I am so upset that NBC continues to promote extensively that there will be some good live prime time coverage of this year's Olympics (both marathons, swimming, etc.), yet buried in that is that many people will get it three hours tape delay, including the largest state in the country, California. Every other sports event is live on both coasts (i.e. World Series games start at 8:30 ET and 5:30 PT, same for NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals and, to be honest, every other sporting event I can think of), yet not the Olympics! Guess I am going to have to find some online streams from China if I actually want to watch those events live. -- By Network: NBC: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.*** 8 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.** Midnight - 1:30 a.m.** MSNBC: 5 a.m. - 5 p.m.* CNBC: Midnight - 4:30 a.m.* 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.* USA: 2 a.m. - 12 p.m.* OXYGEN: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.** Chronological: CNBC: Midnight - 4:30 a.m. USA: 2 a.m. - 12 p.m. MSNBC: 5 a.m. - 5 p.m. NBC: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. CNBC: 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. OXYGEN: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. NBC: 8 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. NBC: Midnight - 1:30 a.m. (late night show) *ET **ET/PT ***All time zones http://www.nbcolympics.com/newscenter/news/newsid=148556.html#nbcs+complete+olympics
One of the reasons I dislike non-us based mainstream sports (T&T, Tennis, etc.) is that they are tape delayed out west. One of the good things about soccer. That being said, I think NBC is ********ing up their coverage and not moving into the current age where results are there to see instantly, live coverage can be found elsewhere, and we don't necessarily live for a 9-5 job. edit: as the olys get closer, I'll create a "Bitch about the coverage" thread.
No need to look overseas -- go to http://www.nbcolympics.com, and check out the 'Silverlight' player for the Olympics.... More details in this thread: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=15364984#post15364984
NBC's response: because we would get much better ratings waiting to show it during prime time. I disagree - I believe that showing it live right now in addition to during prime time wouldn't hurt their overall viewership. But that's just my two cents. NBC keeps on improving its coverage (especially with all the online coverage and events on numerous channels) - hopefully next they will realize how important "live" really is - not only for those of us on the West Coast that will get nothing live on NBC, but also for those on the East Coast when it comes to some events like the Opening Ceremonies. For what it's worth, I'm watching a really good feed right now at http://livetv.ru/play/-aW1zOi8vYTE3Mjku-aDIxNjg2NDc1MzQuYzIxNjg2Lmcu-aG-7uYWth-aW-Bpc3RyZW-BtLm5ldC9ELzE3MjkvMjE2ODYvdjAwMDEvcmVm-aGVjdG9yOjM5NjEy
Tape Delay by NBC Faces End Run by Online Fans - N.Y. Times Capitalism, baby. Love it or leave it. I watched the opening ceremonies last night during prime time -- about 12 hours after it happened. Had no problem whatsoever doing it.
I watched it live online, mostly through some British station which broadcast the entire 4-5 hour show without a single commercial (somehow that well-to-do country can afford it, but here in America we have to watch several minutes of ads every 10-15 minutes). After watching both them and NBC show the same ceremonies, it was simply incredible how much NBC had cut out. First, the 30 minutes before it officially started (before 8:08 p.m.), there were some pretty amazing things going on in the stadium they showed about 20 seconds of. Secondly, throughout the entire show, they cut things all the time when they kept going to commercials every 10-15 minutes, unbelievable considering the Opening Ceremonies never took any breaks. I personally compared it to either taking 2-3 minute commercial breaks every 10-15 minutes during a soccer game or being at the stadium and being forced to take bathroom breaks every 10-15 minutes. I think part of the reason the Opening Ceremonies (and sports events) being shown by tape on NBC never bothered me before was because I had not realized what I was missing in terms of quality of coverage as well as NBC's incredibly high number of commercials. Completely ruined the flow of the Opening Ceremonies for me when I saw what it was like without breaking away at all, forget every 10-15 minutes. I completely agree - NBC just finished broadcasting a U.S.-Japan women's volleyball match which had actually ended at some point early this morning and it just wasn't fun knowing it had already been played, even if I did not know the result (maybe it was live for East Coast folks, but absolutely nothing on NBC is going to be live for me ). I had to hold off going to any sports websites to ensure I wasn't spoiled. Watching the Opening Ceremonies as they actually happened was amazing and an experience I will remember the rest of my life. When NBC was broadcasting the Opening Ceremonies, there were actually several sporting events going on which could be viewed online, not to mention some of their cable stations were actually showing events at the exact same time as the Opening Ceremonies (for West Coast people - since all the cable channels will show live events when they say they will, but NBC will be three hours delayed). First, he's right, it is not the same experience - I would rather watch live less-biased coverage, even if the quality was lessened, then to watch incredibly biased, commercial-filled, tape-delayed coverage on NBC. And, yes, NBC is not public television, and since they did not listen to their "customers," they may get seriously burned by angry viewers who then just give up on their coverage and aim to get as much coverage online as possible. It is sickening that it appears we are the only (the only!) country in the world without live coverage of the Opening Ceremonies. http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/pomfretschina/2008/08/olympic_opening_ceremonythe_on.html http://olympics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/the-opening-ceremony-on-cbc/
So what about the semi-finals of Tennis? Will it be shown at all, let alone live? (We've got a US v. Chile household. )
Seems to be only available online starting at 4 AM (ET). Oxygen shows highlights between 6-8 PM. NBCOlympics.com
it won't those assholes are delaying it for 12 hours. I am in such a rage, I could honestly kill anyone working for NBC right now. I am so ********ing pissed, especially since I know the results, and that race was epic! I just finished writing an email to NBC, and I suggest everybody else does so too, threatening to sue and boycott their channel. do it right here: nbcolympicsfeedback@nbcuni.com
Yeah I know - I just went to nbcolympics.com to see what coverage was being broadcasted right now and of course it talks about the 100 right there. I mean if you're going to delay something you'd think they would keep it off their own website before it was broadcasted. If not, then what's the point? Unbelievable. Also, last night really pissed me off (regarding PT getting NBC's coverage three hours after ET) ... right before Phelps' historic swim - that I had to avoid all Internet Olympic coverage for three hours so I could watch it as-live - the announcer had the audacity to say this (all while a huge "live" logo is incorrectly placed in the top right of the screen) ... "this is a rare chance to witness something like this live." Yeah, thanks NBC, I wish I could have, but you decided that only half the country deserves to watch that and many other events live. And I've already sent enough e-mails to that e-mail address, they've probably blocked me lol.
You know I don't know what would be the issue with broadcasting things like the 100m - or the Opening Ceremonies - live and then again in prime time. That way somebody who wants to watch it live will have that opportunity and I can't see that hurting the prime-time ratings that much. Especially when compared to the incredibly negative feedback they're getting from having so many things taped, including some pretty high-profile events too. I am so happy I got to watch the Opening Ceremonies online as they happened (and commercial free) before NBC really cracked down on Internet streaming options. Not to mention that it is unbelievable that NBC would use its power to ensure all the swimming finals (gymnastics too?) were in the morning in China and then doesn't even bother to show them live to half the country. I love the Olympics but NBC has really pissed me off. I wish I lived closer to Canada like I used to so I could get CBC's outstanding coverage and say goodbye to NBC's forever.
How about the 800m freestyle last night where they decided to go to commericial DURING THE RACE?!? I could see that if it were a 2 hour endurance event, but it's only an 8 minute race. They could have held on for a couple more minutes, or skipped the "watch Mary Carrillo eat ______" segment.
Wow and I was upset they went to commercials during the 10,000 race (which, by the way, was shown at about 1:30 a.m. PT, which comes out to about an 18-hour tape delay! - it actually happened at 7:45 a.m. PT Friday morning). Few live events and tons of commercials (interrupting an 800 freestyle is pretty bad) - wow I love NBC's coverage!
I'm glad that I found this thread. They've been showing the marathon for over an hour now, with some commericial interruptions. But now, around mile 14, they've decided to switch over to the 100m semifinals that are on tape delay. So they just showed half of a damn event, then interrupted it for taped crap?!? They couldn't put that on after the marathon, or not give the pretense that they were going to show the entire marathon? EDIT: Now they're back to the marathon, they only cut away for a minute or two, so I'm not as upset anymore. Unfortunately, they've still got the 2nd semifinal coming up.
Where have you been every 4 years? They do the same thing every olys. Show the beginning, usually to around 10 miles. Cut away and do some other crap, and return. But there are always ads. Remember the women's marathon last olys? We were on ads when Radcliff(?) was tackled.
They were in commercials tonight when our best hope for an American medal (Kastor) had to drop out. I am so jealous of the quality coverage the Olympics get in other countries (i.e. Canada).
Sending emails to them won't change squat! It will only make you angrier. I have sent emails to NBC since they had the rights. They mess it up every year, and there is nothing we can do about it. I remember the year ABC offered each event as a PPV option, and you would get it live and repeats. I complained that it should be free. I wish I had that option now. I pay for DirecTV now($60+), and then ABC only wanted $9.95 for each sport. The numbers are big for NBC because we have no other option and we will definitely watch, but I want NBC to poll us about our feelings of the coverage. I guarantee it would 80% negative.
I would be curious if anybody knows the East-West ratings breakdown. In other words, the ratings for New York vs. Los Angeles. As for NBC ignoring e-mails, I would say that they care more about the numbers of complaints/concerns. Like if a significant number of people complained about something, they would take notice. But the only way that becomes significant is if us as individuals do our part and build that up, which is what I'm doing. And I know that I am doing what I can to try and get this fixed for the next Olympics (especially since they're going to actually take place in the Pacific Time Zone) and if that's not enough so be it. But I'm not going to just give up. I have several complaints about NBC's coverage, as I know many others do, but showing something live on the East Coast and three hours tape-delay on the West Coast is my No. 1 concern and complaint and what I'm focusing on first. Next would be taped Opening/Closing Ceremonies, taped major events like the 100m and other events like the 10,000 which are shown nearly an entire day after they occur. That is a great last point - as I told somebody else a few days ago, the numbers may be great, but they could have been even higher. We are stuck with a monopoly system (except for those of us close to the border and fortunate enough to be able to watch CBC's coverage). I guess NBC is just satisfied with the status quo and not making the numbers even better (kind of like college football is satisfied with the bowl system when everybody knows a playoff system would increase the attention and money-earning potential of college football even higher).
Thank God! That's the best news I have heard in a long time. I pray that they get them. Or at least somebody gets them that will actually broadcast the Games live - and with fewer commercials (it truly is sickening just how many commercials NBC broadcasts). But I may getting too greedy there - I'd be ecstatic if the only improvement was showing live events.