CNBC Press Releases

BURNETT: OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE CRITICISMS -- AND THERE WERE VERY FEW, BUT ONE ABOUT THE ONLINE, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE ADVERTISING DOLLARS HAD WE RUN IT DIFFERENTLY OR MORE LINKS, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY THAT COULD HAVE UPPED THE REVENUE?

ZUCKER: WE'RE IN AN ERA PR PEOPLE ARE JUST BEGINNING HOW TO ADVERTISE ONLINE. WE'LL TAKE THE FINDINGS FROM THESE OLYMPICS AND USE THEM IN THE VANCOUVER OLYMPICS, USE THEM IN THE LONDON OLYMPICS IN 2012, SO I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH HOW WE USED EVERYTHING WITHIN THESE GAMES FROM A DIGITAL PERSPECTIVE. WE'LL TAKE THAT TO ADVERTISERS GOING FORWARD, SHOW THEM THAT IT DOESN'T CANNIBALIZE TELEVISION, THERE'S A GREAT AUDIENCE FOR IT,AND THREE, THERE IS AN AUDIENCE FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE ON IT AND GET THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

BURNETT: YOU DO BELIEVE IN TAPE, BUT ESPECIALLY LONDON WITH A DIFFERENT TIME DIFFERENCE, NBC NETWORK TELEVISION WILL BE USINGA LOT OF TAPES SO PEOPLE CAN SEE SWIMMING IN PRIMETIME.

ZUCKER: OF COURSE WE WILL. OBVIOUSLY THE TIME ZONE WORKED TO OUR ADVANTAGE HERE IN CHINA, AND OBVIOUSLY IN LONDON, IT WILLBE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. YOU CAN ASK MICHAEL PHELPS TO SWIM AT 3AM --

ZUCKER: WE MAY ASK HIM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'LL DO THAT. OBVIOUSLY LONDON WILL BE DIFFERENT. DIGITAL WILL BE DIFFERENT. THE WORLD WILL BE QUITE DIFFERENT IN FOUR YEARS, SO WE'LL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT WE HAVE THERE FROM A DIGITAL PERSPECTIVE.

BURNETT: NUMBERS, 894 MILLION TO BUY THE GAMES, YOU SOLD A BILLION BEFORE YOU WENT, AND THEN ANOTHER 25 MILLION IN ADVERTISING AFTER YOU WENT. IS THAT THE OVERALL NUMBER ABOUT 131 MILLION IN PROFIT?

ZUCKER: OBVIOUSLY THERE'S PRODUCTION COSTS INVOLVED AS WELL. THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE WILL MAKE A PROFIT. IT MAY NOT BE QUITE AS LARGE AS THOSE NUMBER.

BURNETT: I HAVE A 14.6% MARGIN

ZUCKER: THERE, THAT SEEMS PRETTY HIGH. BUT LISTEN, IT CONTINUES TO BE A GREAT INVESTMENT FOR THE COMPANY, SOMETHING WE'RE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF, A SIGNATUREEVENT FOR THE COMPANY AND IT IS PROFITABLE.

BURNETT: YOU OWN VANCOUVER AND LONDON, THEN FROM THEN A LOT OF SHARKS ARE IN THE WATER. MAYBE YOUR SUCCESS WILL MAKE IT EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUY THE RIGHTS TO THE OLYMPICS AFTER. HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY AND WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THE BIDS?

ZUCKER: OBVIOUSLY THAT'S UP TO THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, OBVIOUSLY IT'S SOMETHING WE WILL BE INTERESTED IN, BUT JUST AS WE HAVE DONE UP UNTIL 2012, WE'LL MAKE A BUSINESS DECISION THAT MAKES SENSE FOR US, IF IT MAKES SENSE AT THE RIGHT TIME, WE'LL CONTINUE.

BURNETT: HERE'S THE AD, AND I WANT EVERYTHING TO KNOW I HAVE BEEN HIDING THIS. IT SAYS ALL THESE THINGS ABOUT COMMENTING ON THE DIFFERENT RACES. IT END IT SAYS, THIS HISTORIC ONE, FOR NINE NIGHTS WE WEREN'T WATCHING US, EITHER. IT'S AN AD FOR ESPN. THEY WATCHED NBC, TOO.

ZUCKER: VERY CREATIVE.

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