ABC will no longer cover ISU events | Golden Skate

ABC will no longer cover ISU events

Becca84

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 10, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/05/sports/football/05sand.html

The piece on f.s. is at the bottom if you want to read it there, but this is what it says...

"The world figure skating championships and other International Skating Union events that were broadcast by ABC Sports for many years will now be carried exclusively by ESPN and ESPN2. ABC had been losing money on its $22 million contract (in which ESPN shared some coverage), and it was not eager to continue. But ESPN announced yesterday that it had acquired a new four-year package, through 2007-8, at a bargain price of $5 million. Besides the world championships, the events also include the European championships and the Grand Prix series."

This might not affect everyone, but it really stinks for anyone w/out cable or satellite (like me)! ABC's coverage could be cheesy, but at least I was able to watch some competitions! Now I'll miss everything except Nationals & the Olympics - this is very disappointing :cry:
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
There doesn't seem to be any change in the presentations. Top four Ladies in the LP and top 3Men in the LP. Pairs if there is an American contender worth while and dance if Tanith and Benjamin are still up there. My advice is "Get Thee to Moscow"

I'd also like them to telecast LIVE at any hour of the day.

I hope Heather carries the ESPN showings correctly because my guide does not show ESPN in the afternoons.

I do think Ms Kerrigan was being groomed for beomg commentator. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Joe
 
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Joined
Jun 21, 2003
It also stinks because it means $17 million less for figure skating. They have already announced that the prizes for the skaters in the Grand Prix will be less.

Mathman
 

Enero

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
I don't have cable or satellite, so I guess I will be totally out the loop when it comes to ISU events. Maybe I can't get some of my other skating fans to record the events for me.
 

SusanBeth

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
This is going to hurt the skaters so much. They will lose more than money from not having the same opportunities to establish themselves with a strong fan base. The same can be said for the sport. There is one positive aspect to this, lack of money is a powerful catalyst for change. I live in hope.

I don't worry too much about missing competitions. You can find so much on the net.
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Will they show pro shows?

Yes - Heather does list the ESPN broadcasts, as well as other networks (i.e. Lifetime for WOmen).

Noticed in latest IFS that Ice Channel will be going on air January 2005. Call your cable companies.
 

Lantz

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
This is curious. In my case is the oposite! i have cable and have both ESPN and ESPN2 but i dont have ABC, thus i can see more FS.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
ESPN and ABC are both owned by the same company. In the past, ABC off loaded the SP's to ESPN. So my question is, if ESPN owns the rights, will they offload the LP's, at least men and ladies, to ABC? I don't see why they wouldn't. In any case, want to bet it's the same commentators?

Does anyone know whether Lifetime is also owned by ABC?
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Right now I have both ABC and espn (espn2 also) but my cable company has been threatening to discontinue espn since last year. Apparently espn is asking for too much money. If they don't show espn, I will be without any FS on my TV. That is hard to live with.

Vash
 

thisthingcalledlove

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 24, 2003
Vash01 said:
Right now I have both ABC and espn (espn2 also) but my cable company has been threatening to discontinue espn since last year. Apparently espn is asking for too much money. If they don't show espn, I will be without any FS on my TV. That is hard to live with.

Vash

Yeah, I had Cox Cable last year, and they threatened to drop ESPN (in San Diego); I switched to Time-Warner, and they're a heck of a lot better.
 

RoaringMice

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 1, 2003
Yes, Lifetime is also owned by Disney, who owns ABC and ESPN. In fact, the Disney family includes:

ABC
ABC Family
The Disney Channel
Toon Disney
SoapNet
ESPN Inc. (80% - Hearst Corporation owns the remaining 20%) includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPN Now, ESPN Extreme
Classic Sports Network
A&E Television (37.5%, with Hearst and GE)
The History Channel (with Hearst and GE)
Lifetime Television (50%, with Hearst)
Lifetime Movie Network (50% with Hearst)
E! Entertainment (with Comcast and Liberty Media)
Sportsvision of Australia (25%)
Net STAR (33%) owners of The Sports Network of Canada
 
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Spirit

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
ABC, ESPN, and Lifetime are all part of the same family of companies somehow. Until now, broadcasts on ESPN and Lifetime were precisely the same as they were or would have been on ABC, save perhaps the fluff pieces. The shows had already been produced, and among all three channels, all they had to do was choose a channel and a time slot and it was Miller time.

However, this development perhaps means that ABC will not be producing the broadcasts, although I suspect the production team will still be the same. (ESPN doesn't strike me as a channel that wants to break new ground in figure skating coverage.)

What really irks me is that ESPN often shows figure skating on ESPN-2. ESPN-2 has a constant sports score crawl at the bottom of the screen which is annoying.

There's no crawl over on ESPN, but in a way, it's worse -- at :02 and :32 past each hour, ESPN broadcasts a little musical chime, shrinks the screen, and updates the viewer on other sports scores and news with a temporary crawl. When you're watching a beautiful program set to beautiful music, that damned chime has got to go.

I have to wonder if ABC will regret their decision after 2006.
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
RoaringMice said:
Yes, Lifetime is also owned by Disney, who owns ABC and ESPN. In fact, the Disney family includes:

ABC
ABC Family
The Disney Channel
Toon Disney
SoapNet
ESPN Inc. (80% - Hearst Corporation owns the remaining 20%) includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPN Now, ESPN Extreme
Classic Sports Network
A&E Television (37.5%, with Hearst and GE)
The History Channel (with Hearst and GE)
Lifetime Television (50%, with Hearst)
Lifetime Movie Network (50% with Hearst)
E! Entertainment (with Comcast and Liberty Media)
Sportsvision of Australia (25%)
Net STAR (33%) owners of The Sports Network of Canada
How impressive!! How did you find out this information??

Dee
 

Longhornliz

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
I dont know if it will actually pan out, but Hearst has expressed interest in acquiring The Ice Channel (they have some loose affiliation with Lifetime) and creating a new Lifetime network focusing on women's sports and fitness. I dont have any details, this is just what I have heard through the grapevine (my mom is an AME at a Hearst newspaper)
 

IDLERACER

Medalist
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
You know, there actually is a simple way of getting figure skating's ratings back up to where they were 10 years ago, thus justifying it's continued broadcast over a major network...Of course, we would have to figure out some way to convince Jenny Kirk to hire someone to whack Sasha Cohen on the knee with a bat. :p
 

MasterF

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 24, 2003
No more TV Skating

It serves us right. Do you know how many figure skaters don't watch skating? It is a crime. If we can't even get our own people to watch the sport who will?
 

Eeyora

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Maybe Dick and Peggy will commentatate for ESPN afterall they are they same company as ABC. Also let us not forget how cable has grown in the past years. Most of the better shows now are on cable. The only things I actually watch on network television are soaps,late night TV and the news.
I could picture Dick and Peggy passing on the deal if they are not offered enough money as well as Terry. However I have a feeling Peter Carruthers may be here to stay
 
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