NBC Coverage of Skate America and Ice Network

[SeaniBu]

After thinking more about this has everyone forgot that NBC has Nascar in the fall on Sunday's, and you know they are not going to bump them for figure skating.

That is "likely" true, but NASCAR fans are declining right now as well. There is a humorous and informative article in Motortrend this month about it. I am wondering now if they will show "abbreviated" versions of NASCAR races in the future. Maybe giving more time to other sports???

 

[Mathman]

I am wondering now if they will show "abbreviated" versions of NASCAR races in the future. Maybe giving more time to other sports?

I always wondered why we need to see every lap of the Daytona 500. Isn't lap 82 pretty much like lap 112? Do we need an isolated camera on the car in 24th place as it pulls in for a pit stop?

Maybe this is how people feel about showing the entirety of a figure skating contest -- especially since so many of the performances look pretty much the same.

 

[R.D.]

RD - It was you who made such a point that NBC will be much better than ESPN and you were adamant when others disagreed. When posters talked about 'wait and see' you just wrote about the outline you devised from how you understood the announcement as gospel.

I think you misunderstand me (again)....what seemed to you as "praising NBC" was just thankfulness on my part that someone picked up FS after ESPN dropped out. Would you rather have no TV at all?

That said, the "wait and see" part comes from what they will actually produce during their telecasts. That's still up in the air and will remain so until their inaugural broadcast of 2007 SA.

No there is no time for all that in a two hour broadcast and that was a question brought up before. That was the reason one didn't understand why you negated ESPN's 3 hours of coverage over NBC's 2 hours.

As you may know I'm a big fan of LIVE coverage, so I appreciate that at least initially NBC plans to bring us live coverage (which ESPN did not). However I guess you have to make tradeoffs somewhere. There's always Ice Network anyway.

Also, people may not know this- I mentioned it before- but NBC no longer has NASCAR coverage! NBC DROPPED OUT of NASCAR, and ABC/ESPN will be taking over the race coverage that they used to have.

FOX has races now, then I think TNT, then ABC/ESPN take over in the fall.

 

[R.D.]

I always wondered why we need to see every lap of the Daytona 500. Isn't lap 82 pretty much like lap 112? Do we need an isolated camera on the car in 24th place as it pulls in for a pit stop?

Don't they break for commercials in the middle of the action? Not EVERY single lap of a race is televised.

 

[Jhar55]

No I don't think your going to see only half of Nascar race, and YES you need to see all the laps you never know whent he big one is going to happen and half the cars are wrecked that's why I watch Got an idea they can always shift the races to the Speed channel:agree:

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

As you may know I'm a big fan of LIVE coverage, so I appreciate that at least initially NBC plans to bring us live coverage (which ESPN did not). However I guess you have to make tradeoffs somewhere. There's always Ice Network anyway.

Correct. ESPN did not do LIVE TV. LIVE TV was recycled from ABC which did the NATS LIVE. I was there in Spokane as the cameras were rolling. Just for Ladies, of course. You are aware that ABC and ESPN belong to Disney. I think NBC belongs to General Electric.

thanks for reminding us about IceNetwork. I am sure we all forgot about it.

Joe

 

[R.D.]

You are aware that ABC and ESPN belong to Disney. I think NBC belongs to General Electric.

Yes, that's right.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I think you misunderstand me (again)....what seemed to you as "praising NBC" was just thankfulness on my part that someone picked up FS after ESPN dropped out. Would you rather have no TV at all?

ESPN isn't dead yet. They had 3 hours of Worlds last night on TV including eight Ladies' LPs.

We all like LIVE programs but we are aware of the difficulty that brings to TV producers who are aware that ardent fans of figure skating will watch anything that is shown. You are the lucky one who will get LIVE skating of 3-4 Ladies at Skate America. The majority of fans want LIVE coverage of ALL the Ladies, Men, Pair and Dance. NBC is not about to do that. Now if they use their affiliate on Lifetime with Nancy Kerrigan doing the commentary on a 3-hour taped edited version of the whole competition, that would be helpful.

BTW. Has anyone considered that once NBC does its SA, Nats, and Olys that it will drop the whole thing? especially if the Olys does not produce the anticipated revenue.

In the meantime, how much GPs are we going to get from ESPN? and for how many years?

Joe

 

[SeaniBu]

No I don't think your going to see only half of Nascar race, and YES you need to see all the laps you never know whent he big one is going to happen and half the cars are wrecked that's why I watch Got an idea they can always shift the races to the Speed channel:agree:

I agree some find importance in watching every lap, but I have never know anyone to do so regularly. Most fans I know, like to watch it on TV while they do other things in the house, because if anything happens - like a great pass or block, which there are plenty - they know they'll get the replay.:agree:

I really like the idea of NASCAR being aired in full on SPEED, and chronologically abbreviated races on "shared" networks for sports coverage or not at all just give it all . Some laps are the same - like yellow flags, but it would have to be particular laps they would want to air, this would take away the "Live" and would effect ratings... ???

How about figure skating during the yellow flags

 

[Sylvia]

Correct. ESPN did not do LIVE TV. LIVE TV was recycled from ABC which did the NATS LIVE. I was there in Spokane as the cameras were rolling. Just for Ladies, of course.

Didn't ESPN air the men's free skate LIVE (most of the final 2 groups) from Spokane as well? It's too bad some fans couldn't watch it live because it was on so late.

In the meantime, how much GPs are we going to get from ESPN? and for how many years?

I believe ESPN's ISU TV contract is up after 2008 Worlds.

 

[Zuranthium]

Didn't ESPN air the men's free skate LIVE (most of the final 2 groups) from Spokane as well?

Indeed, they did. It was quite exciting.

~Z

 

[R.D.]

Didn't ESPN air the men's free skate LIVE (most of the final 2 groups) from Spokane as well? It's too bad some fans couldn't watch it live because it was on so late.

That's right...I forgot. I think only on the East Coast was it late- on the West Coast it was on during primetime hours I believe.

The majority of fans want LIVE coverage of ALL the Ladies, Men, Pair and Dance.

Well...if you're looking for that type of coverage of SA (on TV) I think you're going to be disappointed. We'll have to wait on the schedule but it seems so far that only Dance and Ladies will get live coverage (which, in my opinion, is better than none at all). That's all that can fit into a 2-hr broadcast. There *might* be coverage of one or two Men and Pairs between groups, though Also, no SP's but hopefully NBC will have downloadable videos in their website of those.

But for Nats, looks like we're good to go. Live coverage of all disciplines. Now let's see some medal ceremonies as well! :yes: I think USFS should find a way to fit that into the TV broadcast somehow...that was one of my biggest complaints about the ABC coverage. It just seems kind of odd after the winner has been announced to just go off the air like that. JMHO

 

[R.D.]

BTW. Has anyone considered that once NBC does its SA, Nats, and Olys that it will drop the whole thing? especially if the Olys does not produce the anticipated revenue.

I think it depends on a) how successful its SA and US Nats telecasts are, and b) whether they bid for and win rights to the 2014 Games. USFS may want to pitch to whichever network is broadcasting the next Winter Games and just hope that they can stay on the air that way.

Best case scenario: ratings start going back up, and other networks might become interested even if NBC decides to drop out.

Worst case scenario: ratings continue to fall and NBC decides to either reduce its coverage or move some of it to a cable network, AND drops out after 2010, leaving the USFS with no TV

eta: I can't see how ratings can fall any further...only 1.8 million people watched the US Nats coverage of the ladies FS on ABC (according to an LA times article I think?) so I think at that point there's nowhere but up. Even Stanley Cup hockey gets more viewers than that when it's on NBC primetime (but still gets completely swamped by the other networks). If they promote the primetime telecast enough they could even get more viewers than ABC got in 2006, which was an Olympic year. Think about that.

Also, like another poster said (here?), since revenue for USFS now depends on how successful these broadcasts are, they might have a hand in promoting the coverage a lot more than in the past, as well as having greater influence on the product that NBC decides to show us. Still, ultimately it's the skaters who will be skating, and I can't really remember the last Nats where I was just on the edge of my seat. Maybe that was back in 2004.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Didn't ESPN air the men's free skate LIVE (most of the final 2 groups) from Spokane as well? It's too bad some fans couldn't watch it live because it was on so late.

They probably did but I was in Spokane, and could not have watched it. With all the complaints about ESPN, I just don't get the joy in NBC. ABC/ESPN have always been good with LIVE TV at Nats.

I believe ESPN's ISU TV contract is up after 2008 Worlds.

I remember reading that too, and what puzzles me, is that the USFS has not addressed the future of the GPs after that Worlds. I presume ESPN will be doing the remainder of the 2007 GPs after NBC's Skate America stint. ESPN will either skimp on this showing or show off NBC that they can do it better.

Joe

 

[R.D.]

Let's hope that NBC's LIVE SA coverage might get ESPN to do same-weekend coverage (even if it's not live- due to time difference this is excusable) of the other events

With all the complaints about ESPN, I just don't get the joy in NBC. ABC/ESPN have always been good with LIVE TV at Nats.

This I agree with, but only for the past two years have I noticed a great improvement in their Nats coverage. This is where I have to give ESPN the most credit. They even brought us the ladies SP LIVE last year. That said, they should have kept the ladies FS in primetime this year, especially since this time there was no NFL to compete against.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

they should have kept the ladies FS in primetime this year, especially since this time there was no NFL to compete against.

NFL has schedules and so does the USFS. The Networks do not control the event. They showed LIVE according to what was given to them.

 

[R.D.]

I found this article while browsing the net...it contains a few more quotes from the meeting and sheds a little light on what NBC Sports president Ebersol plans to do for skating coverage on NBC:

[Ebersol:] "We are delighted here at NBC to be adding this great American championship to our roster of top American sporting events. As America's Olympic network this is really a natural fit for us. Figure skating is the most popular sport in the Winter Olympics."

"The innovative approach that U.S. Figure Skating has taken to re-formatting this event, with its four major disciplines all on the last weekend of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, allows not only a spectacular show for the spectators in the city where the event is held each year, but more importantly, it allows us to show our viewers all four finals live. It gives us a terrific event to promote."

"The only thing that is locked in is that our producer of figure skating and the preeminent figure skating producer/director in the world, David Michaels, will run our entire production effort.""

"All of those years the event was on ABC and ESPN, I don't think there was a clear commitment to promotion. This is not an issue for us. Not only will we promote it well and heavily on the NBC television network, it will be promoted across the USA Network, America's No. 1 cable network. I think the commitment to promotion is much more robust here because figure skating is such a key component of the Olympics."

"Figure skating is a sport with its own subculture that is filled with all kinds of behind the scenes intrigue and fashion and glamour and tremendous drama and you want to find ways to bring that in. I think we will mount a program on NBCSports.com around that week and weekend leading into the event to feed into what Olympic Ice so beautifully achieved."

Full link here http://www.sportsfeatures.com/index.php?section=pp&action=show&id=38547

That last part might be a nice thing. ESPN this past year finally started showing us some backstage footage from Nats and Worlds. I think that was a great improvement in their coverage...and Olympic Ice was a great concept for NBC's Olympic coverage. I definitely think they should try and do something similar for Nats, and hopefully SA as well.

And at the risk of being accused of "praising NBC" once again, let me point out that I like that there appears to be a commitment on part of this network to promote Nationals on TV. This is something that really was lacking on ESPN and could have even contributed to part of the ratings downfall. This could be the big thing that puts skating back on the map. Let's see though.

 

[Zuranthium]

Sounding better and better...

~Z

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Sounding better and better...

~Z

It's interesting the more information we get on this makes the picture clearer, rather than jumping for joy in the dark. Correct, ABC/ESPN did not promote the sport outside of the programs. I think their fluff talks were the promotions. I'll be looking for spot announcements from NBC at least two weeks in advance of competitions. David Michaels is the responsible officer and we should remember that name.

Some notes:

What competitions are they talking about showing 4 disciplines on weekend TV? I don't think it is Skate America. It seems to be the 2010 Nats leading up to the Olys which will bring in the most publicity for NBC,

Will they do the same to the previous Nats in 2008 and 09?

Does weekend TV include USA to split up the 4 disciplines?

What will happen to the end-of-compeitions Exhibitions? (not that I care but there are fans who enjoy this.) We don't know and we can only speculate what will happen to them.

What use will be made of the USA Network? maybe those exhibitions?. maybe the Mens and Pairs comps? Will they be LIVE on USA or taped?

There is nothing on the fate of the GPs. Difficult to see NBC shipping their gear to the far ends of the earth to strum up some business for the Olys in which their interest is in the american market.

I think the above notes can only be answered with a WAIT AND SEE attitude. However, there will be speculation on this, but not much in factual responses.

Joe

 

[Dee4707]

Selfishly, I am not happy about NBC coverage because I can’t get good reception. I have cable but it’s always been bad. So has MSNBC but I get CNBC crystal clear. Any suggestions?

I am happy that skating is being picked up though by a network.

Dee