IceNetwork season renewal notice :-(

[skatesindreams]

Yes.

In the early 90s, I remember only Skate America being shown on broadcast TV at a time when I didn't have cable and few people did. Even when ESPN showed some other fall competitions, it was limited coverage and inconsistent. And if we got more than 2 hours even from SA, part of it was delayed at least a week.

Or Fox showing 1 1/2 hours of each Grand Prix Champions Series event -- all disciplines -- and then spending a big chunk of that time interviewing Michelle Kwan in weeks that she wasn't competing.

Or all networks covering only pro and pro-am competitions in the fall and nothing of the Grand Prix except Skate America.

Or Lifetime showing all the pairs and dance from the GPs and spending more time on fluff than on skating.

Even with the best years of the ESPN2 and Lifetime (after they realized skating fans want to watch skating) coverage, it was still less than everyone and much of it was delayed up to a week or more.

I have never been able to watch all skaters at a single GP event on US television, the same weekend it took place, except maybe for a year or two a few years ago when Universal Sports was available to me.

Any coverage we can get online or on cable is welcome. Universal's current contract seems to be a step back from what they made available a few years ago and an obstacle to those who want real-time online coverage.

But that coverage was never the norm. The fact that it was available for a year or two was a treat for American skating fans who could access it. But we're not a large enough group to drive their policy.

This!

I remember when we got 2 to 3 hours a year on ABC - if you totaled it up!
We only got that due to Dick Button's presence.
His production company supplied footage.

He, bless him, lobbied for increasing coverage over the years.

[Matryeshka]

I've never used the Russkie TV before, but I probably will this year.

As for not getting coverage in the past, well, there's a lot of things people didn't have in the past that we expect now. There was no internet, there were less channels, and less ability for feedback between execs and fans. Now, however, there IS the internet. There ARE enough channels, and we DO have the mechanisms for instant feedback to networks.

What TV executives don't seem to get now--whatever sport you're a fan of--if they don't show it, somewhere, somebody is, and you lose possible advertising revenue everytime someone decides they'd rather watch a grainy Raisport, CCTV, or justintv feed live than wait a week to see a better picture taped. True fans of any sport get resourceful, and we will find a way to see it, and it's amazing to me that sports execs are too blind to understand this.

[Jammers]

Well i'm hoping that there will be some live feed from somewhere showing the GP live because my cable company doesn't have US on it's lineup and i live in an apartment building so i doubt i could get a satellite dish. Not that i really want a dish to begin with.

[rfisher]

Just a word of caution about the Russian feed; I've used them the previous two years to watch Russian nationals and Europeans. Last year they only showed parts of Euros. They do not show all the GP events. Hopefully some of the Russian posters will provide information about what is scheduled this season.

If you want to watch any US nationals apart from the last two groups that will be shown on NBC, you will have to purchase IN. That's the only game in town. Same with SKAM's coverage. It's still cheaper than attending an event so I'll do it. And get a Russian subscription to cover Russian nats and maybe Europeans.

[manhn]

Universal Sports did show Euros last season and their coverage of SA, US Nats and Worlds was pretty darn extensive. Why would they not show anything this coming season?

And NBC continues to show the same 2 hours of GP every week.

[Triple Butz]

Yes.

In the early 90s, I remember only Skate America being shown on broadcast TV at a time when I didn't have cable and few people did. Even when ESPN showed some other fall competitions, it was limited coverage and inconsistent. And if we got more than 2 hours even from SA, part of it was delayed at least a week.

Or Fox showing 1 1/2 hours of each Grand Prix Champions Series event -- all disciplines -- and then spending a big chunk of that time interviewing Michelle Kwan in weeks that she wasn't competing.

Or all networks covering only pro and pro-am competitions in the fall and nothing of the Grand Prix except Skate America.

Or Lifetime showing all the pairs and dance from the GPs and spending more time on fluff than on skating.

Even with the best years of the ESPN2 and Lifetime (after they realized skating fans want to watch skating) coverage, it was still less than everyone and much of it was delayed up to a week or more.

I have never been able to watch all skaters at a single GP event on US television, the same weekend it took place, except maybe for a year or two a few years ago when Universal Sports was available to me.

Any coverage we can get online or on cable is welcome. Universal's current contract seems to be a step back from what they made available a few years ago and an obstacle to those who want real-time online coverage.

But that coverage was never the norm. The fact that it was available for a year or two was a treat for American skating fans who could access it. But we're not a large enough group to drive their policy.

Back in my day, you could buy a loaf of bread for a nickel and a soda pop for a penny! #crotchetyvoice

[TanithandBenFan]

And NBC continues to show the same 2 hours of GP every week.

With no coverage of pairs or dance (except D/W if they win an event). SA had great dance coverage last year, but that was the only GP event where we saw anything other than men and ladiezzzzz.

[Ziggy]

Suffice it to say I'm ticked off. It looks like many of us will be waiting to see the GP next fall.

You can buy Russian tv access for 10 dollars a month or so (or maybe it was 15?).

[rfisher]

Universal Sports did show Euros last season and their coverage of SA, US Nats and Worlds was pretty darn extensive. Why would they not show anything this coming season?

And NBC continues to show the same 2 hours of GP every week.

They are changing their marketing format. If that still includes figure skating remains to be seen. I'm not certain adventure sports includes figure skating. It certainly was not listed on the email I received from them regarding the change that online viewing is now only available if you have a cable or satellite provider that picked up US as an option. I hope they do as I do have them with my provider, but we'll just have to wait and see what they decide to do with their new formatting.

[RobinA]

NO one should get DirectTV or Dish or tell their Cable provider they want US. They are just using you! We should tell them no figure skating available online to anyone who pays a fee, then figure skating fans won't support you in anyway.

Right? Am I...right?

maybe not, but I am mad!

Yes, you are right. I switched to Comcast expanded so I could get US when the networks stopped covering much skating. That was good for a couple years, but then Comcast dropped US. I tried IN once when it had everything, but the picture was lousy, so I decided it was not worth the money. Last year for the first time in decades I didn't watch Worlds. Looks like I won't be watching much of anything this year. I'm not chasing figure skating around throwing dollars at media conglomerates so I can see not much skating. This fan-since-1968 is saying, The hell with it. I'll still go to events. I'll be at Nationals in Boston and won't know a single skater.

Maybe I will start watching gymnastics again. That's still on TV, and I hear our team is doing pretty well. USA Gymnastics may want to use their success to try to expand their fan base even further by increasingly MAKING THE SPORT AVAILABLE TO INTERESTED PEOPLE.

[genevieve]

I think we should petition NBC to move it's figure skating coverage to NBC Sports Network. Comcast provides this channel and it is certainly going to out last UniversalSports.com

So move the only non-cable coverage to cable? that would suck.

The argument about the limited coverage we used to get 15+ years ago is ridiculous. Technology is completely different now - of course we happily watched events weeks after they happened - there were no other options then! Plus, results weren't accessible everywhere instantly.

it's true that IN can't help that the rights for immediate broadcast went to someone else, but charging the same price for significantly decreased service and pretending it's just a great as it was the last several years is pretty infuriating.

[PinkFeathers]

IceNetwork says that NBC Universal did not sell them the rights.

They are keeping it to themselves, and frankly do not care if you can't access it. They are doing this, in part it seems, to get the public angry enough to call up and demand access. We know about how well that will go. It's just not going to work. A cable company is not going to listen to the complaints from a handful of skating fans. They likewise are not going to raise prices on their customers just to carry a channel that nobody outside of a few die-hard Olympic sports fans will watch, just to deal with the stupid fees US wants to charge. I hope the 12 people that see live coverage enjoy it.

That said, IN needs to lower the price if they're only offering a few events.

To all of the 'omg we only got 3 hours of coverage in my day!!' folks... That's nice, but at one time we all also connected to the net with 14.4k modem. Going backwards is not the answer. Restricting online access is not the answer.

[Lara]

Maybe I will start watching gymnastics again. That's still on TV, and I hear our team is doing pretty well. USA Gymnastics may want to use their success to try to expand their fan base even further by increasingly MAKING THE SPORT AVAILABLE TO INTERESTED PEOPLE.

? There's no word yet on NBC's main network completely dropping skating. We can still hope to get the GP singles freeskates televised in addition to Nats and Worlds (albeit badly edited and tape delayed). Ice dance and pairs fans lose out of course.

But gymnastics will never get better coverage even with the Fab Five win. It's pretty stuck with the American Cup, Visa Championships and Worlds, with maybe something like Pacific Rim in addition. The US doesn't compete internationally too much so there's no interest in anything else. Plus, the men especially got the worst Olympic coverage I can ever recall in London.

[aka_gerbil]

? There's no word yet on NBC's main network completely dropping skating. We can still hope to get the GP singles freeskates televised in addition to Nats and Worlds (albeit badly edited and tape delayed). Ice dance and pairs fans lose out of course.

Those of us who live in a land where college football rules also miss out on singles. Most of the time, we don't get any coverage at all because there is football to be aired. (Heck, we don't even get to see dance and pairs from US Nationals around here due to college basketball.)

[BlueRidge]

So move the only non-cable coverage to cable? that would suck.

The argument about the limited coverage we used to get 15+ years ago is ridiculous. Technology is completely different now - of course we happily watched events weeks after they happened - there were no other options then! Plus, results weren't accessible everywhere instantly.

...

I don't get that argument either, although I suppose one could make the argument that figure skating is so unpopular we should be happy if we see anything anywhere. I'm not quite ready to concede that yet. Get US out of the middle and have NBC for TV and IN for online and well, that's what we had back in the day (okay not so far back) and it worked out.

The problem here is that US is trying to survive when its not viable and at the moment its holding online figure skating coverage hostage to that.

I'm basically figuring that can't last very long. But I am concerned about IN surviving. I actually value their coverage of US regionals and sectionals.

Online really is the future. We aren't going back to a few hours on TV and nothing else. It may take some time to sort out but TV is the thing going the way of the dinosaurs, not online. And the whole thing about the internet is that it allows a lot more flexibility, a lot more opportunity to provide for niche audiences like us, to show events live even when they are at 3 a.m. US time etc.

It'll get worked out, but it may be unpleasant for this season.

[barbk]

What an incredibly stupid move. I can't believe that they can't figure out a reasonable way to charge people for the coverage they want to pay for, and are instead going to drive customers to using strange foreign feeds.

I don't want Dish. I only get the minimal basic minus cable. Outside of a handful of broadcast skating events and some of the summer Olympics my TV hardly gets turned on. I can go a month without turning it on. All I want to do is to be able to see the US and major international skating events on my computer, and I'm willing to pay to do so. Rather stupid that I'll end up paying for some Russian feed or watching Turkish TV because these idiots can't figure out a system that works. Just ridiculous.

[vexlak]

I remember trying to access US nationals via Ice Network only to have frozen frames due to a "low bandwidth" because everyone was watching at the same time. They should assure that everyone can watch such major event live especially when they promote it that way. The good part is that they eventually post the videos of US regional, sectional (several weeks later however ) and nationals for non live view. Anything else (worlds or GP) are additional pay.
I watched worlds through free stream and it was with no problems. Contrary to Europe, there are very few options in the US.

[modern_muslimah]

If I know someone who has DirecTV and they're willing to give me their information.... hmmmmm.....

I'm going to ask one of my sisters for their info. They both have DirecTV. I'm not sure if they both have a package that includes US Sports. Both of my sisters couldn't care less about figure skating so I think they might be willing to me their info so I can watch skating online.

I don't know if I see myself giving IN $40.00 while none of the GP events except SkAm are live. I love to watch Nationals live but again I'm not sure if I want to give IN $40.00 just for live access to US events only.

[Pikachuusb]

Yeah I'm torn I want to see skating, but I'm not getting Dish & I don't know if the depleted coverage is worth 40 bucks

[modern_muslimah]

That may be with some electronic subscriptions, but this is part of the other e-mail I received from IN:



It seems we had a choice when we purchaed the subscription whether to opt-in for auto renewal. I never opted in last year for auto renewal, but for some reason, that's exactly what happened.

The same thing happened to me. When I initially signed up three seasons ago, I opted not to auto-renew but IN auto-renewed anyway. It seems that you have to actually call IN and tell that you don't want to auto-renew.