NBC and USFS 2023-24 Broadcast and Streaming Schedule

[Kris135]

I wrote the post you quoted at the beginning of the season. Then Euros gave me actual hope that something had changed. But, I can confirm today that we are back to 2 days of viewing on Peacock for Nationals. Why on earth do we get 28 days for Euros but only 2 days for Nationals? It makes me really pick and choose based on my favorite disciplines/segments, which is very frustrating. Sigh.

Yes iit is strange. I had hope too because it looked like I may had a chance to finally watch some of the junior events at Nationals on days where I was not dead tired. I think the difference is that Europeans, and other major events, are run by the ISU, and they have finally have threatened to take action on the lack replays so NBC gave in to ISU. The main drawback is that Nationals are not directly run by the ISU,they are run by the USFS and they seem to be afraid to threaten NBC with legal action over the replay issue that has been taking place over the last two years. They would have a good case because replay rights were most likely in there. So instead of demanding that NBC do their job, they sit back and hope that NBC will do something about it at some point. I just want watch figure skating and I do not think that is too much to ask

 

[macy]

kind of a random question, but do any of you have a Peacock account and not have Xfinity internet?

 

[Jeanie19]

kind of a random question, but do any of you have a Peacock account and not have Xfinity internet?

Yes. I use it on my Roku TV.

 

[macy]

Yes. I use it on my Roku TV.

oh good, i'm trying to get rid of Xfinity but was scared i would lose access to Peacock. thanks!

 

[el henry]

oh good, i'm trying to get rid of Xfinity but was scared i would lose access to Peacock. thanks!

We have RCN (changed their name so many times, don't know what it is now, but not Xfinity ) for internet and access to Peacock streams.

We did need to install a Firestick to access the Peacock as our basic and old Smart TV would not load the app, but that wasn't an internet issue.

 

[PaulE]

kind of a random question, but do any of you have a Peacock account and not have Xfinity internet?

I generally just watch Peacock through a web browser (signed in to Peacock) on my laptop computer which I connect to my TV in the kitchen through an HDMI cable plugged into the laptop and computer.

 

[Moxiejan]

I generally just watch Peacock through a web browser (signed in to Peacock) on my laptop computer which I connect to my TV in the kitchen through an HDMI cable plugged into the laptop and computer.

I often watch Peacock on my iPad, via the Peacock app.
I don’t have a smart TV, so use Amazon’s Firestick to access Peacock.
Both methods work fine for me.

 

[Weathergal]

kind of a random question, but do any of you have a Peacock account and not have Xfinity internet?

I have a Peacock account (reluctantly signed up for US Nats). I watch it using my Web browser on my laptop. We have Spectrum internet and no TV. I watch TV broadcasts using YouTube TV on my laptop.

My preferred way of watching skating is visiting somewhere like the Netherlands and watching the ISU broadcast with Mark Hanretty.

 

[noskates]

I have Roku and YouTube TV and have Peacock. Costs me $5/month I think. (for Peacock) I will say this though - if Peacock of USFSA or whoever it is that hires commentators uses Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon again I will not be watching it. I found myself so irritated with her constant yammering and repeating the same stuff over and over and Adam talking just to hear himself speak, that I wanted to throw a shoe at my TV.

 

[skatingfan4ever]

I have Roku and YouTube TV and have Peacock. Costs me $5/month I think. (for Peacock) I will say this though - if Peacock of USFSA or whoever it is that hires commentators uses Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon again I will not be watching it. I found myself so irritated with her constant yammering and repeating the same stuff over and over and Adam talking just to hear himself speak, that I wanted to throw a shoe at my TV.

I still found them much easier to listen to than Tara and Johnny and their wordiness and their overly negative tone. They get on my nerves with all their catchphrases and over-explaining. And 4CC was even worse than Nationals. It was just the two of them without Terry's positivity to mellow them out.

But that's me. We respond to different things in different ways. Yes, Adam and Ashley could talk less, but for me their excitement for each skater was nice.

My ideal is no commentary, which is what we had on Peacock last Nationals. They should go back to that. If you're going to bother watching skating on Peacock, it's because you're already a committed skating fan. Which means any commentary is superfluous, in my opinion.

I pay for Peacock Premium and log in and either watch through a web browser on my computer or the Peacock app on my smart TV.

 

[Joubabe]

I still found them much easier to listen to than Tara and Johnny and their wordiness and their overly negative tone. They get on my nerves with all their catchphrases and over-explaining. And 4CC was even worse than Nationals. It was just the two of them without Terry's positivity to mellow them out.

But that's me. We respond to different things in different ways. Yes, Adam and Ashley could talk less, but for me their excitement for each skater was nice.

My ideal is no commentary, which is what we had on Peacock last Nationals. They should go back to that. If you're going to bother watching skating on Peacock, it's because you're already a committed skating fan. Which means any commentary is superfluous, in my opinion.

I pay for Peacock Premium and log in and either watch through a web browser on my computer or the Peacock app on my smart TV.

I much prefer commentary and find the lack of it to be somewhat lonely and depressing, but then none of my family or friends care to watch skating so I watch it alone. Also I pick up a lot of information from the commentary that I wouldn’t otherwise get— like skaters lost training time due to injury, changed coaches, just added a new jump, etc.

I like Tara and Johnny and appreciate their insight which I don’t feel is too negative. Adam and Ashley were a little too Pollyanna for me, I imagine because they didn’t want to put a foot wrong as newbies. In time, they should be more comfortable giving their honest opinions. They certainly don’t have a problem doing that on their podcast. It’s a competition so there’s a reason one skater won and another was 15 places behind. And we’re not always going to agree with the judges so I appreciate when they say so.

I mostly watch on Peacock on my smart TV. I also downloaded a VPN so I could watch things I missed through the Netherlands. That was great while it lasted, but last time I tried (maybe Europeans?) that wasn’t available. Haven’t tried recently.

 

[el henry]

I agree that blessed, commentary free Peacock is the best way to watch skating. I would not mind commentary during the replay, but for the love of the skating gods please keep quiet during the skate.

1. Ashley and Adam:
In the first few days, Ashley and Adam Would. Not. Shut. Up. Also, their affect was that of the rambling podcast that bores me. But someone told them to tone it down and the last few days were much much better,

2. Tara and Johnny:
Ashley and Adam's actual commentary was far preferable to Tara and Johnny, however. The witchy comments I heard (from Johnny) were in the vein of "oh snap gurrrl that was so bad" and comments on skaters' personal attributes, not actual sports criticism. IMHO ain't no one got time for that. Granted I did not stick around to hear all of it.

Now, when I can, I watch with the comp threads so that is where I get my commentary. Commentary free on Peacock please

 

[skatingfan4ever]

I want to clarify what I meant by "negativity" in my earlier post. I wasn't talking about Tara and Johnny's technical observations, which are usually correct and actually helpful. I like the information given before the program starts. What I'm bothered by is how they give some of their opinions. If they don't like something and/or it doesn't go well, they sometimes express that in a way that I personally shudder to think of any skaters ever hearing. For example, if someone doesn't do "enough" technical difficulty (read: hard jumps), Tara and Johnny may lead with that and belabor how important quads/triple-triples are "to be competitive," when the skater's score would tell that story without them having to point it out so often. It's not like the skaters with less jump difficulty expect to place super high. They either (1) have their own expectations based on their capabilities; (2) want to add more difficulty but don't have it at the moment due to injuries or other factors; or (3) attempt the jumps but struggle to always rotate/land them. The skaters probably know their own deficiences at any given time better than anyone else, so do you really need to belabor such things? This is the type of negativity I was referring to. A lot of what they say has truth in it; there's simply a kinder, gentler way they could say things that would come across as less dismissive (to me). Before a skater has done any jumps and you say something like, "This skater struggles with consistency" or "This skater has a reputation for underrotating," or "This skater doesn't have a quad," the audience is already looking for the negative, rather than thinking, "Let's see what this skater will show us today." (I also dislike "you never know which version of Skater X will show up.")

Besides the tone of some of their comments, they simply talk too much. I would rather hear the music, thank you very much. It gets tiring, especially if I'm watching an entire broadcast (or several) and they say the same thing 5 times in the broadcast, or more. We know it's a 1-point deduction for a fall. We know any mistake will affect the Grade of Execution. You don't need to give such a long-winded explanation of the technical score box. You can say the same information using less words, and please don't insult our intelligence (e.g., It's obvious that the Grade of Execution is how well you do something). Tara and Johnny may have been instructed to talk as much as they do, but I don't have to like it.

Side Note: I like to watch skating competitions, but not neccessarily for the results, these days. I hope every skater does well, and the results are what they are. I watch competitions mostly because I enjoy watching the skating itself. I always hope my favorite skaters place well and do their best, but I'm most excited to see how this particular performance goes for them. I watch for the tiny details that can make each performance of the same program different. As someone who cares a lot about the skating itself, the music is important to me. My favorite skaters use the music to dictate their choreography and skate with choreographic intention, rather than simply having the music "playing in the background." If the main reason I watch skating competitions sounds odd to you, so be it. But maybe I'm not the only one???

If I've started a debate here, that was not my intention. I hope my more in-depth explanation helps you know where I'm coming from.

 

[Jeanie19]

I want to clarify what I meant by "negativity" in my earlier post. I wasn't talking about Tara and Johnny's technical observations, which are usually correct and actually helpful. I like the information given before the program starts. What I'm bothered by is how they give some of their opinions. If they don't like something and/or it doesn't go well, they sometimes express that in a way that I personally shudder to think of any skaters ever hearing. For example, if someone doesn't do "enough" technical difficulty (read: hard jumps), Tara and Johnny may lead with that and belabor how important quads/triple-triples are "to be competitive," when the skater's score would tell that story without them having to point it out so often. It's not like the skaters with less jump difficulty expect to place super high. They either (1) have their own expectations based on their capabilities; (2) want to add more difficulty but don't have it at the moment due to injuries or other factors; or (3) attempt the jumps but struggle to always rotate/land them. The skaters probably know their own deficiences at any given time better than anyone else, so do you really need to belabor such things? This is the type of negativity I was referring to. A lot of what they say has truth in it; there's simply a kinder, gentler way they could say things that would come across as less dismissive (to me). Before a skater has done any jumps and you say something like, "This skater struggles with consistency" or "This skater has a reputation for underrotating," or "This skater doesn't have a quad," the audience is already looking for the negative, rather than thinking, "Let's see what this skater will show us today." (I also dislike "you never know which version of Skater X will show up.")

Besides the tone of some of their comments, they simply talk too much. I would rather hear the music, thank you very much. It gets tiring, especially if I'm watching an entire broadcast (or several) and they say the same thing 5 times in the broadcast, or more. We know it's a 1-point deduction for a fall. We know any mistake will affect the Grade of Execution. You don't need to give such a long-winded explanation of the technical score box. You can say the same information using less words, and please don't insult our intelligence (e.g., It's obvious that the Grade of Execution is how well you do something). Tara and Johnny may have been instructed to talk as much as they do, but I don't have to like it.

Side Note: I like to watch skating competitions, but not neccessarily for the results, these days. I hope every skater does well, and the results are what they are. I watch competitions mostly because I enjoy watching the skating itself. I always hope my favorite skaters place well and do their best, but I'm most excited to see how this particular performance goes for them. I watch for the tiny details that can make each performance of the same program different. As someone who cares a lot about the skating itself, the music is important to me. My favorite skaters use the music to dictate their choreography and skate with choreographic intention, rather than simply having the music "playing in the background." If the main reason I watch skating competitions sounds odd to you, so be it. But maybe I'm not the only one???

If I've started a debate here, that was not my intention. I hope my more in-depth explanation helps you know where I'm coming from.

You're not the only one. And I prefer no talking during the performance, I mute during replays. I have favorites, but I really watch skating for the joy of skating. I only care about the marks, because the skaters care. I don't care who the judges say won, who i think won is all that matters to me.
And there are other winners besides the podium. Making a seasons best, getting tech minimums, landing in the top 10, making it to the free skate, landing first quad, landing first 3A, etc.
Having a phenomenal clean skate, .

 

[ElSoteroLoco]

Okay, Imma jump in here

Adam and Ashley:

I never liked Adam, nor Ashley when they were skaters competing. Something about their personalities, as my grandmother used to say about some people "my spirit just don't take them". So I honestly prefer not to hear them do commentary. I did hear Adam do commentary, last season, during the Men's Europeans, and the other guy who was commentating (Bill Spaulding I think) had made factual errors about a couple skaters, and I liked how Adam was very smooth in correcting it during or after the skate.

Johnny and Tara:

I do admit, they can talk incessantly, but, I prefer them overall. I like their banter overall and excitement when a skater does well. But I much prefer when Terry Gannon is along side. Even when Andrea Joyce or Tanith White is with them. I did like when 4CC they were commentating alone (was that their first time ?), but, it definitely shows why Terry Gannon is important, he puts a balance.

 

[skatingfan4ever]

I watch NBC because the video is such good quality and because it's easy to record on my DVR and watch later. I am mildly curious what Tara and Johnny are going to say about certain skaters, but I do not watch NBC because of Tara and Johnny. (Some people might; I don't know). I also wasn't watching Peacock because I "prefer" Adam and Ashley. Peacock didn't give us a choice there. They were commentating on Peacock, so if you were watching Peacock, you heard them. I learned the hard way last year that Peacock is the only way to watch the skaters in the first warmup group at Nationals. The preference that I developed between the two "teams" happened naturally as I kept listening to one or the other. It has nothing to do with liking or not liking any of the individuals, for me. And, clearly, people have different likes and dislikes when it comes to commentary, and that's okay.

Commentators who were ice dancers are generally quite appealing for me, for some reason. Maybe it's their deeper knowledge of basic skating (as in, edges and turns and glide, etc) and not just jumps. I like Ben Agosto, Charlie White, Tanith White, and Mark Hanretty, and of course, Tracy Wilson. Apparently, Jean-Luc Baker commentated a dance practice with Jackie Wong at Nationals and people thought he was good. I remember liking Kaitlyn Weaver too. I like Chris Howarth in that he stays silent a lot of the time, only calling jumps, and waits to give his overall thoughts after the program. I grew up with Dick and Peggy, and looking back I can see their flaws, but I loved hearing them growing up; same with Scott Hamilton.

Another habit Tara and Johnny have is, during the program, to talk about the "strategy" of building a program (we're in the second half, and it's much harder to jump on tired legs so 10% bonus), or the "strategy" of going clean with easier jumps vs attempting harder jumps and falling. While this is all true, it distracts people from hearing the music. (Although, in some cases I'm quite happy to be distracted from the music! ) And I could do without them trying to get inside skaters' heads so much. Saying, "When I talked to Skater Y, he said..." is fine, but when they start a sentence with, "Sometimes as a skater you..." I get nervous.

I will leave this thread now. I appreciate having Golden Skate as a place to discuss figure skating. We don't all agree with each other, but it can be a fascinating place.

 

[cailuj365]

I actually enjoy Johnny and Tara and Terry most of the time. I find them pretty funny, especially when they're making fun of each other.

I'm a huge fan of commentary, in general. Obviously, talking over the program non-stop is not good, especially if it's a particularly *emotional* moment and you want to get swept up with the music and the skater, but sometimes you need a commentator to validate how you're feeling and it's not just you who thinks that was a fantastic skate or that jump looked botched. For new audiences, commentary is pretty important. Otherwise, you have no real knowledge of was that a mistake step out or just a Euler?

The more experienced a skating fan becomes, the less commentary becomes important, I feel.

I agree. That and not sending Ilia to the Olympic Games in Beijing as he coming out party to America. Vincent Zhou should not have gone I will always stand by that observation. Jason had the body of work to go. I have always thought the NBC had a major role in picking the Olympic team because why would you send a skater who seemed like every other event was implodeing on the ice. Ilia might have issues but Vincent was implodeing on consistent basis. Ilia is the best ambassador that figure skating has had in years and it seems that NBC/USFS is doing their best to hide him away like a shameful secret. If he wins worlds this year and next and is leading contender for the Olympic Gold Medal it going to look strange to not promote him because people need a reason to tune in and like it or not Ilia is going to headliner of the American Figure Skating team, and figure skating is one of the marquee events of the Olympics. So NBC could start promoting him or their ratings are going to suffer and they need to earn back the huge sums of money they spent on the rights.

Yes iit is strange. I had hope too because it looked like I may had a chance to finally watch some of the junior events at Nationals on days where I was not dead tired. I think the difference is that Europeans, and other major events, are run by the ISU, and they have finally have threatened to take action on the lack replays so NBC gave in to ISU. The main drawback is that Nationals are not directly run by the ISU,they are run by the USFS and they seem to be afraid to threaten NBC with legal action over the replay issue that has been taking place over the last two years. They would have a good case because replay rights were most likely in there. So instead of demanding that NBC do their job, they sit back and hope that NBC will do something about it at some point. I just want watch figure skating and I do not think that is too much to ask

Oh wow, I've been in the wrong thread trying to make some of these points and wondering why you can't watch any figure skating on NBC Sports YouTube for the last 2 years. I find it completely bizarre that you can only really find Ilia's performances in a Eurosport video from over a year ago or his Junior Worlds 2022 performance from the ISU channel. He physically looks so different from then too. NBC took down his GPF SP (and why not upload the LP that was pretty great and actually shows the victory?), which had a pretty high number of views. Meanwhile, they still have the performances videos of Kaori Sakamoto or Shoma Uno from this year's GPF. Love Sakamoto and Uno, they're great champions, but it doesn't make sense for a US sports platform. You can't find any US skater on the channel these days.

 

[skatingfan4ever]

Oh wow, I've been in the wrong thread trying to make some of these points and wondering why you can't watch any figure skating on NBC Sports YouTube for the last 2 years. I find it completely bizarre that you can only really find Ilia's performances in a Eurosport video from over a year ago or his Junior Worlds 2022 performance from the ISU channel. He physically looks so different from then too. NBC took down his GPF SP (and why not upload the LP that was pretty great and actually shows the victory?), which had a pretty high number of views. Meanwhile, they still have the performances videos of Kaori Sakamoto or Shoma Uno from this year's GPF. Love Sakamoto and Uno, they're great champions, but it doesn't make sense for a US sports platform. You can't find any US skater on the channel these days.

And they never bothered to put up Andrew's Free Skate from last Nationals!!! He won the Free Skate with a super clean skate and got the bronze medal, plus it would have been a "comeback story." (After two seasons away from competition with injury, Torgashev returns to Nationals and captures bronze). But no, he's not "famous enough" apparently.

Their decisions on what to upload (or later take down) mystify me. I'm glad I found other ways to watch, that's for sure.

 

[reneerose]

I resubscribed to the Premium ad free version of Peacock two days ago and I don't get why they didn't keep all of Montreal Worlds up for replay and only have 4 Continents available. I was hoping to catch up because I missed recording the NBC broadcasts....$11.99 down the tubes for nothing. Is it because they don't have enough room to store replays so figure skating is short on the list?