NBC might be the real winner coming out of the Olympic Games in Beijing. The New York Times reports that the network's success was helped by convincing top US athletes like Michael Phelps and Shawn Johnson to perform live.

The Times notes: "It was a success represented by record viewer totals of more than 200 million people, a surge in ad sales that guaranteed a profit of more than $100 million, and probably the best word of mouth about ...