AT&T (NYSE: T) has used its clout as an Olympics sponsor and official telecommunications provider to the U.S team to nail an exclusive 24/7 channel on its broadcast mobile TV service run by Qualcomm’s (NSDQ: QCOM) MediaFLO, we have learned. That’s how a Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) spokesman explained it to us: “They are an Olympics sponsor and as such they use their weight to freeze out other mobile TV providers from offering Olympics coverage.” NBC’s coverage of the Olympics won’t be limited to AT&T entirely, but for mobile the carrier did secure sole rights for live competition footage and commentary on the MediaFLO platform, which both carriers use for broadcast-like TV service.  The new channel, NBC Olympics 2Go, is set to launch August 8 at the beginning of the games and marks the third channel for NBC on the permanent 10-channel deck in addition to the limited-time channels routinely offered for special events.

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AT&T will play NBC’s coverage of the games on its mobile TV broadcast service and its Media Net deck while Verizon’s mobile offering will be limited to streaming video only on its V Cast video deck that will include daily highlights, breaking news, scores and results and more. AT&T’s U-verse customers and Verizon’s FiOS TV customers will get on-demand access to events at the games, footage from past games and highlights.  On the broadband side, the carriers’ plans are near identical as well with both launching more than 20 live streaming feeds from the games when the games begin.