NBC Sports Networks thread

Discussion in 'TV, Satellite & Radio' started by SirFozzie, Aug 8, 2015.

  1. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree. I've been moaning about this for a few years now.

    IIRC not long ago the NBCSports app in Roku was unified with the old Gold app so that all their content could be played in one place.

    So apparently the brilliant, customer-friendly folks in NBC's digital team have decided to take another step backwards by not doing the same for Peacock/Premium content? Or does Roku have something to do with this also... NBC is dependent on Roku to rewrite the app???

    Sigh... just another example of the higher levels of hassle and dysfunction of streaming in general, as compared to the old TV/DVR model. Oh, there I go again... sorry.
     
  2. TheAnswer1313

    TheAnswer1313 Member+

    Dec 12, 2007
    Charleston, WV
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I've actually been following the Arsenal women's team last season. The FA player gets those games for free.
     
  3. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Roku doesn't have Peacock because... surprise... something about money. You'll have to mirror your screen.
    https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/watch-peacock-free-roku-amazon-fire-tv-1234760214/

    I would assume the reason you can't watch games on Roku is moreso to do with Roku and less with NBC/Peacock.

    Luckily, I have a Chromecast as well.

    Because Firestick is based off Android, it's a bit easier to add HBO Max and Peacock. You have to go deep into the settings and change something. It seems easy, but there's a minor (medium?) risk of something-something I'm not concerned over due to not having a Firestick. The instructions are out there and it seems fairly easy via this "backdoor" method.

    As far as Peacock, it's great if you're a fan of NBC. They have archived shows and they're supposedly doing early access to the late-night shows. The extra EPL games on there also are a bonus for me.

    Sadly, the companies now know that because "everything's streaming" that they can overpay for rights, paywall the vast majority of the games and then leave one game per slot on their pay-TV channel. It's not a good deal if you're a fan of the sport, but if you're a fan of 1-2 leagues, you're good to go.
     
  4. M

    M Member+

    Feb 18, 2000
    Via Ventisette
    Yes, van Dijk's goal was a goal verbally before visually. Very irritating.
     
  5. chrisdon72

    chrisdon72 Member

    Feb 23, 2000
    I would disagree with that. Right now I've got Fubo, ESPN+ and Peacock (free) for around $75 a month.

    That covers me for the big 5 euro leagues, UCL, MLS and Liga MX.

    ESPN+ alone has Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, EFL/FA Cup, DFB Cup, USL, Eredivisie, UEFA international matches, etc.

    We've never had a deal this good and at a price similar to an old school cable bill. I don't really have anything to complain about now other than the Peacock teething issues. I expect they will get sorted eventually. It's a good time to be a consumer of soccer on TV, IMO. Cheers.
     
  6. bostonsoccermdl

    bostonsoccermdl Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 3, 2002
    Denver, CO
    The more and more absurd this all gets the more I am tempted to stay with cable for continuity and national networks, and ditch all this nonsense...

    except Netflix
     
  7. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I hear you. But unfortunately NBC has us over a barrel, which is their strategy. At least if you have a team you support in the EPL and you want to watch them weekly, you still have to buy Peacock. And if you like watching NBCSN (along with other channels) on your TV/DVR you're gonna pay to keep your traditional channel line-up. So NBC gets your $ twice.
     
  8. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I generally disagree with your perspective, but let's not rehash that again.

    What we do seem to agree on is that Peacock has "teething issues". Actually I think that's a bit of a euphemism. I think it's more like poor planning, willful negligence or customer manipulation.

    With the Roku/Peacock problem, while a sizable chunk of the nation is waiting for an NBC app on Roku that plays Peacock/Premium content, why couldn't they just use the existing NBCSports app on Roku as a front-end to the EPL content which has recently moved to Peacock, just like the did a year or two ago to make it a front-end for EPL content on Gold? Surely there's a way to achieve this on the back-end through API's, interfaces or whatever.

    Or if they don't want to "waste" the time/money on programming such an interface, why not put more effort towards getting a Peacock (compatible) app on Roku? And while you're at that, please communicate your plan/status to the millions of NBC customers out there, some of whom like me have been paying for NBC Sports content (via cable) for 25 years or so.
     
  9. chrisdon72

    chrisdon72 Member

    Feb 23, 2000
    The Peacock stream actually works unlike some of the garbage I've paid for in the past. I ordered the free streaming box from Comcast and can use that to stream it. Or just mirror it from my computer. It's a minor inconvenience but not really a game breaker for me. Frankly, with so much soccer content on Fubo and ESPN+ I am not sure how much I will even be using Peacock.
     
  10. TheAnswer1313

    TheAnswer1313 Member+

    Dec 12, 2007
    Charleston, WV
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I think the general consensus is this Peacock thing stinks just like NBC Gold before it.

    We literally went from EVERY SINGLE game from the EPL on TV to moving the less teams to NBC Gold with the occasional big club playing on there every so often. To now Peacock where a large percentage of games will be on the platform. Seemingly even the bigger clubs.

    And unlike ESPN+ where 90% of the Bundlesliga and Serie A games are on that platform........it's more 60/40 between TV and Peacock kinda forcing you to get both.
     
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  11. danielmak

    danielmak Member

    Sep 26, 2004
    off the purple line
    Roku and Amazon both claim that NBC and HBO have created too many apps and so they won't carry all of the apps. HBO and NBC claim that Roku and Amazon are just stonewalling because they want a bigger piece of the pie whey customers purchase service through Roku or Amazon.

    Both sides are idiots. As others have said, and I said upthread, we are getting pinched because one service rarely covers everything. I could have ESPN+ but then there are games on ESPN3 that I can't access without a cable or satellite login. Peacock supposedly shows all EPL games so you wouldn't need NBSCN but I'm not sure if that scenario applies to other sports.

    From the provider standpoint, I don't know why Amazon or Roku would care if NBC and HBO made 20,000 different apps. Nobody buys Roku or Firestick because the device has content. We purchase the devices to get content. Roku and Firestick sell better if every app is available. There is no cost to these companies other than updating their software. They make money selling their devices.

    Anyway, I never watch games live so if Liverpool or Leeds are not on NBCSCN I have other ways to get the games to watch the same day. It is what it is.
     
  12. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I'm guessing it's to put pressure on Roku to accept their new app.
     
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  13. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    1) Mirroring it for me is more than a minor inconvenience, for one thing my laptop doesn't live in my TV room. And also when you compare how easy & instant it is to watch my NBCSN channel, either live or via DVR.
    2) Regardless of who is to blame for there being no way to watch Peacock Premium via Roku, if NBC was truly customer-friendly they'd consider providing a "free streaming box" to all Peacock Premium customers, whether or not Comcast is their local provider (in my case, not), until the Roku app is resolved. But of course that won't happen... maybe partly due to technical challenges but also substantially due to their goal of driving more Comcast monthly subscriptions.
     
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  14. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Good point. Plus it would cost NBC money for the R&D of my idea of using the existing NBCSports app as front-end to Peacock... and we can be pretty damn sure that they wouldn't want to incur any cost like that, in order to make their customers whole.
     
  15. Marius Tresor

    Marius Tresor Member+

    Aug 1, 2014
    Roku better come to an agreement regarding Peacock and HBO Max soon. Content drives purchases and if you can get those apps and all the other apps on another device, then why buy a Roku device?
     
  16. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #1966 Kryptonite, Sep 15, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2020
    There's rumors that the heat might be on due to the holidays coming up. People are less likely to buy Roku devices without HBO Max and Peacock. Even if Amazon doesn't come to a deal, since those can be sideloaded (which is apparently the new term for "jailbroken" for whatever reason), those devices have an advantage.

    Hopefully things happen.
     
    Marius Tresor repped this.
  17. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Another thing to consider:

    With Le Tour de France being postponed, that means we get it on Saturday morning instead of EPL.

    I wouldn't look too far into this EPL season being indicative of how many games are on Peacock and especially considering the fact that this EPL schedule is also wacky due to the delayed start.
     
  18. TheAnswer1313

    TheAnswer1313 Member+

    Dec 12, 2007
    Charleston, WV
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I'm fairly certain that it was already announced the number of Peacock games..........i could be wrong but I could have swore it like 170 something leaving like 200 or so for NBCSN and TV.

    Found it
    175 exclusive games on Peacock.
     
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  19. danielmak

    danielmak Member

    Sep 26, 2004
    off the purple line
    I have had DTV for the purposes of watching football since 2000 and have (according to my join date) been posting in these threads since 2004. I have never once seen a major football writer comment about idiotic TV scenarios, but today Grant Wahl tweeted the very same things we've been saying in these threads: people should not have to pay for satellite/cable and an app. Charge for one or the other, not both. We'll see if he moves the needle. If you check @nbcsoccer there are no tweets about the matches; all tweets are blasting the network for greed.
     
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  20. daniloni

    daniloni Member+

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Jul 17, 2013
    Oakland, CA
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I guess NBC's "sin" was actually giving you all the games for a couple of seasons with a cable/satellite subscription. (Either on the extra channels on some providers or via authentication on the app/website.) Previously with Fox, in order to have access to all live games, you also needed to have both a cable/satellite subscription, and subscribe to Fox Soccer 2 Go (the games that were live on TV were only available on delay on FS2Go).
     
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  21. chrisdon72

    chrisdon72 Member

    Feb 23, 2000
    175 games is 46% of all Premier League matches for the season. How many more will be on NBCSN and NBC is the open question.
     
  22. chrisdon72

    chrisdon72 Member

    Feb 23, 2000
    Exactly. When all the PL matches were on cable punters moaned about not having an a la carte option. The cable/app combo has been the basic set up since the model started.

    I personally would prefer more matches on basic cable because it's easier to see them in bars and restaurants. The average bar/restaurant is not going to dial in ESPN+ or a Peacock stream for your personal viewing. But for home viewing my current set up is the best I've ever had. Fubo/ESPN+/Peacock covers everything I wan to watch for around $75 a month. And best of all no more B/R & FS2GO subs for me thank you very much.
     
  23. FoxBoro 143

    FoxBoro 143 Member+

    Jan 18, 2004
    MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Is there any major league, from big US leagues to big international soccer leagues, in which you can watch every game live with just one subscription or package?

    The only one I can think of is NFL, if you are lucky enough to get a good sat signal and willing to pay crazy internet costs from cable. Every other league requires a combination of cable lineups, packages, digital subs etc.
     
  24. danielmak

    danielmak Member

    Sep 26, 2004
    off the purple line
    #1974 danielmak, Sep 16, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2020
    This is a good point. In some sense Peacock is not a bad solution because every EPL game is on Peacock. The problem is that Peacocock is, in some sense, an extension of a larger problem. First, Peacock is not available on the two largest streaming boxes (Roku and Fire). Second, NBC has followed a model used by other networks that makes chord cutting impossible for a sports fan. I could dump my satellite to go with Peacock but NBC has not put NHL on peacock so I still need NBCSN for that. I could dump satellite and go with MLB package but when the playoffs roll around are the Fox, MLB Network, TBS game on the app? Probably not. ESPN doesn't put every game on ESPN+ so I need to have an ESPN sub from somewhere to get soccer games on ESPN3.

    And at what point does paying for MLB, NHL, Peacock, CBS, ESPN+ start to add up to a satellite bill (minus all the other channels people in the household want to watch who could care less about sports). For me, the answer is becoming clear: dump satellite, sub to the sports packages I care most about and use other measures to watch other sports when I want to watch those games.

    The music business was way behind other industries when it came to understanding tech and the future. But now they have it figured out: pay for one streaming service, a reasonable price, and pay to see whatever bands live that you care about (pre-COVID, of course). Sports leagues and broadcasters might soon find themselves in a place akin to the music business in 2002.
     
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  25. FoxBoro 143

    FoxBoro 143 Member+

    Jan 18, 2004
    MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The roadblock will be huge. 100m subscribers at $6 a month (roughly what ESPN was getting a few years ago I think) is a ton of money. Can any standalone sports subscription service get enough subscribers to match that? If the answer is no, how much can networks pay leagues? How much can leagues afford to lose?
    The business model of sports in this country is so entrenched and can't easily be disrupted. The current climate is perfect for leagues, cable is still strong and willing to pay up to maintain exclusive sports. Meanwhile digital products are vying for market share and willing to pay a premium for even limited rights, eventually they will have to be profitable and spend wisely and stop splashing cash.
     

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