NBC To Take over US Skating Coverage through Next Olympics

[Sylvia]

Then there is the comment about whether a skater in the reject group can move up. With IJS, the ninth place skater in the SP has a chance to move up quite a few places. Conceivably even into fourth place for a medal.

Like Jeremy Abbott did in this year at Nationals in Spokane - he was 9th in SP, 3rd in FS and won the 4th place pewter medal. Derrick Delmore was 11th in SP and 5th in FS for 6th place overall. So, two of the top 5 senior men's free skates came from the penultimate group.

 

[Jhar55]

I just might have to re-subscribe to the ice-network if they are going to show national live. I don't mind pay the $25 but it wasn't worth it just to watch the videos. I wouldn't even mind doing a pay per-view if they wanted to go that way. But I think were just going to have to wait to see how it all pans out.
Any TV coverage is better than none at all.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

There's the group warmups; of course, there is the skate, there are bows, there are stuttering judges, there is the Kiss and Cry awaiting the scores; and there are the zamboni breaks between groups. all of this takes time. On TV, much of this is cut out. But for the audience, it gives them time to scream at each other.

Movin-on-up! is a good question. With the CoP Evan has done it a couple of times; Lambiel just did it in Tokyo Worlds, Plushenko did it with the 6.0 in SLC.
Of course they are all 'stars' so to speak. But what about the 2nd tier skaters. IMO, no body cares, but those skaters do.

In the 6.0 system, it appeared to me that the judges evaluated the skaters within the group they were in for the LP. Only a 'star' who had a poor SP would be able to move-on-up. For me, it's pretty much the same in CoP.

Joe

 

[R.D.]

More details:

http://www.usfsa.org/event_story.asp?id=38471

Details discussed included the revamped format of the U.S. Championships, the scheduled live coverage of Skate America, and the possible NBC announcing team.

NBC will broadcast live all four finals of the 2008 U.S. Championships during the weekend of Jan. 26-27, 2008. The pairs final will be shown Saturday afternoon, with the ladies and ice dancing finals live in primetime Saturday night. The men's final will be shown live during the afternoon on Sunday, Jan. 27.

How many athletes and/or teams to be shown during the live broadcast coverage for each event is still being determined.

“It could be anywhere from the last group of dance, which is five, or the last two groups, which is 10,” U.S. Figure Skating Executive Director David Raith said. “We are looking at the ability of doing 10 or 12 [athletes] in the singles … whatever works best with NBC to put into their live window, we will ensure that that happens.”

The ladies free skate is the only competition that will have a “split” event on Saturday. The initial group or groups of ladies will skate earlier on Saturday, with the last groups skating as part of Saturday night's primetime live coverage. Again, how many ladies will be part of that live coverage is still to be determined. Men's, pairs and ice dancing finals will be seen by spectators at the event in the normal fashion.

[snip]

Parts of the ladies and ice dancing finals at 2007 Skate America will be shown live during a two-hour broadcast on Sunday, Oct. 28, on NBC. The two-hour show may also include taped coverage of the pairs and men's finals taking place Oct. 27. Icenetwork.com and NBCSports.com will also provide a combination of live and on-demand domestic coverage of the remainder of the entire competition.

NBC has not yet chosen an announcing team for Skate America and the U.S. Championships.

So the Ladies will be broken up into Afternoon and Evening sessions. hmm...

Also, no short programs on TV any more.

 

[visaliakid]

More from the latest USFS Update article...

NBC has not yet chosen an announcing team for Skate America and the U.S. Championships.

“The only thing that's locked at this particular moment is that our producer of figure skating … David Michaels, will run our entire production effort,” said Dick Ebersol, chair of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. “With that in mind, I'm going to give him several months to come back with his final recommendations as to who the final announce team should be.”

“I have an association of 40 years with Dick Button as a friend,” Ebersol continued. “I worked with him in the early years of my career, so he certainly will receive great consideration, and he's been one of the great voices of this event for years.”

Ebersol also mentioned Scott Hamilton and Tom Hammond as people who will be given consideration when forming the announcing team.

I don't see Bezic's name mentioned. So if Kwan is being considered...(though I suspect she most likely will turn this down) then NBC may in fact be looking for a replacement for Ms. Bezic. Let's hope!

Also this...

Besides Skate America and the U.S. Championships, the partnership between NBC and U.S. Figure Skating also includes options to create other one-day invitational events during the season, such as last year's Campbell's Cup.

Looks like things are open for cheesefests or put-to-gether competition of some fashion.

 

[Eeyora]

More from the latest USFS Update article...



I don't see Bezic's name mentioned. So if Kwan is being considered...(though I suspect she most likely will turn this down) then NBC may in fact be looking for a replacement for Ms. Bezic. Let's hope!

.

Just as long as they don't hire Roz!

 

[Mathman]

I like Sandra Bezik's commentary. She is one of the few announcers who emphasizes music and choreography.

 

[purplecat]

I wonder if they'll show the Saturday primetime broadcast live on the West Coast. Typically we get skating tape-delayed when shown live in primetime, but if they treat it like a real sport they might show it live (like football, basketball etc. when they are on in primetime).

 

[R.D.]

If it's featured as "primetime programming", I doubt it. but if it's treated as a sporting event, I think they would shift it so it's live everywhere. It depends on how NBC wishes to package the broadcast. As primetime entertainment or as a sporting event?

I think NBC showed gymnastics (don't know if it was live) on the east coast/midwest and then showed it three or four hours later on the west coast (after some other event, forgot what it was). So I don't think it looks good.

However, I think for ratings they'd do better to show it live. Once you give people the option to look up the results online, there go potential viewers. But who knows?

 

[jennylovskt]

Live coverage of the Nationals. That is great!

Scott and Dick both were great at 2006 Olympics. I have nothing against Scott Hamilton except for 2002 Olympics. I am glad that they both will be here. I am not very fond of Sandra Bezic and Peggy Fleming. But I don't have a favorite lady commentator. I can do without them.

What's the importance to make Skate America live if they don't broadcast other GP events? Personally, I like Skate Canada and Cup of Russia better where have several my favorite skaters. And I think probably other GP events have more big names than Skate America. Who will be at SA? I bet Evan and Kimmie will be there.

Really, I wish US tv would broader the views of Americans by broadcasting more big names around the world, not only focusing on US its own.

 

[SeaniBu]

So the Ladies will be broken up into Afternoon and Evening sessions. hmm...

That will make it difficult to plan around for sure. I certainly hope they will make some form of announcement regarding which skaters are skating when.

 

[R.D.]

Really, I wish US tv would broader the views of Americans by broadcast more big names around the world, not only focus on US its own.

But this is a contract with US figure skating. Of course this particular contract will center on mainly-US coverage. If NBC wants international skating as well they should look at adopting a deal with the ISU once ESPN is done with it.

 

[jennylovskt]

But this is a contract with US figure skating. Of course this particular contract will center on mainly-US coverage. If NBC wants international skating as well they should look at adopting a deal with the ISU once ESPN is done with it.

It's true. You are right. I forgot this part.

 

[SeaniBu]

If NBC wants international skating as well they should look at adopting a deal with the ISU once ESPN is done with it.

I wonder if they like Speedy.:scratch:

 

[R.D.]

have they ever dealt with him before?

At least they have a vested interest in skating at least till 2010. But I don't know if the ISU will insist on coverage past that date (knowing Cinquanta, he might well push for that). In case they do enter into negotiations I think they should be happy with anything they can get, especially with a broadcast station.

 

[SeaniBu]

^ Wouldn't they have had to at least some (maybe even just the rumors of his ... uh um .. reputation in FS) for the Olys coverage?

 

[R.D.]

I thought the IOC managed TV rights for the Olympic games.

 

[SeaniBu]

(maybe even just the rumors of his ... uh um .. reputation in FS)

not sure, but due to the amount that he does I am sure the reputation supersedes him

 

[visaliakid]

I thought the IOC managed TV rights for the Olympic games.

They do! The IOC doles out broadcast rights to all nations TV outlets who give them the best deal.

The ISU only deals with the ISU Grand Prix Events and World Championships, Four Continents, and European Championships.

 

[gsrossano]

That will make it difficult to plan around for sure. I certainly hope they will make some form of announcement regarding which skaters are skating when.

I may have it wrong, but I thought what it was saying is that 9 through whatever will skate earlier in the day and not be shown on TV, and 1-8 will be during the boradcast in the evening. I don't think they will be showing four at one part of the day and the other four (of eight) at another part of the day. Assuming it is just 8. didn't one of the articles say that the exact number is still TBD? Maybe they will show more.

Hopefully "they" will tell us at the Governing Council meeting in next week.