Comcast FUBAR on NBC Olympic Soccer Channel

[usa3por2ft]

Once again, Comcast is living down to their reputation. We have checked Comcast's listings on August 6th for half a dozen major metro areas (Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle), and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel doesn't show up for any of them. Furthermore, no one at Comcast customer service had a clue about the soccer channel when we called.

[Captain10]

The fact that no one at Comcast knows what is going on might not mean much. The day before the 2006 World Cup started, I called Comcast (in Atlanta) to ask if/when they were going to have ESPN2 in HD. They said they didn't have any plans for it. So I watched the first half of one of the games in non-HD.

At halftime I was checking out the listings and noticed that all of a sudden ESPN2 HD was listed. I switched over and it was fantastic for the rest of the World Cup.

So, while no one at Comcast has a clue, the new NBC Olympic Soccer Channel might just pop up all of a sudden on game day. At least I've got my fingers crossed for it ...

[Sevin]

I have the same issue with Direct Kick every year. They never know anything about it and I have to assure them that it's available and wait for the customer rep to find it.

I found a reference to the "NBC Olympic Soccer Channel" on their site:

http://www.comcast.net/olympics/story.asp?i=20080715162358987164601&ref=rec&tm=&src=DOLY

You'll probably have to wait until a couple of days prior before anyone over there knows anything about it.

[Sevin]

Regarding the dedicated soccer and basketball channels, here's another link that claims that "Currently only Comcast and Cox have agreed to carry them".

http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-football/nbc-wants-us-to-see-olympic-soccer-if-we-have-the-right-cable-providers.html

[usa3por2ft]

We just got off the phone with a local Comcast customer assitance representative who actually researched the issue. She found that Comcast will not carry the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel in Minneapolis, although a few matches may be available through on demand channels. She said she thinks this is true for all of their markets. So, Comcast customers, you had best be prepared for disappointment.

[JayRockers!]

You'll probably have to wait until a couple of days prior before anyone over there knows anything about it."Over there" referring to the people at Comcast or the people in India who run the telephones for Comcast Customer Service?

Thx,

Jay!

[TOTC]

I love me some FiOS.

[usa3por2ft]

Got another call back from Comcast customer rep today. She confirmed that Comcast will not be offering the NBC Olympic Soccer and Basketball Channels in Minneapolis. She said that the bandwidth in the local cable infrastructure is tapped out, so there isn't the capacity to carry the two extra HD channels.

[Quakes Rossonero]

Writing from San Francisco. I just got off the phone with a Comcast rep and he's the first person I've ever talked to at the company who had a brain. He told me that from everything he's been able to research on the subject Comcast will not have either the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel or the NBC Olympic Basketball Channel. He said they or going to make channels 880 to 885 the olympic channels, but that it would be something like:

880-NBC
881-USA
882-MSNBC
883-Telemundo
884-CNBC
885-Oxygen

He said unless USA was going to turn into the NBC Olympic Basketball Channel or Telemundo was going to turn into the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel then Comcast won't have either of them in any market.

[Postmaster]

Well, this was not very encouraging ... :mad: :( :mad:

Re. Ticket 652097

Thank you for contacting our executive office with your questions and concerns. We value your business and would like to the opportunity to resolve your issue as quickly as possible. According to your complaint you were inquiring about the Olympic Soccer Channel.

Currently Comcast does carry The Olympic Soccer Channel. However MSNBC will be running various field sports that will not be aired on the NBC coverage of the Olympic Games. The games that will be shown on MSNBC should be listed in the guide. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that matter may have caused you.

Sincerely,
Christina Harley
Corporate Liaison

[Quakes Rossonero]

Well, this was not very encouraging ... :mad: :( :mad:

Re. Ticket 652097

Thank you for contacting our executive office with your questions and concerns. We value your business and would like to the opportunity to resolve your issue as quickly as possible. According to your complaint you were inquiring about the Olympic Soccer Channel.

Currently Comcast does carry The Olympic Soccer Channel. However MSNBC will be running various field sports that will not be aired on the NBC coverage of the Olympic Games. The games that will be shown on MSNBC should be listed in the guide. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that matter may have caused you.

Sincerely,
Christina Harley
Corporate Liaison

Did they mean to say Comcast does not carry The Olympic Soccer Channel?

[ctoa23]

Just got off the phone with one of several Comcast rep's I've talked to over the past 24 hours. She said they won't be offering the NBC Olympic channels until the 11th. She also said that they will be free of charge and will just show up in the listings.

[Elwood]

Nothing that I can find here in Indy on Comcast with regards to any Olympic channels.

UHD is showing the US - Norway women's match right now, which does look nice in HD, but nothing on the guide that looks new (I do have the sports pack that includes FSC and GolTV, as well as the Spanish pack that includes Telefutura and Galavision, but not Telemundo).

The online coverage does look nice (briefly checked out the current China women's match to see how it streams), but mostly I'd like to DVR some games.

It does look like UHD will be simulcasting the quite a bit, though, at least in the very early hours. Looks like the men's game tomorrow is set to be simulcast on both UHD and MSNBC.

[Copenhagen78]

Writing from San Francisco. I just got off the phone with a Comcast rep and he's the first person I've ever talked to at the company who had a brain. He told me that from everything he's been able to research on the subject Comcast will not have either the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel or the NBC Olympic Basketball Channel. He said they or going to make channels 880 to 885 the olympic channels, but that it would be something like:

880-NBC
881-USA
882-MSNBC
883-Telemundo
884-CNBC
885-Oxygen

He said unless USA was going to turn into the NBC Olympic Basketball Channel or Telemundo was going to turn into the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel then Comcast won't have either of them in any market.

I had a similar conversation in the east bay last night myself. Of course this morning no channels are there yet, but there is a message in the system that says they will be there on Aug 8th. So maybe we'll just be SOL with respects to any games pre-opening ceremonies.

[MichaelBrock]

I have Comcast in Fredericksburg, VA (Spotsylvania county technically). I was watching the US v Norway game on MSNBC and decided to look for the Olympic soccer and basketball channels. And much to my surprise, given the general theme of this thread, I found them on channels 221 (soccer) and 222 (basketball). And to add to the surprise, the soccer channel is in HD. Sweet

[Quakes Rossonero]

I had a similar conversation in the east bay last night myself. Of course this morning no channels are there yet, but there is a message in the system that says they will be there on Aug 8th. So maybe we'll just be SOL with respects to any games pre-opening ceremonies.

My problem is that I have HD Tivo, so I don't even have a cable box (just the Comcast CableCards). I have to wait until Comcast adds whatever channels they are going to add and then wait for my Tivo to do a system update and then add the channels. I am going to send Tivo an email & ask that they call their rep @ Comcast to get this sorted out. I don't want to have to wait until next week to see if they can sort this all out.

[joegrav]

Comcast Sucks.

Period.

[Phillystile]

The 2 channels just popped up on my Comcast lineup!!!

HD channels 864 and 865 here in Western Mass. :D

nothing showing yet on them, but excellent surprise. Anyone else got them yet?

[joegrav]

They just showed up for me in Eastern MA after hours on the phone with Comcast! Allelujah!

[ctoa23]

I'm in New Jersey. Still no channels.