The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

[Dirty]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Who watches figure skating?

70% of women consider themselves figure skating fans
54% of the total population 12+ is interested in figure skating
68% are women age 25-54
65% 1+ years in college
63% are in $50M+ income households
Figure skating fans are educated and affluent
Figure skating is the highest-ranked sport among the U.S. population 12+ in fan base
Women sports fans prefer to watch figure skating over college basketball, college football, tennis and the NHL
Figure skating is the most popular spectator sport among American women and their teenage daughters

....NBC is smart.

So it's women that are stupid.

 

[collegehcky2]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

So it's women that are stupid.

You're just coming to that conclusion?

 

[BUT09]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Put the Rings on it, and people watch.

This is completely true. Every Olympics I find myself watching sports that ordinarily you would have to pay me to watch.

 

[Priceless]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Those who have DirecTV will have several new features for the Games. The Olympics preview channel will have up to four NBC/Universal channels simultaneously. We'll also be able to access medal counts, Team USA updates and more. Further, Channel 1004 is the Olympics' on-demand home for downloading events and special features on teams and individuals. DTV viewers will also be able to view bonus content online at the NBC website.

 

[RaceBoarder]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Put the Rings on it, and people watch.

Alpine Skiing says "Hello!"

 

[Jimjamesak]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

NBC's expecting to lose $200 million on the Games. Hopefully they follow the money right offstage and someone competent can start showing them.

The only company capable of producing adequate coverage besides NBC is ESPN/ABC. Unfortunately it would be SSDN.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

The only company capable of producing adequate coverage besides NBC is ESPN/ABC. Unfortunately it would be SSDN.

It would get pre-empted for some poker tournament in Australia.

 

[First Time Long Time]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/pu...ice-dancing-over-U-S-Canada-ho?urn=nhl,219149

In essence, committing to a hockey game is committing to a three-hour programming block that can't be interrupted. Imagine the outrage if NBC cut away during the second period of USA/Canada because someone was taking a historic bobsled run. Ice dancing allows for drop-ins at other events, which is another reason NBC believes it's the best option in East Coast prime time.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/pu...ice-dancing-over-U-S-Canada-ho?urn=nhl,219149

In essence, committing to a hockey game is committing to a three-hour programming block that can't be interrupted. Imagine the outrage if NBC cut away during the second period of USA/Canada because someone was taking a historic bobsled run. Ice dancing allows for drop-ins at other events, which is another reason NBC believes it's the best option in East Coast prime time.

This reasoning I understand, to a point. They still have intermissions to cut to other sports, and if they ran the hockey game on a 5 minute delay, they could cut away from the game in certain situations and then be able to cut back to it if something important happens in the game.

 

[jmh]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

I don't really understand the outrage over this. I can't imagine there's anyone among us who wouldn't prefer to watch the USA-Canada game in MSNBC on HD (as is apparently available to most of us, according to the article) without interruptions to cut away to other events, than watch it on NBC and have them showing a luge run at every other whistle. I mean, obviously NBC isn't ingratiating themselves to hockey fans by saying "we think ice dancing should go on the main network and the hockey game should go on the second network," and maybe that's short-sighted, but from a viewer's perspective, what's the difference?

By the way, this made me laugh:

According to the network, there are three major sporting events that have more female viewers than male viewers: the Kentucky Derby, the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics.

So, really, two sporting events and one opportunity to watch famous people in funny hats get drunk on mint juleps.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

I don't really understand the outrage over this. I can't imagine there's anyone among us who wouldn't prefer to watch the USA-Canada game in MSNBC on HD (as is apparently available to most of us, according to the article) without interruptions to cut away to other events, than watch it on NBC and have them showing a luge run at every other whistle. I mean, obviously NBC isn't ingratiating themselves to hockey fans by saying "we think ice dancing should go on the main network and the hockey game should go on the second network," and maybe that's short-sighted, but from a viewer's perspective, what's the difference?

By the way, this made me laugh:So, really, two sporting events and one opportunity to watch famous people in funny hats get drunk on mint juleps.

I watch about 5 minutes of the Kentucky Derby coverage each year. 3 minutes leading up to the race and 2 minutes to watch the race itself. I don't need to see what kind of hat Jessica Simpson is wearing.

 

[Priceless]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

I watch about 5 minutes of the Kentucky Derby coverage each year. 3 minutes leading up to the race and 2 minutes to watch the race itself. I don't need to see what kind of hat Jessica Simpson is wearing.

You look at her hat? She has other assets...

MSNBC is not available in HD on DirecTV. I find it hard to believe Dish Network has it in HD.

I wonder if it will be available in HD on the on-demand channel.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

You look at her hat? She has other assets...

MSNBC is not available in HD on DirecTV. I find it hard to believe Dish Network has it in HD.

I wonder if it will be available in HD on the on-demand channel.

It's not in HD on Comcast either.

 

[unofan]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

By the way, this made me laugh:So, really, two sporting events and one opportunity to watch famous people in funny hats get drunk on mint juleps.

Would the Olympics get more female viewers if NBC didn't fark up the coverage so much? My guess is that if they presented the Olympics like every other sporting event, namely as a sporting event, the viewership numbers would return to normal.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

One of the great things about Olympic coverage evolution is that there are multiple channels of coverage now, and that at least for hockey fans, we don't need to sit through hours of simpering figure skaters on NBC's prime time coverage with so many live hockey games on channels such as MSNBC and CNBC (etc.). I plan on gorging myself on hockey over the next two weeks.

 

[BUT09]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

I watch about 5 minutes of the Kentucky Derby coverage each year. 3 minutes leading up to the race and 2 minutes to watch the race itself. I don't need to see what kind of hat Jessica Simpson is wearing.

The same, and I'm an avid horse racing fan. The hubbub surrounding the Derby is stupid.

I can see their point about being able to cut away, I guess. It's just irritating.

 

[jmh]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

I watch about 5 minutes of the Kentucky Derby coverage each year. 3 minutes leading up to the race and 2 minutes to watch the race itself. I don't need to see what kind of hat Jessica Simpson is wearing.

Yes, that's what YOU watch, but you're (allegedly) not a woman. WOMEN watch the Derby because of what I said earlier. Men watch it because it's an excuse to drink lots of whiskey in the afternoon.

Would the Olympics get more female viewers if NBC didn't fark up the coverage so much? My guess is that if they presented the Olympics like every other sporting event, namely as a sporting event, the viewership numbers would return to normal.

What do you mean by "return to normal"? You mean with more male viewers than female? Because that pretty clearly is not what NBC is going for in this situation. And from that standpoint, their coverage isn't messed up, it's what's drawing people who don't normally watch sports to watch sports.

The same, and I'm an avid horse racing fan. The hubbub surrounding the Derby is stupid.

Right, but again, the reason it draws female viewers so well is because of the hubbub, not because of the horse racing.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Yes, that's what YOU watch, but you're (allegedly) not a woman. WOMEN watch the Derby because of what I said earlier. Men watch it because it's an excuse to drink lots of whiskey in the afternoon.

Right, but again, the reason it draws female viewers so well is because of the hubbub, not because of the horse racing.

We need an excuse to drink lots of whiskey in the afternoon? Must be an eastern thing.

Apparently not all female viewers...
at least I think BUT09 is female, if not, my bad

 

[unofan]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Yes, that's what YOU watch, but you're (allegedly) not a woman. WOMEN watch the Derby because of what I said earlier. Men watch it because it's an excuse to drink lots of whiskey in the afternoon.What do you mean by "return to normal"? You mean with more male viewers than female? Because that pretty clearly is not what NBC is going for in this situation. And from that standpoint, their coverage isn't messed up, it's what's drawing people who don't normally watch sports to watch sports.Right, but again, the reason it draws female viewers so well is because of the hubbub, not because of the horse racing.

It's no surprise that the 3 sporting events which draw more women than men are all on NBC. The Derby's a freaking fashion show, and NBC's primetime coverage is one giant soap opera with some tumbling (gymnastics) and twirling (figure skating) mixed in.

The fact that NBC is losing $200 million on this year's games says that maybe the soap opera element isn't worth it; it may increase female viewership, but at what cost of male viewers who make up most of the sports world's viewers?

CBS used to do tie-ins with the Olympics when they had em (I remember Letterman sending his Mom to a few games, for instance), but it seemed to be more about the games than the background stories back then.

 

[unofan]

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

Re: The Official Thread of the Run-Up to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada

One of the great things about Olympic coverage evolution is that there are multiple channels of coverage now, and that at least for hockey fans, we don't need to sit through hours of simpering figure skaters on NBC's prime time coverage with so many live hockey games on channels such as MSNBC and CNBC (etc.). I plan on gorging myself on hockey over the next two weeks.

Still doesn't excuse NBC forbidding people access to live events for things they won't even show elsewhere, or for things they're forcing you to watch on tape delay during prime time. The cameras are there anyway as part of the media pool coverage available to all rights holders, so it's not like it would cost NBC more than bandwidth.

Our local NBC affiliate shows Universal Sports on its secondary digital channel, I've been watching lots of cross country skiing, bobsled, luge, etc. over the last few weeks on my lunch break. Odds anymore than a few clips of the winners of those see the light of day on NBC? I'd say 20-1.