Olympic Channel - Launches July 15th

[A.H.Black]

I knew NBC was launching the Olympic Channel but didn't know any of the particulars. I found a couple of articles that explain more - https://tvanswerman.com/2017/06/16/olympic-channel-coming-next-month-to-35-million-homes/

It looks to me that Grand Prix broadcasts scheduled for Universal HD will actually be on the Olympic Channel?

I'm still not sure if DISH network will carry the Olympic Channel. I guess we will figure things out as things happen.

 

[skatesindreams]

Also being discussed here:
https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...work-olympic-channel-to-start-in-2017.100108/

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting from the "Figure Skating Coverage for 2017 on NBC networks" TV Alerts thread - NBC's press release (June 15): http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2...nch-on-july-15-in-more-than-35-million-homes/

 

[Sylvia]

30-MINUTE OLYMPIC CHANNEL: HOME OF TEAM USA LAUNCH SPECIAL HOSTED BY MIKE TIRICO (press release): http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2...e-launch-of-olympic-channel-home-of-team-usa/

The special will premiere July 15 at 6 a.m. ET, with several encore presentations throughout the week. It will guide viewers through a preview of what they can expect to see on the new network. The launch show includes:

• A Team USA athlete roundtable with Olympic medalists Shaun White, Kelly Clark and Gus Kenworthy, moderated by Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski;
• Previews of the FINA World Swimming Championships and IAAF World Track & Field Championships, which will supply significant programming during the network’s first few weeks;
• A preview of upcoming documentaries from the IOC’s global Olympic Channel original programming;
• Behind-the-scenes content and social media elements from NBC Olympics’ promotional shoot for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

 

[Simone411]

Now this is also awesome:

The first month of programming on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will be highlighted by extensive coverage of the 2017 FINA World Swimming and Diving Championships from Budapest, Hungary, in July; the IAAF Track and Field World Championships from London, England, in August; and the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships from Vienna, Austria, in July and August.

Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will be live streamed on OlympicChannel.com, the Olympic Channel app, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. Select replays and highlights will be available on these digital platforms as well as TeamUSA.org.

I also looked at upcoming events online at The Olympic Channel.

The World Games Wroclaw 2017 will air live July 19th - 30th.

I definitely love The Olympic Channel online, and I can't wait for the launching of it on our TVs.

 

[BaileyCatts]

All these articles and I still can't figure out if I can sit down and watch this channel on my cable TV. I don't care about online coverage, which I can't watch unless I sit in front of my desktop computer, and won't be able to watch because I like have a job 'n stuff, and like how you gonna record Nationals and Worlds and Olympics?. I want it on my TV. I currently have UniversalHD, and starting 7/15 it just say "signed off" on the Channel Guide. I thought that come July 15 the channel would simply change call signs and poof, I can watch it. Doesn't seem that way according to my online guide.

 

[Simone411]

All these articles and I still can't figure out if I can sit down and watch this channel on my cable TV. I don't care about online coverage, which I can't watch unless I sit in front of my desktop computer, and won't be able to watch because I like have a job 'n stuff, and like how you gonna record Nationals and Worlds and Olympics?. I want it on my TV. I currently have UniversalHD, and starting 7/15 it just say "signed off" on the Channel Guide. I thought that come July 15 the channel would simply change call signs and poof, I can watch it. Doesn't seem that way according to my online guide.

I decided to call DirecTV. The customer rep that I talked to told me that Universal HD will end 7/14 and that is why we're seeing Sign Off on that day. It will no longer exist with our HD Extra Pack.

The customer rep still isn't sure whether the Olympic Channel will replace Universal HD, however, because the Olympic Channel isn't showing up yet because it's not launched yet, and that will actually be 7/15. The customer rep also said that it may show up in our regular packages and not replacing Universal HD in the HD Extra Pack where we have to pay to have it.

The customer rep. said to hit the Menu button on our remotes and then look it up on "Channels" on the day that the Olympic Channel launches, and we should see it then which is 7/15. The customer rep also told me that she would send me an email with what channel it will be on the day it launches.

 

[skatesindreams]

It would be great if it were part of one of the packages I already have!
We'll see.

 

[Simone411]

I hope that is the case, too, @skatesindreams. It would definitely be great. I'm getting three free months of the HD Extra Pack at the moment. If it already comes with our packages we have, I'll probably call and cancel the HD Extra Pack right before it expires.

 

[skatesindreams]

As yet, I haven't been able to find any information about what Spectrum is carrying in Central FL.

 

[Simone411]

As yet, I haven't been able to find any information about what Spectrum is carrying in Central FL.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll have it, too. Hopefully, it will show up on July 15th.
I didn't sign in to watch live at NBCSports. However, I did click to watch live where the selection of cable and satellite channels would appear. I noticed that Spectrum is listed.

NBCSports Live. The Golf Channel is live streaming right now. I'm thinking that since you can sign in with your Spectrum account that maybe you'll also have the Olympic Channel.

NBC Sports Live will be one way that we can watch online besides the Olympic Channel online.

 

[skatesindreams]

The platforms I can get online don't always match what I can see on cable.

 

[Simone411]

The platforms I can get online don't always match what I can see on cable.

Then let's definitely keep our fingers crossed that you'll have the channel on Spectrum!

 

[Debbie S]

For those with Comcast/Xfinity, I found the following on a Comcast customer forum. It appears to have been posted by a Comcast employee: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/Channe...-and-Olympics-Channel-HD-7-15-17/td-p/2902976

Effective July 15, 2017 we will be launching the Olympics Channel HD on Digital Preferred in every market that currently carries Universal HD.

On that same day, Universal HD will be ceasing operations.
https://www.xfinity.com/support/cable-tv/xfinity-programming-contract-renewals-channel-list/

At this time, we do not plan to launch an SD (standard definition) version of the Olympics Channel.

 

[Evanstonsktr]

For those with Comcast/Xfinity, I found the following on a Comcast customer forum. It appears to have been posted by a Comcast employee: http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/Channe...-and-Olympics-Channel-HD-7-15-17/td-p/2902976

I'm not so sure about the "in every market" claim. In the program guide for my cable area compiled by Zap2It, Universal HD does disappear on July 15, but the Olympic Channel does not appear in its place, or on any channel in my area, according to Zap2It. I have already complained to Comcast.

 

[Debbie S]

I'm not so sure about the "in every market" claim. In the program guide for my cable area compiled by Zap2It, Universal HD does disappear on July 15, but the Olympic Channel does not appear in its place, or on any channel in my area, according to Zap2It. I have already complained to Comcast.

It doesn't appear on my on-screen guide, either. Per Simone411's post above, it sounds like the channel won't appear until it officially launches on Saturday.

 

[ross_hy]

The Olympic Channel just popped up on my Spectrum guide at channel 316. It's currently simulcasting Universal HD.

I'm able to watch it even though I don't have the package that includes Universal HD. Hopefully, that means the Olympic Channel will be available in lower-level (cheaper) packages.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

I emailed Cox and they said the Olympic Channel will be part of the Sports and Information Package, which is an extra $10 a month. Universal HD was part of the standard lineup of HD channels

 

[Simone411]

I emailed Cox and they said the Olympic Channel will be part of the Sports and Information Package, which is an extra $10 a month. Universal HD was part of the standard lineup of HD channels

Well, this may mean that the Olympic Channel replaces Universal HD channel in the HD Extra Pack with DirecTV then on channel 569. I'm getting it free for three months, but then afterwards, it's $4.99 per month.

As of now, it's still listed as Universal HD, and on July 14th at 2p.m. (central) it shows "Sign Off" which means Universal HD will no longer exist which is what the customer rep told me from DirecTV. From, 9 a.m. through 2 p.m., the Fina World Championships (Diving) will be shown, and then, that's it. Goodbye Universal HD.

I guess DirecTV subscribers like me will have to wait until Friday, July 15th to see what happens. However, when I select "Sign Off" on July 14th at 2.pm., the description shows "5 hour special". "Sign Off" shows up again at 7 p.m. central with the description 4 hour special. I have no idea what any of it means.

 

[Simone411]

Okay, I think I just found an answer on Wikipedia regarding the Olympic Channel

So, apparently, Universal HD will resume on July 15th as the Olympic Channel. In other words, Olympic Channel will replace Universal HD.

At an industry forum in March 2017, NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel stated that NBCUniversal would launch a localized version of Olympic Channel in the United States as a linear television channel later in the year. The American Olympic Channel will use the former channel slot of Universal HD, which picked up most of Universal Sports Network's rights upon that network's November 2015 shutdown and will end operations on July 14, 2017. The American Olympic Channel, which will carry the sub-branding of "The Home of Team USA" and will be co-operated with the United States Olympic Committee, will also remain available exclusively in high-definition, as Universal HD was.

 

[Simone411]

Okay. An update for anyone that has DirecTV. I found out the Olympic Channel will be on channel 624 which isn't available yet, and won't be until early Saturday morning around 5 a.m. central. Universal HD (channel 569) does end tomorrow, July 14th at 2p.m. central.

I called DirecTV with the information I searched for, and the rep did say I was correct about the Olympic Channel replacing Universal HD, and that it would be on channel 624. What the rep couldn't tell me, however, was whether it would be included in the HD Extra Pack or not. The rep hinted at it, but she said she wasn't 100 percent positive regarding that.

So, we'll have to wait to see whether Olympic Channel HD 624 will be included in the HD Extra Pack or whether we'll have to purchase something like the Sports Package or whether it will be included in all of our packages and we don't have to pay extra for it. I'm hoping we do not have to purchase the Sports Package in order to watch it, but of course, we won't know that until Saturday, July 15th.

 

[Aceon6]

It appears that FIOS will broadcast on 591, adjacent to NBCSN on 590. Universal HD as we know it stops broadcasting at midnight on 567.

TiVo users may not see the channel info for at least a week as they have to wait until the various service providers send them (TiVo) updated info.

 

[skatesindreams]

This appeared in my Inbox this afternoon:
http://www.nbcsports.com/tv-listings?cid=OLY-NL

I hope it helps others find the channel.

 

[SpeedySucks]

I have Comcast and it appears that the Olympic Channel will be on the same channel number as Universal HD.

 

[Simone411]

Well, I have some good news. I just signed in at My ATT, and checked out my package with DirecTV which is the Preferred Extra Package. The Olympic Channel is included in my package, the Extra Package and the Ultimate Package. So, if any of you with DirecTV have any of the three packages listed, then you will have the Olympic Channel beginning tomorrow (July 15th) beginning around 6 a.m Eastern and 5a.m. central for me.

It won't be included in any package below the Preferred Extra Package. Whoop!

 

[Debbie S]

I have Comcast and it appears that the Olympic Channel will be on the same channel number as Universal HD.

Yes, on my Comcast channels, too. Right now, there is just a graphic (Oly Channel logo) that says broadcasting starts at 6 am tomorrow.

 

[skatesindreams]

I'm going to negotiate with Spectrum.

It's an "extra" fee for me.
I'm already paying more than I should for the channels I receive.

 

[Simone411]

I'm going to negotiate with Spectrum.

It's an "extra" fee for me.
I'm already paying more than I should for the channels I receive.

skatesindreams, do exactly that. When I changed the channel to 624 this morning, it showed a code 771 which meant the channel wasn't available. I went back to DirecTV.com. I compared the different program packages again, and the Olympic Channel HD channel was still listed with my Preferred Extra Package.

I called and talked to a rep, and she checked for me. She told me to hold on for a minute, and then told me to try Channel 624 again. Sure enough, I had it and thanked the rep.

After I got off the phone, I noticed that some of my favorite channels were gone like Chiller, El Rey and a couple of others. So, then I noticed that I had some extra sports channels, too. I realized that the rep must have somehow changed my package to the Extra package, and it costs more.

So I called DirecTV again. The rep apologized to me, and said that he could change me back to Preferred Extra. He wanted me to talk to one of the loyalty reps first. The Loyalty rep apologized and said that she wanted to make me a better offer than just going back to Preferred Extra. She then said she was giving me the Ultimate Package with a 45 dollar monthly credit for a year and free Showtime for 4 months. I nearly fainted.

She told me that my next month's bill will only be around 20 dollars because I already had a 25 dollar credit along with a 10 dollar credit for bundling and a 6 dollar credit which is applied monthly for my HD receiver. She said that afterwards, my DirecTV bill will only be about 46 dollars a month.

So it really does pay off sometimes to call and find out what's going on. With the Ultimate Package, I now have all the Encore channels plus everything that was on the Preferred Extra Package and all the sports channels that were included with the Extra package.

 

[icie]

I have it. Sending out good wishes that all the skate fans get it for free or very low cost.

 

[icie]

I'm going to negotiate with Spectrum.

It's an "extra" fee for me.
I'm already paying more than I should for the channels I receive.

My cable is like that too. We call it the Beelzebub Cable.