NBC figure skating low ratings

[moonvine]

People don't like the programs and the corrupt judging. There is too much taint from Sochi scandal and IJS. The men's competition has too many errors and the ladies competition has horrific programs. The artistry is gone.

Pairs and dance are where it's at right now, but they are never as popular as individual men's and ladies events.

I wonder if the casual viewer even remembers or is aware of any of that. The casual viewer just watches every 4 years, or maybe Worlds too.

 

[Miss Ice]

Hanyu isn't under pressure? He's treated like a god in Japan.

But as we already discussed in another thread, he doesn't need to do constant ads and commercials because he gets federal rather than private sponsor funding. It's hard for American skaters in this regard.

 

[zanadude]

But as we already discussed in another thread, he doesn't need to do constant ads and commercials because he gets federal rather than private sponsor funding. It's hard for American skaters in this regard.

You're changing the subject? What does that have to do with pressure?

(And there's a good chance that Hanyu has done more commercials than Nathan anyway.)

(And Shizuka Arakawa has mentioned that she's still in debt from her skating days even 12 years after Torino Gold and perpetual television and ice show gigs, so it's no walk in the park for Japanese either)

 

[Procrastinator]

Something not mentioned is that a small percentage of people, I'm talking about Trump-voting conservatives, are pissed that athletes don't like trump and have deigned to occasionally mention that they're not conservatives. They definitely aren't watching, and take every opportunity they can to harass the athletes on twitter, attack every post that NBC shares, etc. They aren't the majority of US watchers, for sure, but it might explain even a small downtick in viewers, who might otherwise be compelled by nationalism or their couch potato habits to at least have the tube on.

These individuals literally have a palpable rancor against athletes like Vonn, Rippon, and Kenworthy, and are making sure they're heard.

Also, people don't like waiting until 11pm for the high-stakes figure skating. Hopefully, things will be better in Beijing, which is an hour earlier. Heck, even I slept through the men's SP and most of the pairs early FS because I was exhausted.

 

[Barb]

But as we already discussed in another thread, he doesn't need to do constant ads and commercials because he gets federal rather than private sponsor funding. It's hard for American skaters in this regard.

So Nathan did more commercials than Yuzu? Interesting

 

[Mathman]

I walked away from my TV too, and other NBC broadcasts. It's because they randomly jump from sport to sport and you never know when anything is going to appear, and you can't follow anything. It's so random and jarring.

8 pm: It's FIGURE SKATING TIME, come folks, get yer figure skating. It's a figure skater, watch it!

-show one program-

8:10: ok that's enough FIGURE SKATING, now it's time for -insert random winter sport-

8:30: Lindsay Vonn reminiscences with her Grandpa about the Korean War. Not sure how this increases goodwill, since it implies he killed Koreans, but eh, there's nothing better to show. It's not like Vincent Zhou is skating at *that very moment*

9:00: Lindsay does skiing

9:25: Lindsay feels bad about placement interview

9:30: tribute to Bob Costcas

9:45: luge snowboarding

10:00: snow shoe hunting

10:30 pm: Whoa that was a great figure skating competition folks, and now BACK TO FIGURE SKATING

NBC has decided that this is what people want to see. A dab of this, a dab of that, a tribute to Bob Costas, etc. This suits the attention span of the audience. Not everyone wants to see 3 hours of figure skating, just like not everyone wants to see an entire curling match, or thirty sleighfuls going downhill in a bobsled one after the other.

Is NBC right about their audience? Well, they have convinced their advertisers to shell out millions of dollars, so I guess they are laughing all the way to the bank. They don't please skating enthusiasts, but then again they don't completely please mogul skiing fans, either.

By the way, my favorite segment is Meryl Davis on local TV here in Detroit for a few minutes every evening before the national coverage starts.

 

[Proxy]

I wonder if the casual viewer even remembers or is aware of any of that. The casual viewer just watches every 4 years, or maybe Worlds too.

Yeah I think they remember just because it was the Olympics. If I tried to talk to them about Patrick Chan fallling 100 times and beating Dennis Ten in 2013 at Worlds, I don't think they would care at all.

 

[Amei]

Much as I complain about the commentary on NBC, I am grateful to be able to watch so much figure skating on TV, particularly on NBCSN and the Olympic Channel. So this really worries me.

http://deadline.com/2018/02/nathan-...mpics-ratings-low-pyeongchang-nbc-1202292972/

Well how many people actually get NBCSN and the Olympic channel? I have an 'upgraded' cable package and have NBCSN but don't get the Olympic channel.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Sorry to announce I’ve missed most of the skating broadcasts myself but I’ve been certainly adding to the views during Curling with the volume up!! I’ll come home from work and turn on the TV and it’s blaring and I’m like....oh yeah....it’s curling season

 

[Barb]

I don´t know how ratings are calculated but evidently, all over the World, people is abandoning tv to watch their phones and whatever they can to do in there (Facebook, Instagram, games, YT, whatsapp, etc) and to watch netflix of course.

 

[OS]

Maybe it is time to change the commentators.

Remove Johhny and Tara.
Put in Adam, Mirai, Ashley.

You know NBC commentary sucks when you have US figure skating fans complaining about them and wanting to watch the Russian broadcast instead lol... People are clearly watching the broadcast, just else where...

 

[evasorange]

When it’s not the Olympics, nbc treats all other skating events besides USA nationals like unimportant footnotes. Grand Prixs are shown a week after they happen, and the whole event shorts and longs for all disciplines will be condensed into 1 1/2-2 hours. Even nationals this year was spread out over three channels(nbc, nbc sports, Olympic). All you have to do is look up Eurosport commentary on YouTube to realize how poor of a job Tara Johnny do. Those two things I think are really big factors for ratings going down. Also things in the way the the sport is scored are just hard to understand/seem really aribitary and unfair if you only watch every once in awhile and I think that also contributes to a declining viewership. I will say I appreciated so much how the Olympic channel this year broadcasted all grand prixs live and showed every skater and had other commentators besides Tara and Johnny. NBC needs to make changes in how the sport is broadcasted but I don’t think they care tbh

 

[moonvine]

Well how many people actually get NBCSN and the Olympic channel? I have an 'upgraded' cable package and have NBCSN but don't get the Olympic channel.

I was going to make sure I got it. It is on Spectrum Silver package. I had Bronze and called them up (I'm a multi year subscriber) and told them I was going to switch providers if they didn't upgrade me so they did. I can't answer how many people have it though, I have no clue.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Put in Adam, Mirai, Ashley.

...

Omg that would be so awful and hilarious all at once. I’ll pop the corn!!

TBH: Some of the recent tweeting people share here at GS has me thinking those three would be better off just going the TSL route and putting Dave out of buisiness. Adam wouldn’t even need to chill out on the Zanex and Drinking.

 

[chopinskate]

In case of commentators: NBC needs a Kurt Browning. Someone who can be light-hearted, but still bring technical knowledge to the table. His commentary is the current benchmark for me.

Tara and Johnny tried it during US Nationals. They stopped, because I guess why do anything good when creating soundbites is easier and works better.

 

[Proxy]

In case of commentators: NBC needs a Kurt Browning. Someone who can be light-hearted, but still bring technical knowledge to the table. His commentary is the current benchmark for me.

Kurt Browning and the main Eurosport guy are the two best. Can't stand the #2 Eurosport guy but everyone on CBC is generally good. I always prefer them to NBC broadcasts.

 

[johnsmith72]

I think they need someone like Tracy Wilson or Tanith White who has lots of technical knowledge but is still both very positive and passionate about the sport. I enjoy both of their commentary and how they aren't afraid to sometimes be a little opinionated since they usually have a strong basis for their beliefs.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I think they need someone like Tracy Wilson or Tanith White who has lots of technical knowledge but is still both very positive and passionate about the sport. I enjoy both of their commentary and how they aren't afraid to sometimes be a little opinionated since they usually have a strong basis for their beliefs.

Maybe we could get Mrs P to change her profession

 

[skatesofgold]

OK, I thought they were showing it all. I watched online. I guess I should say they are showing figure skating exclusively in a several hour block. That would be more accurate.

I watched NBC Sports for the first 3 groups and NBC for the last group. They showed every skater last night.

 

[el henry]

Sorry to say, but “the usual gang of suspects” doesn’t work here:

1. The average couch sitting streaming TV watching American is not nearly, and I mean NOT nearly, as offended by Tara and Johnny as the hard-core fans, bless us every one, who frequent a figure skating board. I say this as someone who has yelled “Shut Up Tara” as often as everyone else here. Just as many folks to tune in to see what Johnny’s going to wear as die-hands tune him out. It ain’t Johnny and it ain’t Tara.

2. “Understanding” the sport, or having someone who can explain judging accurately, may be a plus, but I am afraid it has very little to do with ratings. If you need @Mathman’s advanced degrees to understand the sport, you just won’t watch. Period. Yes, folks can watch football who will talk about Xs and Os and game plans and analyze strategy endlessly. But those aren’t the folks giving it high ratings. “Look at that, the quarterback *caught* a touchdown on the last play, isn’t that cool?” The basics you need to know to understand that you can learn in less than a minute. Even with the football equivalent of Tara commenting. Knowledge won’t increase the TV audience.

3. If anything, Nathan hype would have driven up ratings, if not helped poor Nathan. Even for the FS. That’s not the issue.

4. No one, outside of us, my dear friends, is going to watch three hours straight of skating. Of *course* they switch around, the ratings would be even more abysmal if they didn’t.

Do I have the answer? No. I’d make gazillions of dollars and have so many more people in the US love skating if I did. But IMHO the usual suspects are off the hook for this.