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NFL Red Zone Coverage on Sky Sports
EmilioLargo
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Instead of showing the 1pm/6pm game tonight and for the next 2 weeks Sky Sports are offering coverage of the NFL Red Zone where coverage is shown of 10 games. The service jumps from game to game whenever a team is within 20 years of the touchdown line.
Interesting to see this but I find it a bit hard to follow as I normally watch the NFL on a Sunday night whilst catching up with some work or wrapping christmas presents so there is no flow to the coverage.
Worth noting that Sky are showing commercials where this is apparently commercial free in the USA.
Interesting to see this but I find it a bit hard to follow as I normally watch the NFL on a Sunday night whilst catching up with some work or wrapping christmas presents so there is no flow to the coverage.
Worth noting that Sky are showing commercials where this is apparently commercial free in the USA.
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And you mean 20 yards, not 20 years.
Have the important highlights during the breaks on the main channel's game like they did last week, and Redzone shoved on the red button without ads, and then everyone is happy.
I agree with you both, Red Zone is really good, but Sky haven't worked out how to work with it yet, which is making it look bad. The ad breaks look automatically set and there are far too many of them, I think there was only 5 minutes gap between the last ones.
It's defeating the object to be showing Red Zone because of all they playoff implications and have to show a New York Giants touchdown (in one of the key games) 10 minutes later because they missed it due to an ad break.
In the US Red Zone is part of the 'out of market' NFL Sunday Ticket that costs about $200 a season, thats why its commercial free!
Sky are doing a good job when commercials have to be fitted in and are replaying the missed touchdowns. Can't ask for more than that. You won't get it commercial free on the red button- I seem to remember the games shown on there had advert breaks during some of the US ones, just as they would on the main channel.
I do think the best use of Red Zone would either be as a red button option, or as a break filler, or more simply as a way to get more footage of other games to run during the coverage. I can see why the NFL might want to restrict this if it makes their (very expensive) online streaming less attractive to fans.
Looks like the concensus is that they should show one main game with clips of others during breaks in play.
ie exactly what someone in the US would actually see on, eg, CBS.
ie when CBS go to James Brown in the studio to show another clip we should do the same.
(I know there's currently some technical reason why we can't do this due to the feed but this should be changed!)
To be fair, that is what happened last week, and I think it worked well. I'd guess they had RZ rights from week 14, but with already scheduling two live games kept with that. It was great when the late game ended early, and we got the end of the Dolphins v Jets game through Redzone.
There's definitely a place for it, probably on the red button, and as you say-using the clips from that during the many breaks but Sky have absolutely butchered this tonight.
Part of the enjoyment of NFL is really seeing the game develop with long drives and the 'game changing play' can happen at any time. Now there is no tension as you know something is going to happen (especially if they flip to it when the driving team is not in the red-zone)
Sorry Sky it ain't working for us in this format, adverts, Halling and all.
The red button games didn't have adverts, just when the US tv went to commercials Sky would show cheerleaders dancing and other filler videos.
The Redzone would be perfect for the red button as unlike the games they could just show it without having someone having to cut away and play the videos when the US is on a advert break.
we've just seen how good it can be and now we're back to hearing them tell us about a score instead of just showing the damn clip :mad:
:mad:
Sky are building new studios that will be finished next year.
I came on line and found an internet stream of the Giants V Eagles game and I was certainly glad that I did.
For people who didn't like it and would prefer them to just show one game, remember that one game is sometimes a bit of a dud, and how frustrating it is when the US network is showing a highlight of another game, and all we get Kev or Nick telling us what we're not seeing.
Definitely agree that it would be great if they could give us the option of either a live game or the Red Zone via the red button. And stay with Red Zone for the whole six hours.
I hope Sky keep it, but for harmony it's probably best to stick it on the red button.
I agree with this. I only watched the first hour and a half, but I enjoyed the cutting to and from various games, which gave a real sense of momentum and made me feel as though I was in touch with what was happening across the board, rather than being stuck with a single, potentially tedious game, which has happened far too often for me this season.
The ad breaks were a problem, and badly interrupted the flow of the game, though I do understand that this was unavoidable given that the time was probably sold months ago. If Sky can be persuaded to make it a regular red button option next season, it will probably be the way I'll watch on a Sunday in future.
Would be happy for it to be on red button, but would be happier if Sky gave Virgin their red button feeds too!
I hope they don't completely knock the idea on the head. It works, but Sky butchered it last night. Interesting interview with NFLUK head honcho Alistair Kirkwood about it here...
They are....from some time early next year I think.