NEW YORK (AP) — The progression of Olympics video online is a reflection of the Internet's battle with television.

Broadcast rights are lucrative for the International Olympic Committee. They are sold by region, posing a conflict with the Internet's global presence. Until 2004, the IOC simply banned all video online, except for two experiments under controlled settings.

The IOC eased those restrictions with improvements in technology to block visitors outside a given region. That's now typically done using the Internet Protocol address, a number assigned to each computer connected to the Internet. That IP address is tied to an Internet service provider, and these days, it can even pinpoint a computer's location down to the city. Using this method, NBC can block out British IP addresses, while the BBC can block access to Americans.