MAM
Olympics viewership growing among younger viewers in the US
MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC has announced that through seven days of its coverage of the on-going 2012 London Olympic Games, overall viewership is up double digits among teens and teenage girls.
Overall viewership for teen girls, 12-17, is up 54 per cent versus 2008 (8.3 rating vs. 5.4 rating) and overall viewership for teens 12-17 is up 29 per cent versus 2008 (7.2 rating vs. 5.6 rating).
Teen viewership of the London Games is more than six times higher than traditional broadcast viewing habits, and teen girl ratings for NBC‘s coverage of the London Olympics is 89 per cent higher than the No. 1 rated prime-time show on broadcast television in the same demographic (Glee/Fox), according to an official statement from NBC.
Teen girl ratings for the London Olympics are also more than double the rating of the number one prime-time shows on remaining competing broadcast networks.
The NBC data provides more viewership details. More than three times as many female teens watched the London Olympics in prime-time than purchased a movie ticket to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
Around 171 per cent more teens watched NBC‘s coverage of the London Olympics than shopped at Abercrombie and Fitch in the last three months, NBC stated.
In addition to an increase in broadcast viewing habits, young people are also engaging with NBC Olympics digital content.
Through the first seven days of the London Olympics, NBC is averaging 1.7 million teen viewers, the most for any non-US Summer Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Through the same time period, 174.9 million Americans have watched the Olympics on the networks of NBCUniversal, ahead of Beijing‘s 174.1 at the same point through the Games.
Digital
Google rolls out $15B AI, education and connectivity plan for India
AI tools for 11 million students, new subsea cables, and a national skilling push.
NEW DELHI: Google is backing its words with action. In a major push to future-proof the world’s most populous nation, Google DeepMind has partnered with the Indian government on a large-scale AI initiative.
Announced by CEO Sundar Pichai at the India AI Impact Summit, the deal is less of a gentle nudge and more of a full-throttle sprint into the digital age. Part of Google’s $15 billion commitment to South Asia, the plan aims to weave artificial intelligence into the very fabric of Indian daily life, from the deep ocean floor to the back of the classroom.
The most heart-warming slice of this digital pie is the focus on the next generation. Google is partnering with 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs, effectively dropping high-tech AI tools into the laps of roughly 11 million students.
The goal? To introduce generative AI assistance in schools, ensuring that the homework of the future is powered by more than just caffeine and late-night panic.
While the kids are busy with AI in the classroom, Google is busy under the sea. The newly minted India-America Connect Initiative involves laying down serious hardware, specifically, new subsea cable routes.
These digital arteries will link India to Singapore, South Africa and Australia. By adding four more strategic fiber-optic routes connecting the U.S. to the Southern Hemisphere, Google is essentially building a “data superhighway” to ensure India’s AI capabilities don’t get stuck in traffic.
Knowing how to use a tool is just as important as owning it. To bridge the gap, Google is launching its most ambitious skilling program yet: the Google AI Professional Certificate. This program is designed to help the workforce master AI without needing a PhD in robotics.
With full-stack connectivity and a massive investment on the table, India isn’t just joining the AI race; it’s looking to set the pace.
