A Reader Wants to Know Why Television Coverage of Figure Skating Is SO LOUSY
Tuesday December 30, 2008
"Do you have any idea why the coverage of the figure skating is SO LOUSY on television these days? Yesterday, I saw REPLAYS of the SUMMER Olympics, yet we've seen hardly any of the Grand Prix competitions, and WORLDS is not even being broadcast on any major network!!??!!! Not even on ESPN! It's on what?...Oxygen??!? What's happening? Give me a break! "
I think I've found the answer:
- Figure skating fades to black on TV - By Phillip Hersh, Los Angeles Times, March 22, 2008
This statement from Hersh, sums up what's happening:
"...This availability of (online) live coverage makes skating fans winners, but it makes the sport they care about a loser.
Why would a TV network want to pay anything but two plugged nickels for exclusive territorial rights to an event where the territorial exclusivity of the telecast is compromised?...."
Comments
Hersh’s article went on to say:
“Why would a TV network want to pay anything but two plugged nickels for exclusive territorial rights to an event where the territorial exclusivity of the telecast is compromised?
That is among the reasons why ESPN threatened to break its four-year contract with the International Skating Union after one year when it learned the 2005 Moscow worlds were being streamed live into the United States. That meant many of the people who might watch ESPN’s delayed coverage already had seen the event and felt less compelled to tune in.”
BUT I STILL BLAME THE MAJOR U.S. NETWORKS IN THE FIRST PLACE. FOR YEARS NOW THEY HAVE REFUSED TO SHOW US LIVE COVERAGE, AND THEN WHEN THEY COVER THE SPORT, THEY PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH FEW SKATERS THEY WANT TO SHOW US. CANADIAN TV SHOWS EVERYTHING, OFTEN LIVE… E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, SO WHY CAN’T THE U.S.? If the U.S. networks would’ve been showing live coverage, there would have been no need for people to go online for it. HOWEVER, even people can get it live online, CANADA STILL showed ALL of the Grand Prix competitions, whether live or not i don’t know.
excuse my typo above… i meant to write that even THOUGH people in Canada can view live skating coverage online (as well as YouTube coverage, Canada still offers excellent television coverage of the sport… often live coverage.
The figure skating fans who are big enough die-hards to watch live streaming foreign coverage would most likely tune into ESPN’s broadcasts as well. I know I always did. I doubt the foreign coverage had much of an effect on ESPN’s ratings. I remain dumbfounded as to why this sport cannot find sponsorships or whatever it needs to find to remain a major presence on TV. There are enough rivalries and great talent in skating nowadays that there should be lots of coverage, like there used to be. Skating is ALWAYS the most popular sport of the Winter Olympics and many people love it, yet it’s hardly on TV, while less popular sports seem to get air time. It’s frustrating, but as long as I get to at least watch on the internet, I can deal with it.
And good point, Patti. How can Canada get nearly all skating shown on TV live and the U.S. can’t even manage tape delayed coverage of most of the Grand Prix series? It just doesn’t make sense.
I’ve wondered this for YEARS Ariana! My sister and I both grew up figure skating in Ohio and we’re still glued to the TV whenever it’s on. The Canadian channel can been reached from Toledo (where my sister still lives), and she always watches the Canadian broadcasts over-and-above the U.S. (even when the U.S. did broadcast skating, because it’s been mostly poor coverage over the years). Also, I did register for icenetwork.com last year (being in California now and having to wait 3 hours later to see anything); however, there was some kind of big problem with it (i can’t remember… i somehow still couldn’t see it live) and so i just discontinued it. Suffice it to say, with all the live broadcasts of other sports throughout their entire season (even golf), it’s a cryin’ shame that the U.S. broadcasting networks can’t show us a major skating competition, live, in its entirety. (grrrrrrrr!)
Yeah, ….
This year sucks as-far-as figure skating is concerned. There are many excuses for NOT showing any COMPETITIVE figure skating on television (even Universal Sports ONLY showed Skate America (at first I was elated for the COMPLETE showing wihout the commentators, …BUT later NO-other Grand Prix or any skating event was shown.), and NOTHING else, …so-far?)
Skating shows are NOT enough(!); I get annoyed seeing the skaters hi-lighted by spot-lights that I personally know can blind a skater hence missing a spot or a jump; I’d want to see the entire ice.
Though the Grand Prix is offered on Ice Network, it’s awkward for those of us who can NOT access an Internet-accessable computer PLUS streaming video.
Do “WE” have an alternative, …OR is this entire skating season a bust?
Feedback?
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