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NFL - UK Broadcasting Thread |
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#26 |
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,407
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It's never going to be as slick and professional as the US broadcasters though is it? The availability/access to players and coaches isn't the same and it the value for money just wouldn't be there for either Sky or BT.
On the Wembley games and franchise point, surely a large part of that is because it's what the NFL and NFL UK want, any rights holder would have to make a big play on it. Remember a couple of years ago 5Live Sports Extra would sometimes pick games purely because that team would be coming to London a few weeks later My main desire though is to be able to access more focussed coverage from the US in the same way that BT/ESPN gives us College Gameday, College Football Live/Final and full US coverage of games. So if we can have access to a pre game show from CBS, FOX or NFL Network that suits me fine - just please give us it in HD (same for Red Zone please!). |
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#27 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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It could make a bit more of an effort though. My point was that the presentation hasn't changed much in several years and is a little tired as a result. Similarly, i'm not saying don't mention the Wembley games, just keep it more in proportion. There is a danger that they are broadcasting too much to a narrow band of fans (who are attending the Wembley games or interested in the related fan rally hoo hah that Neil Reynolds gets so excited about - and i've been to around 5 of the Wembley games)
Towards the end of the season, when Jeff Reinbold becomes available following his coaching commitments, there is a marked imrovement. Surely between them Sky and Fox could find a couple of up and coming American studio hosts/ex players, and let them develop for a few years over here. They had Mark Tauscher on either last year or the season before for a couple of games, and he was really good (besides the dodgy haircut and moustache). Presumably there is some good reason why they don't go for the likes of Mike Carlson or Gary Imlach, either would be an instant and significant upgrade. |
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#28 |
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Haven't seen it mentioned above, but Sky will also be showing from next Wednesday and also on Thursday before the game, Showtime's Inside the NFL with JB, Cris Collingsworth and Phil Simms - it's consistently rated as one of the best NFL recap shows on TV.
For those who want to watch NFL Network - you can subscribe for £2.99 a month / £29.99 per year through https://network.nfl.com/nfln/secure/packages and watch online 24/7, not ideal but a possible option. |
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#29 |
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Haven't seen it mentioned above, but Sky will also be showing from next Wednesday and also on Thursday before the game, Showtime's Inside the NFL with JB, Cris Collingsworth and Phil Simms - it's consistently rated as one of the best NFL recap shows on TV.
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#30 |
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I thought there were legal difficulties with showing it on air, due to product placement or something...
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#31 |
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I thought there were legal difficulties with showing it on air, due to product placement or something...
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#32 |
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Nope, that was NFL Network's Total Access, which is available to all for free 6 days a weeks on the Sky Sports website.
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#33 |
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Didn't Sky used to show all Sunday games (all but two on the red button)?
Why did they stop doing that? I'm a casual Sunday viewer but would love to be able to watch every 49ers game on Sky. |
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#34 |
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: London
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I imagine its all the constant product placement in the US pre game and half time shows that stops them being shown here.
But only the half time shows are included in the rights to games sold by the NFL. To show the Fox or CBS pre-game shows they would need to buy the rights separately. I cannot see them doing that on a regular basis as Sky prefer to tailor their coverage of all sports for a British audience. And they are not going to aim their coverage at hardcore fans who will watch anyway at the expense of turning away general sports fans. Although CBS are producing the regular Thursday Night Football games this year it is for NFL Network, even though they will also air half of them. So the rights to that can be covered by their existing contract. And going out live avoids undue prominence issues, whilst there are not many general sports fans flipping between channels at 1am. Quote:
Didn't Sky used to show all Sunday games (all but two on the red button)?
Why did they stop doing that? I'm a casual Sunday viewer but would love to be able to watch every 49ers game on Sky. In 2006 they started showing an alternative game in each slot on the red button. This was ahead of the first Wembley game in 2007 for which they needed the opportunity to show all of Miami's home games in the lead up in return for them giving up a home game to play in London. As this was not required the following year the service was dropped in 2009 at the start of a new contract, at a time when Sky Sports were making cuts across all sports. In 2010 in week 15 they decided to air Red Zone instead of a regular game at 6pm for the remainder of the season as a better way of covering the playoff race. This lead to heavy complaints from those who had no interest in Red Zone and wanted to watch a full game, and those who wanted to watch Red Zone and did not like the commercial interruptions. As a result the following week they went back to showing a game, but aired Red one on the red button instead. It has aired like that ever since. So they have by now been showing Red Zone on the red button for longer then they aired alternative games. |
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#35 |
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Location: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
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I imagine its all the constant product placement in the US pre game and half time shows that stops them being shown here.
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#36 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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I'm a casual Sunday viewer but would love to be able to watch every 49ers game on Sky.
And you can always just leave the red zone channel on (behind the red button), this shows all the scores and some of the drives from every game across the league. Your head might spin, but it's comprehensive and well presented. |
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#37 |
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Join Date: Feb 2009
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The half time shows have the presenters actually introduce ads from the sponsor- Toyota last year- which I'd certainly imagine would be frowned upon here.
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#38 |
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The half time shows have the presenters actually introduce ads from the sponsor- Toyota last year- which I'd certainly imagine would be frowned upon here.
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#39 |
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Join Date: Dec 2007
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The good news is the first 49ers game is on Sky this weekend, Sunday at 9 pm. They will probably get their fair share of Sky coverage because a) they're a good team with a fairly large UK fan base and b) they are based in the Pacific time zone and there are generally fewer games played at 9 pm UK time, so the chances of the Niners being selected are that much higher than teams based in the Eastern or Central time zones.
And you can always just leave the red zone channel on (behind the red button), this shows all the scores and some of the drives from every game across the league. Your head might spin, but it's comprehensive and well presented. This weekend is a bit messy because it is opening weekend but generally speaking there aren't massively more game games in the 1pm ET slot than the 4pm ET slot.. For the record I can see the Dallas game coming down to who's D is least bad |
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#40 |
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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Quote:
I thought there were legal difficulties with showing it on air, due to product placement or something...
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#41 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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Fantastic logic apart from the fact that they are away at Dallas this week and the only other game in that slot is Carolina v TB.
This weekend is a bit messy because it is opening weekend but generally speaking there aren't massively more game games in the 1pm ET slot than the 4pm ET slot.. |
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#42 |
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Showtime does not have product placement as they are a premium network
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#43 |
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: London
Posts: 2,007
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Despite the time zone and number of competing games, west coast teams are not any more likely to be shown than their quality and matchup would dictate.
The late 4:25pm ET slot is a (mostly) national showcase one, the highest rated, and gets the best of the afternoon's games either scheduled for or moved into it. The only time Sky would not show those in favour of another game is if they felt the main game would not be competitive and the alternative would be. The 49ers are likely to be shown a lot because they are one of the top teams in the league, arguably the second best. Their location is irrelevant. Incidentally, from next season week 1 will have a more normal balance as ESPN take over coverage of the the US Open from CBS. Because the men's single final is played at the same time as the late games, the schedule has had to be design so all their games are played in the early slot. |
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#44 |
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Join Date: Mar 2005
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Incidentally, from next season week 1 will have a more normal balance as ESPN take over coverage of the the US Open from CBS. Because the men's single final is played at the same time as the late games, the schedule has had to be design so all their games are played in the early slot.
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#45 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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Despite the time zone and number of competing games, west coast teams are not any more likely to be shown than their quality and matchup would dictate.
The late 4:25pm ET slot is a (mostly) national showcase one, the highest rated, and gets the best of the afternoon's games either scheduled for or moved into it. The only time Sky would not show those in favour of another game is if they felt the main game would not be competitive and the alternative would be. The 49ers are likely to be shown a lot because they are one of the top teams in the league, arguably the second best. Their location is irrelevant. |
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#46 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
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Ofcom rules say it's fine during sports events as long as the event is live and it's completely unavoidable. They're also allowed whatever ad pattern they want for live sports, but they still have to keep to the 12 minutes per hour limit.
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#47 |
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Join Date: Dec 2007
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I disagree, the location of where a team plays is very relevant. Looking at this season's schedule, most weeks, of the three late games, at least two will be played in the Pacific time zone, which means they are hosted by one of seven teams (all the AFC Est, plus 3/4 of the NFC West). Sky does not, regrettably, always pick the "best" game, presumably because they try to show as many different teams as possible.
If so you are down to five teams as only the Raiders and Chargers are on PDT. The Broncos and Chargers are not in the PDT zone |
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#48 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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Think you may mean AFC West?
If so you are down to five teams as only the Raiders and Chargers are on PDT. The Broncos and Chargers are not in the PDT zone But the point remains the same, the teams in the NFC West and AFC West tend to have the majority of the limited number of 4pm Sunday games, so they are more likely to be one of the Sky late games than teams which play most of their games in the early kick-off slot. |
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#49 |
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Join Date: Feb 2009
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Think you may mean AFC West?
If so you are down to five teams as only the Raiders and Chargers are on PDT. The Broncos and Chargers are not in the PDT zone Not wading into the debate, but NFL rules state games can't kick off before 12pm local time so not only do games being played in the pacific time zone have to be played in the later Sunday afternoon slot but also those in the mountain time zone. |
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#50 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Presumably Ofcom are fine with preview shows like Monday Night Countdown which was aired live on ESPN UK when ESPN UK had the rights to MNF.
I think Monday Night Countdown might be classed as part of MNF, which may let them get away with it... |
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