and twitter about the events and happenings mainly because there were so many news worthy stories but the BBC created content that was perfect for sharing in the form of short video clips. These varied from the shocking crashes in the bob sleigh to the remarkable skills of Shaun White and also some amusing mishaps.

All these elements brought together a very enjoyable and flexible viewing experience that allowed different levels of detail for the viewer. Advances in technology have allowed greater access to footage and great discussion about content. This would not have been possible at the previous Olympics, so who knows what delivery mechanisms will be in place for London 2012.