WTF we don't even have an Olympics thread that's stickied? This forum is deader than 3 years ago.

[Red Squirrel]

Germany beat Canada in hockey.

I was dong a little market research when I saw that the Germans were winning 3-1 so I sat down to watch it and forgot about real life for a while.

What a fun thing to watch.

Yeah I was quite surprised to see that. Think it's the first time in a while since we lose both womans and men's hockey.

 

[tynopik]

maybe it's not the forum that's dying, maybe it's the olympics that's dying


(yeah yeah *insert whynotboth.gif*)

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/24/media/nbc-olympics-ratings-12-billion-rights/index.html

NBC's $12 billion investment in the Olympics is looking riskier

Viewership for the current Olympics on NBC is down 24% compared to Sochi among viewers aged 18-49, the age demographic most coveted by advertisers.

 

[ultimatebob]

I wish that the Olympics was available for live streaming on YouTube. Let me choose what I want to watch, instead of trying to cram 12 hours of figureskating down our throats.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Yeah some networks actually make it hard to watch especially with all the geoblocking crap. CBC was pretty good though, could watch it right off their site.

 

[ultimatebob]

In theory, you can watch whatever you want from nbcolympics.com, but in reality the process is like this:

1) Sign in your TV provider account
2) Get an obnoxious warning that you need to turn off your ad blocker
3) Get hit with a ton of long playing video ads as soon as I turn off the ad blocker (naturally, that's why I had it on to begin with!)
4) Run into problems with buffering and stuttering video once I finally get to the content.

Man... NBC sucks.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Lol chances are if you're watching online it's because you don't have TV service, so it kinda defeats the whole purpose of having it online. And there's no freaking way I want to disable my adblocker to go to any site. FTS.

And these companies wonder why people pirate.

 

[Anubis]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/24/media/nbc-olympics-ratings-12-billion-rights/index.html

NBC's $12 billion investment in the Olympics is looking riskier

 

[destrekor]

I don't think that's going to be nearly as a big of a deal as the article makes it out to be. As noted, online viewership is soaring, and that will continue to be the case. Now I've watched less this year because of multiple variables, not really having all that great of a showing is among them but not a decisive factor. I think I'm more likely to catch more of the next one in any format. The small decline this year in total viewership, and the summer before that, I don't think are really indicative of a long-term decline in overall interest in Olympics. As noted, part of the blame is on the NHL, an outside influence you can't really account for. The politicking of the games is also a constant variable, global pressures ebb and flow. And as digital makes up for loss of analog viewership in the long run, I think the ad revenue will balance out the same. Retransmission fees are relatively constant, so a decline in TV ad revenue will likely be matched by a rise in digital ad revenue.

 

[13Gigatons]

NBC ruins the Olympics. All I've seen is figure skating and the stupid yapping. I don't need to see some guy in the studio for 20 minutes, I just want to see wall to wall action.

 

[tynopik]

As noted, online viewership is soaring, and that will continue to be the case.

But even when combining TV viewers with those watching via a live stream, total viewership is still down. Prime-time viewing saw an 8% drop from Sochi.

 

[destrekor]

Is that where you stopped reading? Lol I mention that.

Also what I think probably matters even more: they said specifically prime-time viewing, and still, that 8% total can be easily accounted for by the drop in medal count. As noted, with online streaming, there is access to live media, why wait until primetime if you can catch it live?

 

[Anubis]

I don't think that's going to be nearly as a big of a deal as the article makes it out to be. As noted, online viewership is soaring, and that will continue to be the case. Now I've watched less this year because of multiple variables, not really having all that great of a showing is among them but not a decisive factor. I think I'm more likely to catch more of the next one in any format. The small decline this year in total viewership, and the summer before that, I don't think are really indicative of a long-term decline in overall interest in Olympics. As noted, part of the blame is on the NHL, an outside influence you can't really account for. The politicking of the games is also a constant variable, global pressures ebb and flow. And as digital makes up for loss of analog viewership in the long run, I think the ad revenue will balance out the same. Retransmission fees are relatively constant, so a decline in TV ad revenue will likely be matched by a rise in digital ad revenue.

in 2/4 years its gonna get worse, online wont save it unless they remove the requirement to also have a cable sub to be able to watch it

 

[destrekor]

in 2/4 years its gonna get worse, online wont save it unless they remove the requirement to also have a cable sub to be able to watch it

True, and I suspect as cable-cutting and cable-shaving continue, we'll see some changes. For regular TV viewing there is still antenna, but that won't work for everyone and of course means you don't get NBC Sports just the regular NBC channel (though that's where primetime Olympics coverage is counted most).

But I'm envisioning that as the cord-cutting trend continues, we'll more or less see more cord shaving instead. A lot of people will continue to get broadband from a TV provider, and quite a few are keeping a very slim basic cable package. That gives you the credentials you need to access all the NBC streaming options.

 

[ViRGE]

It's a shame the east coast doesn't get Primetime Plus. It's fantastic. It's not just live sports, but since it's an "extra" there are no in-studio commentators. So they just jump from event to event.

But I'm envisioning that as the cord-cutting trend continues, we'll more or less see more cord shaving instead. A lot of people will continue to get broadband from a TV provider, and quite a few are keeping a very slim basic cable package. That gives you the credentials you need to access all the NBC streaming options.

Note that for access to NBC's Olympics streams, you technically need a USA subscription this year. So a true basic cable package generally wouldn't qualify.

 

[Slew Foot]

The few times I turned on my TV, it was always figure skating. I then went to watch something else.

 

[destrekor]

It's a shame the east coast doesn't get Primetime Plus. It's fantastic. It's not just live sports, but since it's an "extra" there are no in-studio commentators. So they just jump from event to event.

Note that for access to NBC's Olympics streams, you technically need a USA subscription this year. So a true basic cable package generally wouldn't qualify.

Need a what? USA Network subscription?

Based on looking at the schedule, that would be true for coverage that originates on USA Network in general. So if that specific Olympic coverage was only on USA Network, like it appears hockey was?, then that would be true. I think it would be more limiting not having NBC Sports, as USA is often actually in most basic packages except for the skimpiest package. I usually think of basic cable as having the basic cable channels, which is often what many will still keep when skimping I suspect, and for my provider that basic package "Popular Standard", also includes NBC Sports. It does not include The Olympics Network though so some coverage would still be missed.

 

[Skunk-Works]

NBC spent 12 billion with a B?! Good GOD! And then they put a damn cockatoo on as a host. What's his name again? Scary Johnny or some shit.

 

[Red Squirrel]

CBC actually had really good coverage, can't complain. Seems when it comes to Olympics we tend to have better coverage here than the states.

 

[brianmanahan]

the olympics closing ceremony was pretty cool, as far as closing ceremonies go. very cool technology with the hundreds of choreographed drones and dancing on top of huge projections. korea seems pretty rad.

 

[brianmanahan]

The few times I turned on my TV, it was always figure skating. I then went to watch something else.

dude figure skating is like the main event! it has always been my favorite.

 

[ViRGE]

Need a what? USA Network subscription?

Correct. That's the network NBC checks against with cable providers for their website. If you don't have USA, then you won't get through and the error message you're thrown will specifically mention that you need it.

 

[Anubis]

dude figure skating is like the main event! it has always been my favorite.

cant tell if sarcasm or not but i would rather watch any other event. and TBH if my only option was figure skating i would simply not watch at all

 

[tynopik]

cant tell if sarcasm or not but i would rather watch any other event. and TBH if my only option was figure skating i would simply not watch at all

the only events worth watching at the winter olympics are figure skating and and the big-air x-game events

and the exotic ice dancing of course

 

[brianmanahan]

cant tell if sarcasm or not but i would rather watch any other event. and TBH if my only option was figure skating i would simply not watch at all

not kidding, i love watching it. nothing else in sports factors in artistic quality as much as figure skating.

 

[destrekor]

not kidding, i love watching it. nothing else in sports factors in artistic quality as much as figure skating.

I'd say that the gymnastics (especially the floor routine) is equally artistic, as is synchronized swimming.

edit:
Actually I take that back, gymnastics is artistic but nowhere near as artistic as figure skating, due to not only the tricks but the exceptional flow, style, and choreography present in the latter. That's not so much a slam on gymnastics as it is an admission that gymnastics requires a lot of kinetic and straight-line body movements to prep for feature moves with momentum, whereas on the ice motion is far more fluid, smooth, and with complete freedom to move in any given direction with agile maneuvering.