Effects of ISU's media deal - Figure Skating on CBC but not Eurosport | Page 2 | Golden Skate

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

Starry Up

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
I'm glad someone started a thread about this - I'm usually a lurker here, but all of the information around this is really confusing! I am in the UK and had a Eurosport Player subscription plus the TV channels via Sky. I emailed Eurosport directly and they replied to me saying that there will not be any coverage (TV Broadcasts or Player) of figure skating this year - not Grand Prix, Euros, 4CC or worlds. They were really specific, so I cancelled my subscription, so it's surprising to see that yesterday they were saying that the rights are not yet decided! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they do end up broadcasting them.
 

Fool

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 11, 2018
Country
South-Korea
Okay, so, assuming worst-case scenario... I have a subscription to the Eurosport player, mainly for the GPs. Is it possible to watch the livestreams if I were to use a VPN and set it to, say, Germany?

I VPN'd the last two seasons because I was living in a country where I didn't speak the language, so I just VPN'd to UK for English commentary and it worked fine. Not sure if they've updated it and it will work this season, but no problems in the past.
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
I'm glad someone started a thread about this - I'm usually a lurker here, but all of the information around this is really confusing! I am in the UK and had a Eurosport Player subscription plus the TV channels via Sky. I emailed Eurosport directly and they replied to me saying that there will not be any coverage (TV Broadcasts or Player) of figure skating this year - not Grand Prix, Euros, 4CC or worlds. They were really specific, so I cancelled my subscription, so it's surprising to see that yesterday they were saying that the rights are not yet decided! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they do end up broadcasting them.

Oh my good crikey. Our television has Eurosport and I've found it much better than "normal" television for watching skating. Bear in mind that I'm a contemporary of Noah and suspect that all technology is actually the work of specialised pixies, so the idea of actually tracking down skating coverage to watch produces palpitations. I do hope Eurosport still shows skating. I shall keep my fingers crossed and put my head underneath the sofa cushions until it's all sorted and fixed and I feel safe to come out. Anybody needing me had better either shout very loudly or possess a long pointy stick...

Why is there no dedicated skating channel? Even a dedicated winter sports channel, if we had to share? Probably because I'd get absolutely no work done...
 

Starry Up

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Why is there no dedicated skating channel? Even a dedicated winter sports channel, if we had to share? Probably because I'd get absolutely no work done...

I really would love a dedicated skating channel - I'd pay a lot for it too (and also get no work done!). Eurosport Player is already £40 per year, I'd love a proper channel that included all the big countries nationals and any Challenger events that are filmed and I'd probably pay double that for it.

I do worry though, here in the UK, Eurosport is the only way you can accidentally come across skating outside the Olympics - where are new fans going to come from if the only way to watch is to seek out a subscription to a specialised channel? Or as things stand, with a VPN plus a subscription to a service from another country?
 

Ziotic

Medalist
Joined
Dec 23, 2016
The ISU channel used to play GP, it was blocked in some areas but not others. Will this continue?
 

Edwin

СделаноВХрустальном!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
The ISU channel used to play GP, it was blocked in some areas but not others. Will this continue?

ISU instructs YouTube where to block the streams. So if it says the video is not available in your country, you need to switch on the VPN and change 'countries' to those who have not signed an exclusive media agreement with ISU.
 

Ziotic

Medalist
Joined
Dec 23, 2016
ISU instructs YouTube where to block the streams. So if it says the video is not available in your country, you need to switch on the VPN and change 'countries' to those who have not signed an exclusive media agreement with ISU.

Which will apparently be Canada. But in Canada I could always watch the ISU stream, even with CBC
 

Winnie_20

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2013
I VPN'd the last two seasons because I was living in a country where I didn't speak the language, so I just VPN'd to UK for English commentary and it worked fine. Not sure if they've updated it and it will work this season, but no problems in the past.

Okay, that sounds good! Thanks, I can work with that.
Time to finally start getting myself a decent (MacOS) VPN subscription, I guess...
 

MaiKatze

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 4, 2012
I'm glad someone started a thread about this - I'm usually a lurker here, but all of the information around this is really confusing! I am in the UK and had a Eurosport Player subscription plus the TV channels via Sky. I emailed Eurosport directly and they replied to me saying that there will not be any coverage (TV Broadcasts or Player) of figure skating this year - not Grand Prix, Euros, 4CC or worlds. They were really specific, so I cancelled my subscription, so it's surprising to see that yesterday they were saying that the rights are not yet decided! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they do end up broadcasting them.

What the? I'm so sorry for you guys. No British Eurosport commentary, this is sad.
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
WHAT. WHAT. But... this might be the season that Yuzu lands the 4A... (knocks wood)... and we won't get to hear the BESP uncles gush about it!? :( :cry: :sad46: :sad14:
 

Rissa

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
You can try, but it could be your login contains your actual location, so the stream still won't open.

Better set your VPN to Russia, since 1tv.ru will stream the events live.

No doubt there will be bootleg streams through some less reliable channels, even VPN providers are not to be trusted with any personal data on your device.

Actually, I'm not sure your login contains your information. I played around with VPN a few times and when I set my VPN to Germany, I got German commentary, when I set it to France, I got French, when I set it to India, I got "this service is unavailable in your country". I read information that if you set the VPN to Poland while subscribing, you'll get the cheapest subscription, then you can safely turn off the VPN and your subscription will work fine in your (European) country.

The mobile app requires "localization" to be turned on, otherwise the app won't work, which makes me think that this is how they monitor the viewer's whereabouts. The desktop browser version doesn't require anything like that and that's what I used while I was testing the VPN.

So, if someone already have a subscription, they can try with the VPN first. If not, they can subscribe via another country using VPN and then keep using the VPN. I don't recall putting any address information anywhere.

EDIT: well, I just tried again and they must have updated something because no matter what I do, the commentary language re mains the same. It actually says somewhere that the commentary language is in the language of the country you subscribed in (unless it's unavailable) and it's impossible to change it. But the prices change according to the country whose VPN I'm using.

EDIT: I tried searching for "figure skating" in different countries, and the results are different. German VPN returns only Aurora Games, under Polish VPN there are a couple archived performances.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Who is this new media group? DAZN?

It's a bit sad, as a foreigner i didn't like CBC commentary at first, it felt just super biased, but down the line i learned to appreciate their takes, there is always a lot to learn from former skaters like Kurt Browning or current coaches like Carol Lane.

Well there is a Canadian slant from what I have seen but come on compared to the USA??? Sometimes the commentators are like cheerleaders.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
WHAT. WHAT. But... this might be the season that Yuzu lands the 4A... (knocks wood)... and we won't get to hear the BESP uncles gush about it!? :( :cry: :sad46: :sad14:

yep, true and if it is in europe or canada it might suck to be you:( Let's hope something can be done. If it helps they will show it on youtube if Hanya lands the 4A.
 

lariko

Medalist
Joined
Jan 31, 2019
Country
Canada
Well there is a Canadian slant from what I have seen but come on compared to the USA??? Sometimes the commentators are like cheerleaders.

Yeah, apart from the propensity to cut in to Messing, Mr. Canadian Content stretching at random times instead of showing skaters performing. Don’t take me wrong, I adore Keegan, but I would like to see other hardworking athletes who earned their chance to skate in that competition through blood, sweat and tears...

Gimme the unedited programs any time... or like they are doing JGP right now, pretty perfect.

Right now, though, CBC sounds good even with their picks and cuts. I am sure something will materialize.
 

LRK

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
As someone living in a Nordic (Sweden) country...

:sad4::furious::tantrum::gaah:
 

Jontor

Medalist
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Country
Sweden
As someone living in a Nordic (Sweden) country...

:sad4::furious::tantrum::gaah:

As someone posted earlier, the link said the NENT Group have the rights for Scandinavia. In my understadning that is the TV3Group in Sweden.
Didn't they have the rights a couple of years ago?, and for some reason they always showed commercials when Rajicova skated...
 

Rissa

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
I read a bit more about Eurosport, and looks like it's a no go for countries such as US/Canada, VPN or not VPN, because they verify the country of your credit card. Unless, I guess, one has a friend in Eurosport-covered country who will buy them a subscription, in which case VPN should work.
 

LRK

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
As someone posted earlier, the link said the NENT Group have the rights for Scandinavia. In my understadning that is the TV3Group in Sweden.
Didn't they have the rights a couple of years ago?, and for some reason they always showed commercials when Rajicova skated...

They show commercials whenever they like - cutting out entire skates - even though the warm-up/ice resurfacing is coming up in a few minutes and they can show commercials to their hearts' content… Can you imagine them treating a "proper" sport like ice hockey or football in that way?! I don't think I've even got TV3 where I live now… Not that it will matter as I doubt they'll be showing much figure skating on the regular channels anyway…

And with Youtube taking down all those videos and entire accounts… This season will be fun. Fun, fun, fun!
 

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland
Actually, I'm not sure your login contains your information. I played around with VPN a few times and when I set my VPN to Germany, I got German commentary, when I set it to France, I got French, when I set it to India, I got "this service is unavailable in your country". I read information that if you set the VPN to Poland while subscribing, you'll get the cheapest subscription, then you can safely turn off the VPN and your subscription will work fine in your (European) country.

The mobile app requires "localization" to be turned on, otherwise the app won't work, which makes me think that this is how they monitor the viewer's whereabouts. The desktop browser version doesn't require anything like that and that's what I used while I was testing the VPN.

So, if someone already have a subscription, they can try with the VPN first. If not, they can subscribe via another country using VPN and then keep using the VPN. I don't recall putting any address information anywhere.

EDIT: well, I just tried again and they must have updated something because no matter what I do, the commentary language re mains the same. It actually says somewhere that the commentary language is in the language of the country you subscribed in (unless it's unavailable) and it's impossible to change it. But the prices change according to the country whose VPN I'm using.

I use Eurosport Player on the computer, and it has been like this for about a year. It's all because of a new EU law that came in last May that says that you are entitled to watch TV from your home EU country when you are in another EU country. And whilst this sounds good when you first hear it, the side-effect is that it has led to us not being able to watch versions of Eurosport Player other than our own country's. :mad:

Which is bad for Ski Jumping fans like me, because British Eurosport has not shown the Summer Grand Prix on their linear channels for about 3 or 4 years now, and the only additional stream provided on the Player is the no commentary World Feed stream. And much as I love watching ski jumping, it is mighty hard to follow without commentrary.

It's a bit sad, as a foreigner i didn't like CBC commentary at first, it felt just super biased, but down the line i learned to appreciate their takes, there is always a lot to learn from former skaters like Kurt Browning or current coaches like Carol Lane.

Well there is a Canadian slant from what I have seen but come on compared to the USA??? Sometimes the commentators are like cheerleaders.

Erm, small correction. Carol Lane may have lived in Canada for years, but she is English. :agree:

Only found that out a few weeks ago (thanks to our very own La Rhumba), so I'm going to be making the most of this new knowledge for a while yet. :biggrin:

CaroLiza_fan
 

WednesdayMarch

Nicer When Fed
Medalist
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
Country
United-Kingdom
I really would love a dedicated skating channel - I'd pay a lot for it too (and also get no work done!). Eurosport Player is already £40 per year, I'd love a proper channel that included all the big countries nationals and any Challenger events that are filmed and I'd probably pay double that for it.

I do worry though, here in the UK, Eurosport is the only way you can accidentally come across skating outside the Olympics - where are new fans going to come from if the only way to watch is to seek out a subscription to a specialised channel? Or as things stand, with a VPN plus a subscription to a service from another country?

Well, from ITV's "Dancing on Ice", obviously... :dumb:

Figure skating doesn't stand a chance in the UK, does it? We're always going to be considered weirdos. (Not that I'm unhappy with that!)
 
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