NBC Olympic coverage

[Adriatic]

For those who get NBC what do you think of their coverage? Is it just me or does NBC's olympic coverage just suck. I don't praise the CBC too often, but when it come to covering the Olympics I gotta hand it to CBC..they do a pretty good job compared to NBC. Maybe it's because I'm Canadian but NBC is just pathetic.

First of all they show nothing live. During the day, when all the events are going on live they show nothing, I don't get it..they prefer showing all the syndicated crap like the court shows, Oprah, etc.. The only time they show something is during primetime in the evening, when we already know the results of every competition. But even what they show in prime time is bad in my opinion. Almost all of their content is solely concentrated on American athletes..that fine but it's also cool to see other competitions where some of the best athletes from other countries are involved in..isn't that part of the olympic experience, being able to see the best athletes compete regardless of their nationality.

Also, whatever NBC shows during primetime, because it's not live the content is so damn edited...I get the impression I'm watching some kind of documentary or sitcom instead of a sporting competition. That's one of the things I like about the CBC, when one competition is done they waste no time and cut right away to something else that's happening in another event..all day coverage is great like that, they try to show the most they can in a single day instead fo doing it like NBC and just pick and choose a few events, then edit them and compact them to make them fit a primetime tv slot.

I just thank god we have the CBC for the Olympics because If I was stuck with NBC like the Americans are I'd have no idea what was going on.

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[SENSational]

Yep CBC coverage is very good.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

The NBC coverage here in Canada has been awful. Nothing live, very intermitten coverage of events and as for hockey....... pretty much non existant...

Like or hate the CBC their Olympic coverage is always superb.

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

I just thank god we have the CBC for the Olympics because If I was stuck with NBC like the Americans are I'd have no idea what was going on.

Did I just step into a bizarro world?

With respect to hockey anyway, I couldn't be happier to be in the US with the coverage we've gotten.

 

[Sotnos]

During the day, when all the events are going on live they show nothing, I don't get it..

That's because all the live events are on their other channels (CNBC, MSNBC, USA) during the day. They have HOURS of coverage on those channels every day.

Their coverage is getting better every Olympics, to me they've cut down on the fluff stories during their evening coverage finally. Still entirely too many commercials, but nothing will stop that.

Why is this thread here anyway? It's not hockey related.

 

[Adriatic]

That's because all the live events are on their other channels (CNBC, MSNBC, USA) during the day. They have HOURS of coverage on those channels every day.

But not everybody has those other cable channels. In Canada every citizen has the CBC

 

[HockeyCritter]

Actually the sucky coverage is not limited to just hockey …….. the Olympic coverage has horrific.

 

[3 goals = chili]

i love the NBC satellite networks (CNBC, MSNBC, USA) coverage of the Olympics, they show just about everything from Cross Country Skiing to the Biathlon, Ice Dancing to Curling

Im pretty sure that most Americans that have an interest in watching the Olympics has the means to buy cable that has the NBC satellite networks, its not Socialism i mean Canada where everybody gets the CBC and Health Care....

 

[MissNY]

Unfortunately, NBC is getting killed in the ratings during its prime time Olympic coverage. From the little I've watched, it does seem too scripted.

Even though not all people in the US get MSNBC, USA, etc. I'm VERY surprised and appreciative that they're broadcasting so many of the men's ice hockey games in their entirety. The lockout really reduced a lot of Americans' enthusiasm for hockey, so NBC has gone out on a limb to show these games even if they are broadcast during the day. (Luckily, I work at home so I've been able to watch several great games already.)

I've even been able to watch some of the curling events! I still don't get what Canadian people like about the sport, though.

 

[LannysStach]

the NBC secondary cable networks that carry the live stuff all day are amazing.
the mothership NBC is blowing off the live during the day and just showing the taped highlights at night (with apparently less than good ratings)

in Canada, the CBC "exclusive" meant they b.lack-out MSNBC and CNBC during the day. this is the terrible part. if canadians could see the superior coverage on MSNBC during the live hockey events they'd be way-happy.

i lived in MSNBCland last Olympics, and am stuck in CBCville this time, and MSNBC was all-hockey all-the-time -- cuz they could use the secondary networks. CBC should have taken over their Newsworld network like NBC does CNBC & MSNBC. ya can't cover 5 different major sports live. you need more than one network. NBC used theirs. CBC didn't. sad.

and their money-grubbing b.lack-out just makes it worse. i paid for MSNBC to watch their hockey and am being denied the hockey broadcasts that i'm paying for.

hard to believe the Americans get more hockey coverage than we do in Canada, but it's true.

 

[Epsilon]

NBC itself has had very sucky coverage, focusing on nonsense like snowboard halfpipe and snowcross just because it's the only thing the USA is dominating. But based on what I've heard about the coverage in Canada, the overall coverage in the USA (NBC,USA Network,MSNBC,CNBC,etc.) has been much better. For instance we arn't missing live hockey games to watch preliminary heats in skeleton and short-track.

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

Actually the sucky coverage is not limited to just hockey.

How has the hockey coverage been sucky? (In the US, I mean)

 

[MeN_Ace2]

Whatever, I'm not complaining. I think I have seen about every hockey game live so far, on the channel Universal HD. Hockey at 1080i got to love it. Like mentioned by others, MSNBC and CNBC as well USA are showing live coverage during the day/early mornings... and Universal HD covers all the hockey games at 1080i.

 

[ScottyBowman]

The coverage has been EXCELLENT. All the hockey games are live and in HD. All the other stuff on NBC is also in HD. USA/MSNBC/CNBC show live coverage all day. You really can't ask for anything else. Do Canadians only have the CBC coverage? If thats the case then it sucks for them because we get to see a lot more stuff.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

Saying NBC's coverage "sucks" because you don't get NBC's affiliate stations is like claiming that Center Ice "sucks" because you lost your remote.

 

[Hasbro]

My only complaint is that NBC didn't get Al Michaels on the first plane to Turin to call hockey.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

The coverage has been EXCELLENT. All the hockey games are live and in HD. All the other stuff on NBC is also in HD. USA/MSNBC/CNBC show live coverage all day. You really can't ask for anything else. Do Canadians only have the CBC coverage? If thats the case then it sucks for them because we get to see a lot more stuff.

Nope I get MSNBC and CNBC here but all they show today in the listings are "Informercial"... guess the CBC exclusivity deal even eliminates me seeing what is being broadcast on those "premium" channels I pay so much for...

 

[EliCash]

Do Canadians only have the CBC coverage? If thats the case then it sucks for them because we get to see a lot more stuff.

Yeah like the USA women's curling team!

 

[Choice]

The NBC coverage overall has been pretty poor, but I dont see how they could be doing the hockey any better. Every single game live, can't beat that. And the HD is awesome, looks like you are there in the arena.

 

[ScottyBowman]

Yeah like the USA women's curling team!

Don't be dogging on curling.

 

[dgour98]

I've never understood the american networks thought process in Olympics.. first of all their bids are way more than what CBC pays, yet
CBC has all day coverage and show most of the sports (even when canadian athletes may not be in a medal position)

NBC shows a few hours at evening of taped material. and the kicker is most times it's 15 minutes of a 'sob' story of how this poor american bobsledder came out the Bayou swamplands and one day saw snow. blah blah blah. then followed by 30 seconds of actual competitions.

CBC had always been 1000 times better in either summer or winter Olympics than any american network.

the only thing i see they may be doing better this time around is
having every single hockey game on live (USA network or MSNBC).
that is something i'd like to see in Canada.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

How can people in America be complaining about NBC's coverage of hockey? It's been great.

 

[Zero]

I love the hockey coverage... the only issue I have is, with my work schedule, I'd like to see what's on at what times so I can record stuff, but all nbcolympics.com shows is 3-5 hour blocks for all the games being played during that time.... as shown here ...not a huge deal, just wish they would update their stuff.

Unfortunately, NBC is getting killed in the ratings during its prime time Olympic coverage. From the little I've watched, it does seem too scripted.

I believe there was an SI article about how other networks usually won't fight against the Olympics when they are in North America, but they're all showing new stuff (Survivor, Idol, etc) this year. I haven't seen anything on actual ratings though.

 

[ColoradoHockeyFan]

the only thing i see they may be doing better this time around is having every single hockey game on live (USA network or MSNBC).

May?

And as long as the NBC family of networks in the US is doing such a wonderful job with hockey coverage, I am more than happy.

 

[ScottyBowman]

I've never understood the american networks thought process in Olympics.. first of all their bids are way more than what CBC pays, yet
CBC has all day coverage and show most of the sports (even when canadian athletes may not be in a medal position)

NBC shows a few hours at evening of taped material. and the kicker is most times it's 15 minutes of a 'sob' story of how this poor american bobsledder came out the Bayou swamplands and one day saw snow. blah blah blah. then followed by 30 seconds of actual competitions.

CBC had always been 1000 times better in either summer or winter Olympics than any american network.

the only thing i see they may be doing better this time around is
having every single hockey game on live (USA network or MSNBC).
that is something i'd like to see in Canada.

During the 2004 summer olympics, they had live coverage on all the NBC owned cable stations. Not sure why Canadians keep on bringing up NBC when their are like 4 different channels. I have CBC and the (CNBC/MSNBC/USA/UniversalHD) are way better than CBC. Not even close. I still watch CBC as an alternative. But I hear that 2008 summer olymics is the end for them?