UK viewing options

[mini_mim85]

Any fellow Brits, what are our options for watching the senior Grand Prix this season? It appears to be geoblocked on ISU YouTube but Eurosport don't seem to be showing it either. Any ideas or will I need a VPN?

 

[litenkyckling]

Any fellow Brits, what are our options for watching the senior Grand Prix this season? It appears to be geoblocked on ISU YouTube but Eurosport don't seem to be showing it either. Any ideas or will I need a VPN?

I've used a VPN for Skate America - desperately hoping that this won't be the case for the rest of the season. So incredibly annoyed because Eurosport shouldn't be given the rights if they refuse to air it!

 

[Sylvia]

Any fellow Brits, what are our options for watching the senior Grand Prix this season? It appears to be geoblocked on ISU YouTube but Eurosport don't seem to be showing it either.

So incredibly annoyed because Eurosport shouldn't be given the rights if they refuse to air it!

Have you contacted Eurosport and/or the ISU? GBR figure skating fans unite!

 

[Sylvia]

The (unsatisfactory, I know!) explanation I’ve been passed along from from the ISU side is that since Eurosport bought the broadcast rights the ISU cannot unblock their streams on YouTube.

UK figure skating fans need to band together and flood Eurosport with requests that the Grand Prix series be broadcast!

And continue to use a VPN…

 

[Miezekatze]

Eurosport is offering the streams in Germany with English commentary, so that's really weird if you can't see it in the UK

In Germany Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2 are offered via the streaming service DiscoveryPlus ever since last year, I don't suppose that exists in the UK?

Maybe that helps?

Discovery+ UK guide | Price, app, and all your questions answered | Radio Times

Here's everything you need to know about Discovery's own streaming service, the home of real-life entertainment and sport.

www.radiotimes.com

Does this link work?

discovery+

www.discoveryplus.com

(my browser keeps automatically redirecting to the German site)

 

[mini_mim85]

Thank you for your help all. I've searched on the discovery plus link above and can't find any figure skating on there since Worlds. Very odd that they've gone to the effort to do an English commentary and not even show it here though!

I've bitten the bullet and paid for Mullvad VPN which is currently working well, the only downside is I can't use Chromecast with it so I'm stuck watching on my laptop but better than nothing.

 

[Miezekatze]

Seems they are just using the same commentary/stream as on the ISU stream anyway (probably to save money for now), since I think Chris Howarth is also the commentator on the original ISU stream?

Yeah, but hard to understand why Eurosport would show the stream in Germany and France, but not UK (at least in that case I'd expect the ISU stream to not be geoblocked in UK), but I'm glad you got the ISU stream to work.

 

[litenkyckling]

The (unsatisfactory, I know!) explanation I’ve been passed along from from the ISU side is that since Eurosport bought the broadcast rights the ISU cannot unblock their streams on YouTube.

UK figure skating fans need to band together and flood Eurosport with requests that the Grand Prix series be broadcast!

And continue to use a VPN…

Thanks for this - what an absolute joke! They shouldn’t be selling rights without the caveat that they need to be shown. I just want to watch skating easily and on my tv and not a laptop screen - I don’t know why that needs to be so difficult?

 

[morqet]

The ISU stream appears to be unblocked for the UK now!

 

[icenut84]

Has anyone been able to figure out if there's a viewing option in the UK for Worlds? I can't see anything on Eurosport/TNT and the ISU website just says YouTube but that it might be geoblocked again?
So frustrating that they make it so difficult!

 

[litenkyckling]

Has anyone been able to figure out if there's a viewing option in the UK for Worlds? I can't see anything on Eurosport/TNT and the ISU website just says YouTube but that it might be geoblocked again?
So frustrating that they make it so difficult!

If it’s geoblocked then I would imagine best bet will be iPlayer - they do tend to show worlds (especially since there is a top 5 entrance in dance)

 

[Sylvia]

If it’s geoblocked then I would imagine best bet will be iPlayer

BBC Sport - World Figure Skating Championships, 2024

Coverage of the World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, Canada

www.bbc.co.uk

For past Worlds (viewing info usually is published 2 days before the start of the competition):
"Watch live coverage via the BBC Red Button, Connected TV and online. There will also be extended highlights on BBC Two and all programmes will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer"

 

[Sylvia]

Has anyone been able to figure out if there's a viewing option in the UK for Worlds?

SkatingISU YouTube channel according to BIS (schedule in UK time): https://twitter.com/BritishIceSkate/status/1770048101014728708

ETA that Chris Howarth & Louise Walden posted that they will commentate for Eurosport & Discovery+ UK: https://x.com/britishicedance/status/1770162924293652922

BBC's coverage:

World Figure Skating Championships 2024: How to watch on BBC

Ice dancers Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson chase a first British world medal since Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean 40 years ago.

www.bbc.com