What was NBC thinking??!! | Page 3 | Golden Skate

What was NBC thinking??!!

iluvtodd

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Mar 5, 2004
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I thought I had responded to this thread, but apparently, I hadn't. To answer the original question, maybe NBC wasn't thinking at all! I've made no secret of how I feel about NBC's fs coverage over all. I have tweeted to NBC Sports about how unacceptable and paltry their coverage is, that they should be showing more fs to build up & maintain a fan base (and not just in the year leading up to the Olympics), etc. I find it disgraceful that they only showed Meryl & Charlie for ice dance (although they were superb - I still wanted to see the other dance teams who were shown on Universal Sports), and no pairs coverage at all during Worlds. The only bright spot for me, in addition to watching the programs they did show, was hearing Terry Gannon during the broadcast. I miss the glory days of ABC/ESPN coverage!

Re: Bob Costas - I like him, but "Mr. Olympics" for me will always be the venerable Jim McKay.
 

R.D.

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Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Not old enough to remember Olympics from yesteryear (read: 80s and earlier) so I'm used to NBC doing the Olympics - that's what I grew up with. My big beef with them now is that they refuse to adapt their broadcasting style to a vastly changing media world. We've got social media, we've got news on our phones, we're bombarded with more information than ever before. The days when you can tape delay live sporting events should be long over. People want things now, and if they can't get it now they will find a way to do so.

Yes, they had success in their tape-delayed coverage in '12...but then again...the nation is getting older too.
 

Icey

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Joined
Nov 28, 2012
What they did show got poor ratings

Another Drop For U.S. Figure Skating Championships: NBC earned a 2.5 overnight rating for primetime coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Saturday night, down 7% from last year (2.7), down a tick from 2011 (2.6), and the lowest for primetime coverage of the event since NBC took over the rights in 2008. Earlier in the day, coverage drew a 1.6 overnight — up a tick from last year (1.5) and even with 2011. Sunday afternoon coverage earned a 1.5, down 25% from last year (2.0), and down 17% from 2011 (1.8).


After watching all of it via internet streaming on a large computer screen, I really had no desire to watch what NBC showed.
 

lcd

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
They will go up next year for sure, it's the Olympic trials.

Agreed. With Nationals in Boston as well, the opportunity for more major media coverage in advance of the event, plus the timing (not going up against a major sports event) should help with viewership.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Agreed. With Nationals in Boston as well, the opportunity for more major media coverage in advance of the event, plus the timing (not going up against a major sports event) should help with viewership.

I do not mean to sound pessimisitic, only realistic, but ... it could go both ways, could it not?
Boston is such a big sports town, it seems possible to me that U.S. Nationals there will struggle to make an impression on the public at large.

It will help that this season was successful for Gao, Miner, Castelli/Shnapir (and maybe for other skaters from Boston whom I am forgetting) ... and that Shibutani[SUP]2[/SUP] have roots there.

(Sorry for being dense, but was another major sporting event big-footing Omaha Nationals this year? If so, I don't remember what it was ... or were you referring to London Worlds vs. March Madness?? In any case, rest assured that NBC once again will go all out to promote the Sochi Games in general -- and figure skating will be featured prominently both in promos and in the Olympic coverage itself.)

They will go up next year for sure, it's the Olympic trials.

Do you really think that casual fans -- large numbers of whom I agree will make a point of tuning in to Sochi figure skating events -- also will have Olympic team selection/Nationals on their radar? No question that Boston will be super-exciting to serious fans who year after year are glued to as much Nationals coverage as they can find. But will casual fans start paying attention that early?

I'm old enough to have watched Jim McKay host the Olympics since around 1968. Nobody did it better or with more class. And of course how he handled the news at the 1972 Summer Olympics with the hostage situation made him a legend as a broadcaster of news not just sports.

:bow: to McKay. Completely agree that both the tragic events in Munich and McKay's coverage in the anchor chair transcended sports.
 

jenaj

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Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
Do you really think that casual fans -- large numbers of whom I agree will make a point of tuning in to Sochi figure skating events -- also will have Olympic team selection/Nationals on their radar? No question that Boston will be super-exciting to serious fans who year after year are glued to as much Nationals coverage as they can find. But will casual fans start paying attention that early?

.

I think they will, if NBC promotes the event. I don't follow gymnastics, but I watched the Olympic trials (but probably wouldn't have known about them if there hadn't been promos).
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
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Joined
Dec 27, 2009
(Sorry for being dense, but was another major sporting event big-footing Omaha Nationals this year? If so, I don't remember what it was ... or were you referring to London Worlds vs. March Madness?? In any case, rest assured that NBC once again will go all out to promote the Sochi Games in general -- and figure skating will be featured prominently both in promos and in the Olympic coverage itself.)

I was referring to NBC airing the Worlds recap during March Madness. They would have been better off airing the recap on the seam weekend when there were no basketball games!

But yes, I'm sure the Olympic coverage will be better, but still....
 
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