ISU announces YouTube live streaming of Grand Prix & ISU Championships in 2019/20 (geo-restrictions will apply)

[text_skate]

What does CBS stand for?

I corrected it: CBC

 

[Orm Irian]

I also don't think that is necessarily bad for visibility re: new fans.

Many younger people barely know what classic tv is.

And it being on YouTube increases the chances of a moment going viral, or random new viewers picking up the competition and watching and getting hooked just because the YouTube algorithm throws something into their list of suggestions and they're bored and looking for something to fill time. It's a smart choice. I do suspect they've been working on this for a while as an option for regions where there were no broadcast deals, because of the success of the JGP streaming, though they probably weren't planning to have so many areas need it so soon!

 

[Jay42]

If one has an AppleTV box hooked to your TV with the YouTube app on it you should be able to watch the livestream on your TV instead of on your computer or device. I was able to do it with an 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown livestream. I'll definitely test it again when SA starts on Friday to make sure that it works the way I think it will. Obviously there's a chance this might not work properly depending on the ISU channels settings since I couldn't test on the ISU channel directly.

 

[Seerek]

They were on TV in Canada and we still had access to the YouTube streaming for replay - it was a good deal for anyone wanting to watch.

Viewers from Canada could watch the live Olly Hogben/Lisa Gannon commentary on both the FIG YouTube site, as well as the CBC.ca site. I wonder if that was a little bit of a mix up on FIG's part that Canada wasn't geoblocked on YouTube.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

And it being on YouTube increases the chances of a moment going viral, or random new viewers picking up the competition and watching and getting hooked just because the YouTube algorithm throws something into their list of suggestions and they're bored and looking for something to fill time. It's a smart choice.

The only problem I have with skating going to streaming is the amount of videos that get blocked on YouTube. They do have a replay option of the entire section on the JGP series but it gets blocked for me because of one or two songs in the set of programs. Then I have to go through one by one on the programs not blocked. They need to do something about allowing delayed viewing of the whole competition without blocking over one or two songs.

 

[misskarne]

comments are turned off. pointless cant express your opnions. Maybe they're scared of the trolls. lol

There are two fanbases you can firmly point your blame at: the deranged Korean fans who would call 13-year-old Russian girls "sluts" for the heinous crime of beating a Korean skater, and the gross Russian fans for whom anyone who was not a wraith was fat. And that was just on the Junior Grand Prix chat.

I mean, the Fanyus that would show up asking when Hanyu was going to skate were annoying, but they weren't as bad as that.

 

[jlmart]

Spanish TVE (National TV) just announced. That they got rights for the whole season, this is an upgrade for them since they only showed 2 grand prix events(those in Europe) gp final and euros, worlds

But they negotiate and got rights for everything!

I wonder how a strong skating country like Canada can't afford this?

I think sometimes people look at a map and see this huge country of Canada and assume there is a matching population. The population of Canada is less than most European countries - Spain has 46.9 million people (according to Wikipedia), Canada only has 37.7 million. So I am not sure where the CBC is going to get a large sum of money for figure skating coverage.

 

[overedge]

I think sometimes people look at a map and see this huge country of Canada and assume there is a matching population. The population of Canada is less than most European countries - Spain has 46.9 million people (according to Wikipedia), Canada only has 37.7 million. So I am not sure where the CBC is going to get a large sum of money for figure skating coverage.

Plus which figure skating is a popular sport to watch in Canada - more popular than in other countries - but still not as popular as e.g. ice hockey, and baseball and basketball when Canadian teams are doing well.

 

[mjb52]

I know I'm a (TOTAL) weirdo but I sort of like commentary. Mostly if someone I like is doing well and the commentator enthusiastically praises them, but even in other circumstances too. I'm more partial to the Ted style and Eurovision than the American/Canadian commentators generally (I know Ted is Canadian) though (I'm sure this is quite shocking to you all lollll). Actually I think maybe the most fun is the match.tv where I can't really understand anything except random Russian words once in a rare while so I just listen to the tone of voice and let it flow like a sort of background noise.

 

[aftershocks]

If one has an AppleTV box hooked to your TV with the YouTube app on it you should be able to watch the livestream on your TV instead of on your computer or device. I was able to do it with an 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown livestream. I'll definitely test it again when SA starts on Friday to make sure that it works the way I think it will. Obviously there's a chance this might not work properly depending on the ISU channels settings since I couldn't test on the ISU channel directly.

Are you saying you can do this in the U.S. if you subscribe to Youtube TV? That way there's an option other than NBCGold? I'm a bit confused about all of this. Or, maybe you are Canadian. Then your suggestion makes more sense.

 

[Skate Talker]

Viewers from Canada could watch the live Olly Hogben/Lisa Gannon commentary on both the FIG YouTube site, as well as the CBC.ca site. I wonder if that was a little bit of a mix up on FIG's part that Canada wasn't geoblocked on YouTube.

Good possibility it was not a mistake. CBC live streamed the Grand Prix for several years while not requiring ISU to geo-block the ISU's Eurovision live stream - I know because I often had both running. The CBC feed was more reliable but had no running buffer (the correct word is escaping me right now), meaning that one could not go back to see a skater one had missed earlier or just to rewatch an interesting performance during zamboni breaks. The Eurovision stream had that - handy when I had to run out for a quick errand. The CBC stream did not and one often had to wait until the next day for the archive to become available.

 

[Seerek]

The CBC feed was more reliable but had no running buffer (the correct word is escaping me right now), meaning that one could not go back to see a skater one had missed earlier or just to rewatch an interesting performance during zamboni breaks.

Thanks for clarifying. I was trying to watch World Cup volleyball on the CBC site on the weekend and ran into that same problem (you pretty much had to watch it live..or else not at all).

 

[Jay42]

Are you saying you can do this in the U.S. if you subscribe to Youtube TV? That way there's an option other than NBCGold? I'm a bit confused about all of this. Or, maybe you are Canadian. Then your suggestion makes more sense.

Sorry I should have added that in, I am Canadian. Hypothetically this should work for any of us who are in a country where the skating will be streamed through YouTube.

 

[Marco]

HK does not get CCTV5 (PRC sports channel) but it has still been geo-blocked at the ISU streaming page. I am hoping this isn't the case for youtube...

But all in all a great development. I just have to up my VPN game.

Does youtube mute the music for live streams as well where there is a copyright issue?

 

[Orm Irian]

Does youtube mute the music for live streams as well where there is a copyright issue?

I should think they'd have negotiated with YouTube not to have to do that, at least for the programs themselves - the athletes are supposed to get their music cleared for performance and broadcast before the start of each season, and that clearance ought to carry over to YouTube streaming. But the incidental music played between programs and during warmups/ice resurfacing might be a different matter.

 

[alchemy void]

I also don't think that is necessarily bad for visibility re: new fans.

Many younger people barely know what classic tv is.

And my cousin who is 19 or so does watch some shows from regular (German) tv, but she watches even those on Youtube, where they are partly available after the original broadcast.

Totally. There's definitely a generation gap with television. Even as an old millennial (36), my friends and I watch almost everything via streaming.

I know I'm a (TOTAL) weirdo but I sort of like commentary. Mostly if someone I like is doing well and the commentator enthusiastically praises them, but even in other circumstances too. I'm more partial to the Ted style and Eurovision than the American/Canadian commentators generally (I know Tted is Canadian) though (I'm sure this is quite shocking to you all lollll). Actually I think maybe the most fun is the match.tv where I can't really understand anything except random Russian words once in a rare while so I just listen to the tone of voice and let it flow like a sort of background noise.

I'm with you. I mean Chris and Simon have been doing commentary on Eurosport for almost 30 years. If Eurosport doesn't get rights for the major events, it's really the end of an era.

Just like all other sports, insightful and invested commentary (ie not Johnny and Tara) can really elevate the excitement level.

 

[umronnie]

I should think they'd have negotiated with YouTube not to have to do that, at least for the programs themselves - the athletes are supposed to get their music cleared for performance and broadcast before the start of each season, and that clearance ought to carry over to YouTube streaming. But the incidental music played between programs and during warmups/ice resurfacing might be a different matter.

Well, that's an easy fix - ISU could instruct the organizing committees to only use classical, non-copyright music. Get ready for lots and lots of Carmens.

 

[RoseRed]

Well, that's an easy fix - ISU could instruct the organizing committees to only use classical, non-copyright music. Get ready for lots and lots of Carmens.

Performances of classical music can still be copyrighted though (probably less likely to get blocked, but I've seen classical youtube links get blocked plenty of times).

 

[Bunny Hop]

I hope there will be a way to watch after the event, for those of us who can't always watch live (due to work and sleep requirements).

 

[Aussie Willy]

I hope there will be a way to watch after the event, for those of us who can't always watch live (due to work and sleep requirements).

The channels or programs are usually available to watch later on like with the JGP.

 

[barbarafan]

Thanks for clarifying. I was trying to watch World Cup volleyball on the CBC site on the weekend and ran into that same problem (you pretty much had to watch it live..or else not at all).

I found CBC sometimes hung up and you ended up having to refresh which then led it to long opening commercials b4 getting to the skating. I kept the stream from ISU on in the background with sound off and switched when CBC got Pis*y.

 

[seabm7]

Here is the list of the geo-blocked countries. I wonder why Canada CBC is still listed.

Where to watch ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series 2019 - International Skating Union

With the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series about to start, the ISU is pleased to announce where fans can watch the series.

www.isu.org

 

[Colonel Green]

Here is the list of the geo-blocked countries. I wonder why Canada CBC is still listed.

Unless the ISU made up with the CBC at the last minute, but there's no indication of that on the CBC's website as yet.

 

[luckiest1]

Wow, that had better get updated before Friday.

 

[allezfred]

Unless the ISU made up with the CBC at the last minute, but there's no indication of that on the CBC's website as yet.

CBC Sports on Twitter

“⛸ CBC SKATE FANS ⛸ We will stream the @ISU_Figure Grand Prix (except @SkateCanada) beginning with this weekend's #SkateAmerica. AND... Watch for the @YouTube premiere of 'That Figure Skating Show' with @DylanMoscovitch & @AsherHill on Sunday! #CBCSkate”

twitter.com

 

[luckiest1]

Whoa.....didn't see that coming. Way to go CBC! Now could we put it back on TV?

 

[Jay42]

I'm going to be honest, live streaming via YouTube would actually have been easier because CBC Sports doesn't have an app for streaming via streaming boxes so I'll have to screen mirror from my iPad, which I've done hundreds of times but I was kind of excited to have an easy process to watch the skating for once. I know this is the opposite of an actual problem but oh well.

Interesting that the tweet only mentions streaming though and nothing about the skating being broadcast on TV. I wonder if they're just going to stream it online.

 

[Alilou]

Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if we can watch both the ISU stream and the CBC stream. If the CBC stream has the issues others have talked about then I'll be watching the ISU stream for sure.
Also intrigued about the new "That Skating Show" with Dylan Moskovich and Asher Hill on Youtube mentioned in CBC's twitter (link above from allezfred)

 

[Skate Talker]

Interesting that the tweet only mentions streaming though and nothing about the skating being broadcast on TV. I wonder if they're just going to stream it online.

Given the tight timeline CBC may not have the team ready to go yet, but since they don't have rights to broadcast Skate Canada next weekend I wonder if they will possibly have delayed TV coverage of Skate America next weekend.

Also wondering, if they had to pay a lot more for the rights, if maybe they will decide to enforce geo-blocking from the ISU stream now. Hope not.

 

[Desperado]

I'm going to be honest, live streaming via YouTube would actually have been easier because CBC Sports doesn't have an app for streaming via streaming boxes so I'll have to screen mirror from my iPad, which I've done hundreds of times but I was kind of excited to have an easy process to watch the skating for once. I know this is the opposite of an actual problem but oh well.

Their Gem app streams live sport events but you need to pay the monthly subscription fee. It will be interesting to see if they add skating events. Nothing appears for October right now.