YouTube yanks Olympics Opening Ceremony video

- REVIEW/UPDATE [08/08/2008]: Opening Ceremony reviews are coming in from around the world...

-- UPDATE: NBC's opening ceremony telecast sets ratings record...

YouTube has yanked the supposedly sneakily shot footage of the Olympics Opening Ceremony, citing a copyright violation request.

The footage was from a South Korean TV station that filmed a dress rehearsal for the games without explicit permission. Olympic organizers are complaining that the images should be kept private. The clips show a massive display that crosses the art of the Chinese Opera, Cirque du Soleil, Zhang Yimou and Pink Floyd.

NBC Sports PR reps in China did not return requests for comment, though surely the network cannot be happy about the leak. NBC is hyping the Opening Ceremony as the most spectacular ever produced, featuring about 15,000 performers. The Ceremony kicks off the most extensively covered Games in history, totaling 3,600 hours of NBC Universal programming. A successful Opening Ceremony can give a network one of its highest ratings all year and helps jumpstart viewership for the rest of the Games.

Though YouTube yanked the footage, the video is still available on some sites (though probably not for those trying to access it from the Olympic Village).

Man, if Hollywood can't trust China to prevent a video from being bootlegged, who can they trust?

------- THR.com Summer Olympics full coverage ---------

Comments

[barbara]

Good day,

I would like to view the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in its entirety and need help in figuring out to do so. Thank you so very very much,

Barbara

[barbara]

as above regarding 2008 competitions in China, regarding the opening gala.

[Paula]

I too would like to view the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympics. Where can I find them?

[Carrie]

I wasn't able to watch the opening ceremony on tv and I couldn't afford to fly to Beijing to watch it. Where can I see it in it's entirety?

[Nobody]

As usual NBC ruined the opening ceremonies with motor mouth comentators and close up film that destroyed the ability to view the point (big picture) of the program. Why can't they EVER do anything with class?
They interject superfluous info and just can't SHUT UP!

[Matt]

NBC is getting an F for their online coverage, starting with yanking any decent video from other sites. Which would not be a problem if they had anything even remotely useful on their own site (which they don't), or if you could find it quickly (which you can't), or if it performed well (which it doesn't). Total morons, they seem constantly intent on turning great experiences into trash.

I am PISSED that NBC won't post the Olympics opening ceremony and I cannot find it anywhere else. I guarantee now that I won't buy any kind of "commemorative video" in order to see it -- I absolutely won't give NBC the pleasure!

Jerks.

[yoda]

I live outside USA. I went to the Beijing Olympics Official Youtube website & subscribed to their playlist which has 2 videos of the opening ceremony but wasn't able to play both as they're listed as "Private" videos. Why put them up there if we can't view them???
Offical site on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/beijing2008

[jack asses]

the NBC suks cuz they took out any desent video of the olympics opening ceremony and they wont post it themselves and any video u do find is only a realy small part of it. and at least if they take out all the other good videos y dont they post one up so we can actually watch for free just because we missed it on tv.

[Boogaloo]

Here is the Opening Ceremony 2008 enjoy... :) before downloading you must google bit torrent and download the app to be able to download from the site... Go U.S.A.

[Caroline Seguin]

I would really like to see the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics but I can't find it anywhere! Will they pass it on tv again?

[kainea]

i found this site... it's just a small peek of what really happened but it's the most I found so far...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1601148/2008_beijing_olympic_opening_ceremony/

[The Linux Machine]

Ah, the totality of true chinese totalitarianism at work, and all their poser-poster Great Internet Poser Army of China trolling the internet blogs, while we of the outside world are not allowed to access into the china internet and world. It works for the chinese so well they never intend to change it, as they know they have The Planet Earths population as slaves in their "Father Chinas" hands. But, despite what china propagates, it is not The Planet Earth who owes china money, but china who owes all of The Planet Earth money. And The Planet Earth will one day come to china physically to collect. And The Planet Earth will win that final war, and china, finally, will lose and die. And, then, The Planet Earth will be at peace.

Ugh! I know! I only got to record half and also want to see the rest of the ceremony in it entirety. Normally YouTube helps me out here but I kid you not someone is on there 24/7 because people are posting the WHOLE ceremony and it is being yanked off by 3rd Party Claims for Copyright Infringement literally an hour after it is posted.

[LaShelle Burch]

Check out

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/mostpopular/index.html?forcereload=true

there you can watch the "sights and sounds" of the Olympic opening ceremony. I highly recommend it.

[Leleff]

I clicked on the link posted by LaShelle Burch.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/mostpopular/index.html?forcereload=true

It plays a clip that says "We're sorry, there is a technical difficulty with the video you are trying to view..." How hysterical is that?

[Julie]

What ever happened to 'freedom of the press'? NBC trumps it for the almighty dollar. How sad. Wasn't able to watch the delayed NBC coverage, and now I cant find it anywhere. Who gave these guys carte blanc? Arent there laws!

[David Bilodeau!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

I'm sure the whole world is blocked from this viewing in a matter minutes!

Pretty sad that the granted network (TV or Internet) has rights to the opening ceremony and the public can't view it.

NBC sucks anyway, what the hell do they have for interest in america? (there i go again, sorry - OUR MONEY!!!!)

They're meeting about how much to charge for the DVD right now, heck they are most likely in special session about it (oh wait -- the government of the USA should be too!!!) I appologize I thought we were talking about energy!!!

Come on NBC --- don't you think China already thought about your move?
You're idiot's VP's -- worked for your type already, never think past your nose and passify the current situation/issues. Critisize the masses and move on to the next situation/issue.

I can't understand how they never listen to the masses but try to maximize the dollar? *****HINT***** please the masses and the dollar will come brother!!!!!

I'm only saying!!!
David

[David Bilodeau]

Sorry to take up your time any further but, I was just outside talking to a total stranger (he did not speak much english but a good conversation none-the-less) and it hit me!!!
If they put up the ceremony it would take away from the coverage on Osama ben, I mean Obama!!!

There it is folks!!!!

I'm only saying!
David

[Luke]

I thought "surely the olympic games would be online for the world to watch"...I mean, it is the Olympics!!, it isn't supposed to be a money making venture...how sad...

[Luke]

I thought "surely the olympic games would be online for the world to watch"...I mean, it is the Olympics!!, it isn't supposed to be a money making venture...how sad...

You can go to NBC.com select the 2008 Olympics / Videos / NBC Encore

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/nbcencore/index.html

They have the Opening Ceremony videos in several parts.

The Free Press will rise again

[Mar]

NBC is crap when it comes to anything. Why should their Olympic coverage be the different?

The CBC in Canada is AMAZING. They provided the opening ceremonies LIVE at 8am~12pm EST on the 8th of August, and Again at 2pm~6pm and then AGAIN 6pm~10pm. Unedited with one or two commercial breaks that lasted maybe 60sec each. The commentators spoke just to introduce the next segment in the ceremony. Plus, the simulcasted the event on their website.

NBC can take a lesson from them, and many other networks across Europe.

[Tom]

Go to this link, and scroll through the list and look for "Opening Ceremony Act I: Pageantry"
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/mostpopular/index.html?forcereload=true

I was not able to search the site and find it :-/ Once you find that link and click it, the video player has links to part II and III.

Good luck, lol

[Tony]

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0808_hd_oc_au_en198

[Ronald E. Goldstein]

I thought NBC was advertising a 2 set DVD of the opening session via NBColympics.com but I could not find it. Does anyone know how to get it...the chinese version is PAL..

[brian aardvaark]

It has been recognized in the bitorrent community the CBC HD had the best coverage of the opening ceremonies.

Does anyone know where I can find that torrent? I have been searching since August 7th with no luck so far.I can't believe that no-one recorded it for upload.

[vee]

try this http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/ondemand/