iPhone News Updated

NBC will bring coverage of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games to cell phones in what it calls the “most ambitious sporting event coverage ever” for mobile devices. The site, mobile.olympics.com, will offer near-instant results, along with news headlines, polls, photo slideshows, and athlete profiles. Additionally, each day mobile users will be able to catch video highlights on their handsets.

Starcut USA, a mobile service and software provider, has been tapped by NBC to build the site. The company has previously developed mobile content for companies like The New York Times, NBC, and Viacom (VIAB).

Starcut COO Lotta Lautsuo said the near-live results will be especially appealing because of the time difference between the United States and host country China. She also said the technical aspects of delivering the video highlights would not be as difficult to overcome as consumer awareness.

“Mobile video is still in its infancy,” Lautsuo told InformationWeek. “For many consumers, there’s still some confusion on whether their devices can even play it, or if you need a specific plan. But with the publicity around devices like the iPhone, people are realizing what their phones are capable of, and we’re expecting a good amount of video traffic.”

The mobile site is just one aspect of NBC’s vast plans for the Olympics. The company will be producing 3,600 hours of coverage spread across seven networks and Web sites.

Additionally, the International Olympic Committee has launched a YouTube channel that will broadcast clips of the games in many countries outside the United States.

[Thanks: http://www.informationweek.com]