NBC's Ambitious Olympics Coverage

Viewers of NBC Olympic Webcasts will be able to request specific events on demand, if they missed them the first time on the live broadcast—or if they simply want to watch everything on their desktop or laptop computer screens. Everything will be accessible at NBC.com and MSNBC.com.

Main event highlights will be available for mobile video devices, including BlackBerrys, mobile phones and iPhones, Adams said.

It's not been a challenge to shoot the raw content, Adams said. The challenge has always been what to do with it.

"We have about 180TB of storage available to us in Beijing. We'll have about 4,000 total hours saved on the system, with about 3,000 or so being broadcast," Adams said.

This is a good example of where things are going in the traditional broadcast business, he said.

"Network broadcasters have always been myopic in how they distribute content; the network structure in this country and pretty much around the world is that way," he said. "The secondary markets are starting to mature, are stuck for content and have now gotten the ear of the old-guard networks that they need to be serviced."

Now all that remains is for the Games to begin and for people to start watching. Hopefully it will all pay off for NBC, which has invested several billion dollars into this 16-day event and hopes to raise its overall ratings as a result.