Effects of ISU's media deal - Figure Skating on CBC but not Eurosport | Page 30 | Golden Skate

Effects of ISU's media deal - Figure Skating on CBC but not Eurosport

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland
I feel so sad for our Aussies.

They really need to just let everyone watch.

I do have to disagree on the commentary thing. I don't like that Chris talks while they are skating. He can talk all he wants before and after but not while. I really like that Ted does not talk while they are skating. Please don't yell while the skaters are skating Chris. It shatters my nerves.

Being a commentator on TV for all those years has meant that he has developed some bad habits.

TV producers seem to have the mentality that if there is nobody talking, people are not going to stay on the channel, but are going to flick over to the next channel.

It is different with internet streams. People actively seek them out, so there is no need to talk just to keep their attention. Despite what the ISU tried to tell us when trying to put a positive spin on their mess-up with selling the TV rights, people don't just stumble across the streams on the internet.

With TV, anybody can come stumbling in, so commentators have to cater for people who are not able to identify things. Hence why the British Eurosport guys would point out little things during the programmes. And because that is what he has been used to doing for the past 30 years, Chris is still doing it. But, he will hopefully soon realise that his viewers on the internet stream will have that bit more knowledge about what they are watching, and start to talk less.

Another problem is that he is used to having somebody sitting beside him (be it Simon or Nicky). So, I think he was trying to play both his own role and his partner's role.

Also, Eurosport tended not to join the coverage until after the introductions of the Judges / Officials, and tended to go to adverts during the Warm-Ups. So, I think he was unsure what to do, so just talked continuously.

Personally, my main gripe was that he talked when the rinkside announcer was talking. And the result was that we couldn't hear either of them. So, my advice would be to just do what Ted does - let the rinkside announcer do the introductions, and then use the time when they are being quiet to elaborate.

As for getting excitable, well, I think that is just relief that he is back commentating again! :)

I don't know if there is the capability of doing this on YouTube, but I would like it if you could have multiple audio tracks on the same video. So, you could have a track with just the "ambient sound", a track with English commentary, and possibly even tracks with different language commentaries.

Going forward, I would like to see two commentators doing the competitions. Because, I always find it better when we are hearing the views of 2 different people. Plus, they can bounce off each other. Chris and Simon had been working together for so long that there was a great chemistry between them.

So, perhaps the ISU could bring together a pool of our favourite commentators to work on their streams. Ted and PJ are already doing work for the ISU, so maybe a Canadian team for the Juniors. And Chris, Simon, and Nicky are available this season, so maybe a British team for the Seniors.

CaroLiza_fan
 

fzztsimmons

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 14, 2018
From the sounds of it - Simon was there? In the pairs FS Chris mentioned Simon being down by the ice whilst he was sat pretty high up in the stadium... Makes me wonder why we can't have both of them as I agree that they definitely work best bouncing off each other! Could be a misinterpretation but that's what I heard!
 

Jaana

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
Finland
I don´t wish any commentary while watching live on stream. Besides, there are the technical box and ISU results page available, feels like being on the arena but also having those advantages. And one´s own icebox is close, LOL.
 

pearly

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 1, 2017
I don´t wish any commentary while watching live on stream. Besides, there are the technical box and ISU results page available, feels like being on the arena but also having those advantages. And one´s own icebox is close, LOL.

I agree, that would be ideal. I do prefer Chris over Ted, but I find them both annoying on different levels. I get Ted's positive and supportive tone during the JGP series, but the final is so competitive and I swear, those "big mistake, but that's ok" comments make me roll my eyes and mute my TV. Those skaters are fighting for World and soon Olympic spots, they know it's not ok. Also, he sounds - like Siri - when he talks - like this.

Chris, on the other hand, talks over programs and is kind of out of it. Today he wondered if Hanyu's FS would earn him a WR. With a popped 3A. No Chris, it won't.
 

icybear

Medalist
Joined
Mar 18, 2017
I dunno did something happen to Eurosport commentator mind since the last time he commentated on figure skating. He seems to be very off. Like saying that Trusova had good skating skill and great range of expressions in the sp. And then he said today that Boyang 77 pcs was a good pcs mark not to mention mispronouncing his name continually even though he's been pronouncing it right for the last 4 years
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Thanks for this thread, I was going to post "Disappointed with CBC" for not broadcasting the Grand Prix events. I discovered the only way to watch here in Canada now is on my PC, Iphone or Ipad. What a drag. I too miss the wonderful commentary of Kurt Browning and Carol Lane. I tried to watch online but with all the ads that I can't fast forward through and forgetting to watch on my devices, I didn't see much. Thankfully CTV and TSN will be covering the Canadian Nationals, at least so far. I guess FS is slowly losing it's fan base. Oh dear.
 

Tutto

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Has anyone else got a problem with sound in ISU streams (sorry if that has been discussed before) I was catching up with Mens & Ladies FS today and it was sooo annoying I could hear the commentator perfectly but the music was like from a long distance away...???
 

NaVi

Medalist
Joined
Oct 30, 2014
Going from memory, Chris seemed a bit rusty during his first day commentating but I enjoyed him afterwards. I do wish there was a no commentary option somewhere but I'm glad they brought him in.

The Eurosport/Chris's style commentary does a good job at amplifying the emotion of the moment, being informative without bogging down with information that switches the audience into a more logical(rather than artistic/emotional) mentality, and being a kind of promoter of the sport and skaters. The latter is important because being too critical may make the audience wonder exactly why they are watching this.

I think the stream peaked at around 28K for the ladies free. I hope there's a goal to try to raise that up. One idea I have is that the ISU should pay retired(to avoid conflict of interest) skaters a little money to promote the ISU social media(focusing on Instagram and Youtube) during the Grand Prix Final and the World Championships. And in countries where the stream is blocked, they can mention where they can watch the events.
 

Gillian

Spectator
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Will the European and World ISU Championships be on Eurosport's tv channels in the UK in 2020?
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Has anyone else got a problem with sound in ISU streams (sorry if that has been discussed before) I was catching up with Mens & Ladies FS today and it was sooo annoying I could hear the commentator perfectly but the music was like from a long distance away...???

Yes, I had this problem with the juniors where I could hear Ted clearly but the music was muted. I guess it's the same for seniors but we're geoblocked so I wouldn't know :[
 

Harriet

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Country
Australia
It seems SBS has got the compatibility issues sorted out - some of the GP Final events are now up on the website, accessible via this page (scroll down), and highlights will air at 2pm on Saturday 21 December on SBS HD.
 

anonymoose_au

Insert weird opinion here
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Australia
My fellow Aussies, exciting news, SBS have finally got the recordings from the ISU to work! Highlights from the GPF are being shown right now in lovely hi-def!

It says part 1 in the guide so it looks like there'll be more next Saturday, yay! :cheer:

As Chris H would say it's going to be a humdinger! ;)

It seems SBS has got the compatibility issues sorted out - some of the GP Final events are now up on the website, accessible via this page (scroll down), and highlights will air at 2pm on Saturday 21 December on SBS HD.

Oops didn't see this before! Apologies! How did you find out? By luck or is there a newsletter you can sign up for?
 

jersey1302

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Country
Canada
I’ve watched skating all season on the ISU YouTube channel. I’d much rather be watching full coverage on CBC but atleast I can watch it somewhere. I think it’s ludicrous that there is no agreement this year considering Canada is hosting the worlds in a massive building. Selling out a 21,000 seat Bell Center won’t be easy with no coverage across the country this year. If I were Skate Canada I’d be ripping CBC a new hole lol
 

Harriet

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Country
Australia
Oops didn't see this before! Apologies! How did you find out? By luck or is there a newsletter you can sign up for?

I checked the dead tree TV guide that comes in my Sunday newspaper, and then double-checked the online listings. :) Simples, as the meerkat says in the annoying advertisements!
 

Miller

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 29, 2016
ISU's where to watch on TV/Youtube for the Championships, starting with Euros.

https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/...e-skating-championships-2020?templateParam=15

A few more European countries on TV than for the GPs, but still a few missing e.g. UK/Ireland.

No Canada/China for TV coverage though I believe a lot of the Canada stuff was just on the CBC website in the first place (same difference).

N.B. If watching archived livestreams best not to hang around too long. A few of the GPs got blocked by music companies, and with there being much more competitors than at GPs this is much more likely to occur - much more chance of background music being picked up for example.

N.B.2. Skate America Gala is no longer blocked if anyone is interested. Was blocked very shortly after the competition but somehow no longer is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YWnVW4ggn0&list=PLuiPiC1Hk8eJwcQNEe-n1YI6Rz3xyplqS&index=4. However a few other streams that were blocked still are so it's best not to assume that things will be OK for Euros and beyond.
 

waterblades

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 7, 2013
Thanks for this thread, I was going to post "Disappointed with CBC" for not broadcasting the Grand Prix events. I discovered the only way to watch here in Canada now is on my PC, Iphone or Ipad. What a drag. I too miss the wonderful commentary of Kurt Browning and Carol Lane. I tried to watch online but with all the ads that I can't fast forward through and forgetting to watch on my devices, I didn't see much. Thankfully CTV and TSN will be covering the Canadian Nationals, at least so far. I guess FS is slowly losing it's fan base. Oh dear.
. I heard back from the CBC they will be showing worlds every day on TV!! Yay I missed it
So much and didn’t watch as much as I like the commentary. I did watch some streamed but not as much had it been on tv.
 

waterblades

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 7, 2013
I’ve watched skating all season on the ISU YouTube channel. I’d much rather be watching full coverage on CBC but atleast I can watch it somewhere. I think it’s ludicrous that there is no agreement this year considering Canada is hosting the worlds in a massive building. Selling out a 21,000 seat Bell Center won’t be easy with no coverage across the country this year. If I were Skate Canada I’d be ripping CBC a new hole lol
I just heard back from the CBC and they will be showing slating every day in TV with Kurt as well as streaming live!
 
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