The Olympic Games and related media content must be revamped to meet the needs of millions of young customers whose viewing habits have radically shifted, communications expert Martin Sorrell said on Monday.
Sorrell, the chief executive of WPP, one of the world's largest media and communication agencies, warned the International Olympic Committee to act now before a new generation of potential Olympic viewers switches off.
"There are 1.6 billion people online today and 4 billion mobile phones," Sorrell told the Olympic Congress in the Danish capital in a keynote address on digital media.
"The key audience with whom these digital opportunities resonate is of course young people. They are a valuable and massive audience. Globally they impact over $600 billion (360 billion pounds) in consumer spending," he said.
Sorrell urged the IOC to tap into that market early or risk losing out.
"Allow young people ready access to the content that you create for them. The young people take their media habits with them, so if you are not part of their habit now - you most definitely will not be in the future," Sorrell said.
"You need to be present in these (new media) environments and have a credible voice, not restricting access through copyright. Let the children play," he said.
"You have to let them play with your content, your assets in their own way."
The International Olympic Committee has been looking at ways to reach a younger audience, with the average age of Games viewers rising gradually since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before a reverse of the trend last year at the Beijing Games.
GAMES VIDEOS
The IOC set up a popular channel on the YouTube video sharing site just before the Olympics in China and several major broadcasting rights holders offered Games videos on-line.
"Beijing offers a glimpse into the future. The Beijing Olympics were the most watched TV event in history. At (U.S. broadcaster) NBCOlympics.com 70 million video streams and 600 million minutes of video were watched."
Broadcasting rights represent the IOC's biggest single source of revenue, expected to bring in close to $4 billion for the two-Games period of 2010-2012 alone.
Some $2.2 billion of that comes from the North American deal with broadcaster NBC.
"The opportunity for sports rights holders such as the IOC is huge," Sorrell said.
"If the Olympic sports themselves and the way they are promoted on line and on mobile do not appeal to the younger audience, they will lose that audience, the broadcasters will reduce their fees and the movement is at risk."
"We must ensure the iPod, iPhone generation is tuning in, not tuning out," Sorrell said.
