Outrage against NBC Builds and Builds....

The Men's 1500M should be broaadcast on Network TV-LIVE!! This is a premier event for heavan's sake.

OP - JUst about everything is televised or streamed. What is your problem. Get rid of the rabbit ears and get cable. There is NBC, NBC Sports (verus), Bravo, the list goes on. Jeez whine whine whine - who besides a few living in mom's basement are going to get up to watch or skip work?

I haven't missed anything.

So your complaint is basically that people who don't have cable can't watch things that are aired by cable networks?

I choose not to pay extra for Showtime. As a result, over the years I've waited to watch some of my favorite shows until they came out on DVD or Netflix. Do I complain about Showtime not allowing me to watch their shows when they first air? Of course not. I'm not a subscriber so I have no reason in this world to expect them to let me watch the first airing of Dexter episodes.

Similarly, if I didn't subscribe to cable, I wouldn't expect to be able to watch things that are aired on cable.

Just because you say "Outrage builds and builds" doesn't mean this is true.

Most people don't give a crap.

no free lunch wrote:

So your complaint is basically that people who don't have cable can't watch things that are aired by cable networks?

You are being purposely dense. They are showing these events live on the Internet, but choose not to allow non-cable subscribers to watch.

What does cable tv have to do with the Internet? It's an arbitrary hurdle they've put in place.

We are happy to watch, and to view ads, which generates revenue. They won't let us.

Another quitter wrote:

What does cable tv have to do with the Internet? It's an arbitrary hurdle they've put in place.

As has been mentioned already, the networks get a per-subscriber fee from cable providers. Part of my cable bill is paid directly to NBC. The fact that the money passes through an intermediary doesn't mean that I'm not paying a fee to watch NBC. You aren't, so you don't get to watch. Buy the service and you'll be able to watch the content.

good lord. stop being cheap and pay for cable. the cable companies giving you free access to watch online (even with some ads) does not make financial sense. either get a cable package or stop complaining.

How old are you? I'm just wondering, because it seems like you aren't aware that network TV is (and has always been) available for free with an antenna.

Azaleas wrote:

When a person watches NBC's online coverage, NBC makes money from the advertisements they show. This isn't an act of charity, but a direct source of revenue for NBC. We are asking to provide NBC with revenue, and they're telling us "No".

I hear what you're saying, but NBC has more irons in this fire than just what ad revenue they may get from their online coverage (what is certainly de minimis, compared to what they get from broadcast and cable channel coverage). NBC Universal is owned by Comcast, and Comcast (like all the other big cable providers) is in the fight of its business life with the Netflix's, Amazon's, Hulu's, etc., of the world that are now providing great content outside of the conventional cable platform. That is to say, NBC/Comcast has a separate interest not only in maximizing its ad revenue, but also in promoting cable subscription.

I have Verizon Fios myself, but I suppose the only reason that I can access NBC's online Olympic coverage with my Verizon subscription is that Verizon itself paid through the nose (i.e., to NBC/Comcast) in order to provide it to me.

This is war, folks. We're living through a revolution in which old models are being challenged and replaced, and serious money is at stake. The suits in NYC would, at most, only be rolling their eyes at a handful of track geeks who think that it matters when the f'ing 1500 meters is being shown. We're talking real world here, people. Real, serious money.

By the way, NBC/Comcast has already secured the rights to the Olympics through 2020 (i.e., Sochi in 2014, Rio in 2016, the 2018 Winter Games, and the 2020 Summer Games). Get used to it.

Ghola wrote:

How old are you? I'm just wondering, because it seems like you aren't aware that network TV is (and has always been) available for free with an antenna.

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything I've said. The "free" service (or rather shifting of cost from antenna users to cable subscribers) you speak of is required by law. The fact that they are legally required to provide certain services to people who don't pay for them doesn't obligate them to provide even greater "free" services than are required by the outdated law.

Another reason to be glad not to being American or no-longer living there.

I appreciate what you guys are saying, but the system is still a giant fail.

I'd be willing to pay NBC for an account on nbcolympics.com to watch this stuff. I can't see any way to do that. Apparently it isn't an option.

The idea that I should have to sign up for cable tv to view an internet stream is ludicrous! Charge me for the internet stream, that's fine, I can understand that.

Kenyanna wrote:

Another reason to be glad not to being American or no-longer living there.

And I'm glad you're not living here either, so it's worked out well for all concerned.

Kanye North wrote:

So even if they were showing it live, you couldn't watch it? Unless you are seriously arguing that they should show live every event you happen to want to watch on NBC.

People here are so entitled.

Here i what bothers people. NBC buys exclusive broadcast rights, then they record the events and choose not to show it to viewers. They could buy the rights, record everything, then delete it 5 minutes later. There are things that people want to see that NBC has recorded and has chosen not to ever show. Instead we are told that the events we want to see will be shown in primetime, but rather than seeing actual competition we get 20 interviews with Michael Phelps and a godawful ten-minute Mary Carillo bit that is nothing more than an extended ad for the new Bond movie.

The only reason why they're showing so much women's beach volleyball is so 14 year olds can fill their spank-bank.

Bottom line, if you buy the rights to the sport, show the f*cking sport. It should be in the contract.

I'm glad I have the live stream. I never have to listen to pompous jackoffs like Bob Costas or Tom Hammond.

no free lunch wrote:

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything I've said. The "free" service (or rather shifting of cost from antenna users to cable subscribers) you speak of is required by law. The fact that they are legally required to provide certain services to people who don't pay for them doesn't obligate them to provide even greater "free" services than are required by the outdated law.

Again, that's not how it works. Networks make money from advertising, not just from subscribers. It's not a free lunch by any possible stretch of the imagination.

Ghola wrote:

Again, that's not how it works. Networks make money from advertising, not just from subscribers. It's not a free lunch by any possible stretch of the imagination.

I didn't say that networks don't make revenue from advertising. I said that they make money from subscription fees. The two are not mutually exclusive.

What are you talking about..the coverage has been great..

Of course I am a basketball fan..lol

T-man wrote:

[quote]Kanye North wrote:

So even if they were showing it live, you couldn't watch it? Unless you are seriously arguing that they should show live every event you happen to want to watch on NBC.

People here are so entitled.

Here i what bothers people. NBC buys exclusive broadcast rights, then they record the events and choose not to show it to viewers. They could buy the rights, record everything, then delete it 5 minutes later. There are things that people want to see that NBC has recorded and has chosen not to ever show.

What are you on about? If I'm not mistaken, every event at these Games has been recorded by NBC and is available for viewing online.

Instead we are told that the events we want to see will be shown in primetime, but rather than seeing actual competition we get 20 interviews with Michael Phelps and a godawful ten-minute Mary Carillo bit that is nothing more than an extended ad for the new Bond movie.

You'll be a lot happier if you get this through your head and come to terms with it: in primetime, at least, NBC isn't broadcasting the Olympics the way they would, say, an NFL game (i.e., as a sports event), nor are they covering it as a "news event," using "journalistic" judgment as to which events are the most "important" to broadcast, etc. In primetime, NBC is presenting the Olympics as a television show, specifically designed to appeal to the bulk of their audience, which is older women. Period. By the way, that interminable Michael Phelps interview that ran at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday night? Remember that? Ratings are out for that: it drew 20 million f'ing viewers. Got that? Twenty million. For the 7:00 p.m. slot on a Sunday.

I mean, I certainly didn't watch it, but plenty of people did.

The only reason why they're showing so much women's beach volleyball is so 14 year olds can fill their spank-bank.

Bottom line, if you buy the rights to the sport, show the f*cking sport. It should be in the contract.

I suspect, given the enormous amount of money that NBC pays the IOC for the rights to the Olympic Games, the IOC suits are as happy as clams and wouldn't think twice about telling NBC how best to recoup its money.

"We should be able to pay for a streaming package, in the very least – or an app – without needing to also buy a subscription to some bloated cable or satellite service with 500 channels that we’ll never watch. It’s time to move on, NBC. It’s time to join us in the 21st century."

http://www.flesheatingzipper.com/entertainment/2012/08/nbcs-olympic-coverage-frustrates-cord-cutters/