If this week's coverage is anything to go by NBC hates everything that isn't gymnastics and swimming. And even then they only like some of that stuff.
They show those because those are what Team USA wins medals in and what people like to watch. I don't think Americans care to watch a China vs China ping pong final.
Yeah, but the point is this year they aren't even showing those sports well. Much less all the other sports the Americans have medaled in.
Listening to NPR People in China are stuck watching air pistol shooting and such because that is where China wins gold. lol! Maybe the better TV coverage is countries with out much medal hope, they can show more sports that way. Maybe move to Canada? lol!
In Korea in 2002 (where I attended 21 games), I kept running into a guy from Scotland. He had Cat 1 tickets to any game he wanted from the Scottish FA allocation as Scotland didn't qualify for Korea/Japan.
Friends of a friend here in Denver got tickets from the Argentine FA for the 2010 WC because apparently not enough people from Argentina could afford to travel to South Africa.
I understand thats the way a lot of people can get tickets for WCs. Just because your nations allotment may be used up doesn't mean others don't have tickets for sale.
"JJ Mindset" posted this in another thread, but I just saw a commercial for a new Sportscenter-esque program launching on NBCSN August 13th called "The 'lights" ... Would be great to see MLS highlights on there, something I've yet to see on SC this season besides top 10 mentions. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/179343/nbc-sports-to-debut-lights.html
1) I was just about to post about this. 2) SC has shown some MLS highlights, but only Timbers-Union (ESPN's season opener) and some Beckham highlights. However, ESPNews shows them on highlight express almost regularly (I found this out on accident ). Lower tier anchors, but there's so much less fluff & they're covering the league, so it's becoming a mainstay for me now. 3) While I'm here I'll note that NBC Sports' Twitter background (their main page, not NBCSN) currently features Beckham kissing the cup. If that doesn't make you feel welcome, nothing can.
I am reading this third and people are talking about the converge of the Olympics some of the football has had adds and others have been add free. NBC has been showing the ping pong on NBCSN and MSNBC along with other sports now they are showing a lot of the swimming and I have been watching it all is because a lot of people want to watch Michael Phelps.
Other than the hyperbolic headline - *cough*stadiums!*cough* - was there any actual analysis there? Still nice to see that the league is getting more relevant beyond the die hard base. I love watching the NBCSN broadcasts when they get picked up up here: when it's a good game in front of a good crowd the whole thing feels "big league". I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that, to a casual sports fan, it's probably more entertaining to watch an NBCSN MLS game (in HD) than a random Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, or Brazilian league game even though those leagues feature a much higher standard of play. Non-soccer obsessed North Americans already understand the geographic rivalries that help create a narrative and, as they learn more about the players and teams, will have an easier time having an empathic emotional connection to the result. That's what NBCSN is doing so well (that helps sell sport to spectators): turning the game into a story - with heroes, villains, and personalities - and fitting that into a larger narrative of the season. Marry that with solid production values and you've got a good TV product. People will watch anything if it looks good and tells a story... why not soccer?
It was basically a NY Times hat tip. But SB Nation Soccer gives ample face time to us, so it's worth a pass.
I am watching USA vs Canadan on NBCSN and at half time every sport commercial that they showed they were promoting MLS in some shape and form which is amazing. Great partnership.
It was ok they flood Wando around for 36 hr during AS week next week they show Montero looks like before he plays Chelsea I hope they do some wear players are going on the road for an MLS game. But still this is a match made in haven for MLS when was the last time we sew this kind of stuff for MLS I don’t think ever.
It was good, but honestly I think they need some more interesting personas for the show. None really come to mind. Maybe Marquez since people hate him or Mattocks to get the rookie perspective. Wondo was a bit too soft spoken for this type of show, but he does seem like a nice guy.
Holding my Red Bull bias aside, someone like Dax McCarty or Heath Pearce would be perfect. Come off like characters to me. If Jimmy Conrad was still playing he would be perfect for this.
NBC missed out on a great chance to showcase soccer in the mothership channel. This is easley the biggest tv ratings of Olympics for NBC thus far.