US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

[BU Hammer]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Good article saying that NBC's Olympic Coverage is just reality TV in a dress...

http://thesunbreak.com/2010/02/22/nbcs-olympics-coverage-its-not-sports-its-reality-tv

This guy would really, really like the MLB Network. This is basically what they do every night.

 

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Good article saying that NBC's Olympic Coverage is just reality TV in a dress...

http://thesunbreak.com/2010/02/22/nbcs-olympics-coverage-its-not-sports-its-reality-tv

Here's a question I would pose to NBC: if the masses who watch the primetime Olympic coverage primarily don't care enough about sports to follow it any other way, why NOT show events live during the day, as they happen, for the rest of us? Is it really going to spoil it for them?

We're living in a different time than 30 years ago, when you realistically could, if you wanted, isolate yourself from results. Now all it takes is one guy with a cell phone walking down the street and you can know everything ahead of time like it or not...or just opening up a mere web browser!

While NBC is still getting great ratings in primetime for these Olympics, they're being helped that a lot of it (like the skating, etc.) is still live. Only the skiing is really taped.

I would hope the future model for broadcasting the games is making the Olympics available live to those die-hards who DO care, in addition to doing their usual prime-time shindig -- even if that means a pay-per-view package for the live events.

I know that NBC's pay-per-view "TripleCast" back in the Barcelona games famously flopped -- but my parents subscribed to it and we all loved it. It was everything I think most die-hard sports fans crave: commercial free, LIVE Olympics as they happen. Watching events unfold in real time, with the qualification and consolation races and such, beats a 10-minute edited package anytime, and I think there are enough sports fans out there who would fork over $$ for a pay-per-view package to justify its existence.

Actually I'm surprised they haven't looked at going down that road again -- at least do it if you're not going to give us everything live on cable.

As far as the hockey games go, I think NBC blew a big-time opportunity by not showing the US-Canada game in primetime. Why not give up your "model" for one night when what they were showing, outside of Bode Miller, wasn't all that impressive? I think the game would've drawn even more interest than it has, if they could've given it a chance. (That said it then would've been on tape for the west coasters who have been getting the shaft through all of this).

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Here's a question I would pose to NBC: if the masses who watch the primetime Olympic coverage primarily don't care enough about sports to follow it any other way, why NOT show events live during the day, as they happen, for the rest of us? Is it really going to spoil it for them?

We're living in a different time than 30 years ago, when you realistically could, if you wanted, isolate yourself from results. Now all it takes is one guy with a cell phone walking down the street and you can know everything ahead of time like it or not...or just opening up a mere web browser!

While NBC is still getting great ratings in primetime for these Olympics, they're being helped that a lot of it (like the skating, etc.) is still live. Only the skiing is really taped.

I would hope the future model for broadcasting the games is making the Olympics available live to those die-hards who DO care, in addition to doing their usual prime-time shindig -- even if that means a pay-per-view package for the live events.

I know that NBC's pay-per-view "TripleCast" back in the Barcelona games famously flopped -- but my parents subscribed to it and we all loved it. It was everything I think most die-hard sports fans crave: commercial free, LIVE Olympics as they happen. Watching events unfold in real time, with the qualification and consolation races and such, beats a 10-minute edited package anytime, and I think there are enough sports fans out there who would fork over $$ for a pay-per-view package to justify its existence.

Actually I'm surprised they haven't looked at going down that road again -- at least do it if you're not going to give us everything live on cable.

I am sure NBC has weighed all of these potential options multiple times, and over and over again, the one model that delivers the largest advertising revenue is the prime time captive audience taped-delay model rather than the live or [pay per view model). The captive audience model delivers more women and primetime audience numbers, who actually buy most of the stuff the advertisers want to sell. If putting on on the games live as they happened actually delivered more eyeballs, they would have done it. Other countries don't need to recoup the huge Olympic rights fee that NBC needs to recoup, as they don't have shareholders demanding profits. That's why they can show the Games live and NBC can't.

Even with this model, NBC won't deliver advertising profits (they'll be about $200 million short), but they will reap some huge backside benefits -- brand benefits by gaining prestige and lockling out competitors, promotion benefits for their prime time post-Olympic schedule and the deal-making benefits that come from being able to bring your clients to the Olympics and wining and dining them.

 

[Priceless]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Here's a question I would pose to NBC: if the masses who watch the primetime Olympic coverage primarily don't care enough about sports to follow it any other way, why NOT show events live during the day, as they happen, for the rest of us? Is it really going to spoil it for them?

We're living in a different time than 30 years ago, when you realistically could, if you wanted, isolate yourself from results. Now all it takes is one guy with a cell phone walking down the street and you can know everything ahead of time like it or not...or just opening up a mere web browser!

While NBC is still getting great ratings in primetime for these Olympics, they're being helped that a lot of it (like the skating, etc.) is still live. Only the skiing is really taped.

I would hope the future model for broadcasting the games is making the Olympics available live to those die-hards who DO care, in addition to doing their usual prime-time shindig -- even if that means a pay-per-view package for the live events.

I know that NBC's pay-per-view "TripleCast" back in the Barcelona games famously flopped -- but my parents subscribed to it and we all loved it. It was everything I think most die-hard sports fans crave: commercial free, LIVE Olympics as they happen. Watching events unfold in real time, with the qualification and consolation races and such, beats a 10-minute edited package anytime, and I think there are enough sports fans out there who would fork over $$ for a pay-per-view package to justify its existence.

Actually I'm surprised they haven't looked at going down that road again -- at least do it if you're not going to give us everything live on cable.

As far as the hockey games go, I think NBC blew a big-time opportunity by not showing the US-Canada game in primetime. Why not give up your "model" for one night when what they were showing, outside of Bode Miller, wasn't all that impressive? I think the game would've drawn even more interest than it has, if they could've given it a chance. (That said it then would've been on tape for the west coasters who have been getting the shaft through all of this).

Their usual model averaged 23 million viewers on prime time NBC and delivered the largest numbers MSNBC's ever seen. How much do you really think a preliminary game between the USA and Canada would have drawn? 10 million? 11? So they would have sacrificed half their audience (and ticked them off for the remaining week of Games) and made a few happy.

This is a college hockey message board and we're all hockey fans, so the opinions of many are skewed. I'm the first person to pick apart NBC for the bone-headed things they have done. This isn't one of them. If they had it to do over, they'd make the exact same decision. You can say their coverage is just reality TV, but that's what sells in America now. Like I said before, if they could run Shakespeare and get numbers they would. This is what people want.

 

[Priceless]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

I am sure NBC has weighed all of these potential options multiple times, and over and over again, the one model that delivers the largest advertising revenue is the prime time captive audience taped-delay model rather than the live or [pay per view model). The captive audience model delivers more women and primetime audience numbers, who actually buy most of the stuff the advertisers want to sell. If putting on on the games live as they happened actually delivered more eyeballs, they would have done it. Other countries don't need to recoup the huge Olympic rights fee that NBC needs to recoup, as they don't have shareholders demanding profits. That's why they can show the Games live and NBC can't.

Even with this model, NBC won't deliver advertising profits (they'll be about $200 million short), but they will reap some huge backside benefits -- brand benefits by gaining prestige and lockling out competitors, promotion benefits for their prime time post-Olympic schedule and the deal-making benefits that come from being able to bring your clients to the Olympics and wining and dining them.

And that $200 million loss is over-stated so that 1) they don't have to pay as much for the next package and 2) no one else (hello ESPN) gets any ideas about bidding themselves.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

If they had it to do over, they'd make the exact same decision.

No network has ever cut away from a live NFL game for a movie, 60 Minutes or another show since the Heidi Game in 1968.

The Olympics is not just sports, its politics (USSR vs USA), news (Munich '72, Atlanta bombing) and nationalism all rolled into one.

NBC screwed up and there have been hundreds of newspaper articles & media types lambasting them over the past three days. You can say they made the right decision financially, but they are not immune to criticism. And they don't want to lose $200 million AND get "booed" by the audience.

Almost certainly they would cut away to the hockey earlier if they had to do it all over again. Heck if they knew the US was going to beat Canada, they probably would show the whole game.

 

[Priceless]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

No network has ever cut away from a live NFL game for a movie, 60 Minutes or another show since the Heidi Game in 1968.

The Olympics is not just sports, its politics (USSR vs USA), news (Munich '72, Atlanta bombing) and nationalism all rolled into one.

NBC screwed up and there have been hundreds of newspaper articles & media types lambasting them over the past three days. You can say they made the right decision financially, but they are not immune to criticism. And they don't want to lose $200 million AND get "booed" by the audience.

Almost certainly they would cut away to the hockey earlier if they had to do it all over again. Heck if they knew the US was going to beat Canada, they probably would show the whole game.

Dan Patrick, who is an on-air NBC analyst as well as a talk-show host, says even if the USA/CAN game had been for the gold medal he wouldn't have put it on NBC. It's not a comment on whether ice dancing is more "worthy" sport, it's which will draw more eyeballs.

NBC can justify what they're doing because they're generating huge numbers. Yes, it sucks for those not in the eastern time zone because few things are covered live (even here in the east things are delayed) but Dick Ebersol isn't losing any sleep because some sports fans are unhappy.

If it was your job to get ratings you would make the same call or you'd be updating your resume.

 

[scsutommyboy]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Dan Patrick, who is an on-air NBC analyst as well as a talk-show host, says even if the USA/CAN game had been for the gold medal he wouldn't have put it on NBC. It's not a comment on whether ice dancing is more "worthy" sport, it's which will draw more eyeballs.

NBC can justify what they're doing because they're generating huge numbers. Yes, it sucks for those not in the eastern time zone because few things are covered live (even here in the east things are delayed) but Dick Ebersol isn't losing any sleep because some sports fans are unhappy.

If it was your job to get ratings you would make the same call or you'd be updating your resume.

You are correct sir. I don't know why people over and over complain about why hockey isn't on tv more or on a certain channel. The people who were interested in the game knew where to find it and watched it.

 

[TimU]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Their usual model averaged 23 million viewers on prime time NBC and delivered the largest numbers MSNBC's ever seen. How much do you really think a preliminary game between the USA and Canada would have drawn? 10 million? 11? So they would have sacrificed half their audience (and ticked them off for the remaining week of Games) and made a few happy.

I really don't think that's a given at all. It's the Olympics, and the US/Canada game was the biggest event to that point of the games. Again, NBC called it the "game of a lifetime" on its own website, and did a feature on the 1980 men's team that same day. It would have been a perfect match.

It doesn't matter what NBC gets for viewers of NHL games. 12 months from today, a year out from the Olympic games, how many people do you suppose would watch an ice dancing competition? A nordic combined event? A ski cross race? A curling match? NOBODY. But they watch it during the Olympics.

Like I said earlier, my wife NEVER watches hockey. But she was really excited for this game. As it turned out she didn't watch a single second of Olympic coverage that night. In my opinion you can't just assume that because NBC is getting a big audience for ice dancing that they wouldn't get a big audience for a premiere Olympic ice hockey game pitting the US team against the tournament favorite and host country. A LOT more people get NBC on their TVs than get MSNBC. And I'm certain there are a LOT of people who simply turn on NBC and watch the Olympics, without even a thought of searching out CNBC or MSNBC - if they get them, and which they never watch anyway - to see what's being offered on the alternate coverage.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

NBCOlympics.com is streaming the USA Swiss Game live on the internet today for those stuck at work.

 

[BUT09]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

NBCOlympics.com is streaming the USA Swiss Game live on the internet today for those stuck at work.

But only if you have an account number and password, correct? Or are they waiving that for this one since it's on NBC, not one of the cable networks?

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

You are correct sir. I don't know why people over and over complain about why hockey isn't on tv more or on a certain channel. The people who were interested in the game knew where to find it and watched it.

I don't get it either. No one watches hockey on TV. It's been a fact of life for over a generation.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

But only if you have an account number and password, correct? Or are they waiving that for this one since it's on NBC, not one of the cable networks?

Not sure about the account thing. It's also now supposed to be on NBC TV in the Eastern and Central time zone live and tape delayed on NBC west of there. (Moved from MSNBC)

 

[du78]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Not sure about the account thing. It's also now supposed to be on NBC TV in the Eastern and Central time zone live and tape delayed on NBC west of there. (Moved from MSNBC)

Why wouldn't they just show it live everywhere in the US

 

[Tater]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Why wouldn't they just show it live everywhere in the US

Soaps.

 

[moe24]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Why wouldn't they just show it live everywhere in the US

Because NBC sucks.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Not sure about the account thing. It's also now supposed to be on NBC TV in the Eastern and Central time zone live and tape delayed on NBC west of there. (Moved from MSNBC)

So what you're saying is, the game was supposed to be on MSNBC and now they've moved it to NBC.

If true, isn't that proof that they're making changes in their coverage since Sunday night?

And wouldn't everyone agree that if the USA is playing Canada or Russia for the Gold in a week or so they'll probably move the game to NBC?

I guess we need the USA to keep winning.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

So what you're saying is the game was supposed to be on MSNBC and now they've moved it to NBC.

If true, isn't that proof that they're making changes in their coverage since Sunday night?

And wouldn't everyone agree that if the USA is playing Canada or Russia for the Gold in a week or so they'll probably move the game to NBC?

yes, and that will be unfortunate because commercials will be interrupting the game and we will miss significant chunks of it then. on MSNBC they ran it almost commercial free.

people should be careful what they ask for.

 

[Tater]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

So what you're saying is, the game was supposed to be on MSNBC and now they've moved it to NBC.

If true, isn't that proof that they're making changes in their coverage since Sunday night?

And wouldn't everyone agree that if the USA is playing Canada or Russia for the Gold in a week or so they'll probably move the game to NBC?

I guess we need the USA to keep winning.

3pm and prime time are two very different things. I am sure a gold medal game would be on NBC.

 

[candycanes99]

Re: US Olympic Hockey - Let's Stick It To The Canucks Again!

Like I said earlier, my wife NEVER watches hockey. But she was really excited for this game. As it turned out she didn't watch a single second of Olympic coverage that night. In my opinion you can't just assume that because NBC is getting a big audience for ice dancing that they wouldn't get a big audience for a premiere Olympic ice hockey game pitting the US team against the tournament favorite and host country. A LOT more people get NBC on their TVs than get MSNBC. And I'm certain there are a LOT of people who simply turn on NBC and watch the Olympics, without even a thought of searching out CNBC or MSNBC - if they get them, and which they never watch anyway - to see what's being offered on the alternate coverage.

This is a good point. I've heard a lot of arguments that people will only watch most of this stuff during the Olympics, but why is hockey any different? NBC was assuming they'd get the views of hockey fans, and because they stuck it on MSNBC where no one would look by accident, only hockey fans watched for the most part. But non-hockey fans would WANT watch an event like this. Heck, I had people at work who don't care one bit about hockey saying "What the heck, they brought on the last minute, but I missed the rest!"

As a side note, now that digital TV is out and affiliates have extra channels, perhaps they can show multiple events over the air (and those will cable will get them too). For instance, I get NBC on 10.1 over the air in Phiadelphia, and 10.2 and 10.3 are extra channels. Thing is, I'm pretty sure their content is whatever the local affiliate wants. Would be nice if NBC could work out a deal with their affiliates so that they could put more content out to everyone for an important event like this.

NBCOlympics.com is streaming the USA Swiss Game live on the internet today for those stuck at work.

I'm stuck at work and do have an account, but I can't install anything on this locked-down computer, so no go with Silverlight. Sucks.