Eurosport Updates

[CaroLiza_fan]

I rang the Sky customer care today - they didn't seem to have a clue about the launch of additional Eurosport channels. When I pointed out that their rival Media Virgin already done that, they were like - you don't need those channels as you would have all the coverage on BESP1 & 2 + on BBC. I disagreed. They repeated that I would not need any extra channels - all the events will be covered (BS!), our conversation went on these lines for a good while and eventually I gave up.

Why am I not surprised that they were clueless?

But, they didn't know who they were up against! Good on you for standing up to them!

I had a look at the broadcasters page on the Olympics website and, if it is completely accurate (which it isn’t, as it doesn’t mention the extra linear channels being available in Ireland), then it is only a select few countries that are getting extra linear channels:

Channels	Countries
Just Eurosport 1 and 2	Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Georgia, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta Moldova, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, Vatican
Eurosport 1, 2 and 4	Turkey
Eurosport 1, 2 and 5	Norway
Eurosport 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5	Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, UK

Not sure why Turkey and Norway have strange combinations.

---

An update on my updates post from last week.

The day after I posted that comment, I noticed a change to the Player. You know how I was explaining that the details about the recording were now permanently displayed in the top left-hand corner when watching in full-screen, and how they were overlapping with the new Tech Box. Well, now it has been changed so that the details only appear when you bring your mouse over the video.

Also, this morning the 30 second adverts returned to the start of the On Demand videos.

These developments have started me wondering if somebody from Eurosport is reading this thread.

And if they are, then PLEASE let us all have the extra linear channels (preferably forever!)

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Just been digging around trying to find hints of who we might have commentating, and spotted that Catherine Whittaker posted a photo yesterday of herself with the flame and a couple of the Alpine courses in the background:

https://twitter.com/CWhitakerSport/status/960466058996891648

Actually really glad Catherine is there. It's been a while since she has been commentating on the skating, and I was actually starting to miss hearing her. I like her, and I like the way she can bring the perspective of a female skater.

Yes, I know there is another Ladies skater who has been part of the Eurosport team, and who went much further in her skating career than Catherine ever did. But at least Catherine is nice...

I have a feeling that Simon Golding commentating for Eurosport during 4 Continents was a warm-up for him doing the commentary on the Olympic Channel during the Olympics. After all, he has commentated on figure skating on there before.

Incidentally, I read on Digital Spy that the additional streams are going to have commentary, but not from the Eurosport commentators. So, I take it that means they are taking commentary and pictures straight from the Olympic Channel.

Obviously, Mark Hanretty won't be going as he is still competing on "Dancing On Ice". But, as for the rest of the team, I can't find any hints.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[surimi]

Humph, Czech Republic stuck with just two Eurosport channels that are known for their contempt of skating, and drastically reduced coverage times on the national channel... gee, thanks Eurosport. Sochi was light years better, coverage-wise. *sulking in the corner*

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Humph, Czech Republic stuck with just two Eurosport channels that are known for their contempt of skating, and drastically reduced coverage times on the national channel... gee, thanks Eurosport. Sochi was light years better, coverage-wise. *sulking in the corner*

It mightn't be as bad as you think, because the broadcasters page on the Olympic website (which I have just fixed the link to in my post from last night) says that you are getting the ESP International broadcasts, rather than a local version (I didn't put those details into the table, as it was just counting channels).

Unfortunately, the Eurosport Player website won't work for me when I try to change my unblocky friend to the Czech Republic. So, I can't actually check. (No, that was not intended as a pun).

Incidentally, I added the British Eurosport listings to my TV schedule post yesterday, and will be adding more versions this morning.

So, we should be able to get a clearer picture of Eurosport's plans then.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[brushalley]

Chris and Simon have to be commentating

 

[Miller]

Shame that Sky in UK appears not to be showing more than Eurosport 1 and 2 - nice try Tutto! Let's hope E3/4/5 appear on the player - cannot see any sign so far, at least may be able to piece together more commentary versions together with non-commentary to get full event coverage as you yourself may want it.

One thing I've thought of. Alpine skiing events can often be cancelled due to bad weather and these are the things that will be preventing full coverage on E1 and E2 due to there not being enough channels. Could well be worth recording everything from 1 a.m. GMT/2 a.m. CET on the channels showing the skating, and then if they are cancelled you may find they've cut across to the skating early, has happened in the past, plus they can cut across early anyway, Eurosport can be quite flexible when it comes to these sort of things, so it is possible you may find skating at the end of the previous programme, and not from the start of the one you've set. Never know might pay off somewhere during the Olympics.

 

[YesWay]

Eurosport can be quite flexible when it comes to these sort of things,

My experience with Eurosport, is that yes they are flexible... but it's almost never in favour of figure skating. Everything else takes precedence... they'd rather show reruns of 70's amateur tiddlywinks or novice buffalo chip tossing, than live FS... -_-

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Just to let you know that I had to re-do the British Eurosport schedule when I went back this morning. But, it is for a good reason - they have now changed it so that the coverage on the additional streams is now included right up to the end of the Olympics, rather than the normal 7 days in advance that they were at yesterday.



So, another change for the better! :agree:

Still no sign of schedules for Eurosport 3, 4 and 5 yet, though... :disapp:

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Winnie_20]

Just to let you know that I had to re-do the British Eurosport schedule when I went back this morning.

Yay! Finally confirmation that the livestreams will cover the full events, ie also the-non-team ones.
Why are they all split at 3 am, though (in my NL schedule)? Is it a Eurosport thing, that the new days starts at 3 am or something?

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Yay! Finally confirmation that the livestreams will cover the full events, ie also the-non-team ones.
Why are they all split at 3 am, though (in my NL schedule)? Is it a Eurosport thing, that the new days starts at 3 am or something?

Yes, 2am GMT / 3am CET seems to be the end of Eurosport's day. It was the same with the LIVE coverage during Four Continents (see here).

But, it's just the listings that split at that time. The streams themselves carry on as if nothing has changed. And the resultant On Demand videos aren't split or anything.

There have been many times over the years when I have thought that I should combine them into one entry in my schedules, so as to avoid confusion for readers who might think that was the entire length of the broadcast. But, every time I decided to just do it the same way as Eurosport does it themselves. And then the blame is all with them!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Winnie_20]

LOL I paid very little if any attention to live coverage of 4CC. Real life and all that jazz.

I hadn't considered the idea that Eurosport 3,4,5 may show up on the Player. I don't think they will, what with being this weird exclusivity contract with Liberty Global or whatever it's called thing.
and I read that the 3,4,5 channels are now available on Ziggo and the app.

 

[Miller]

LOL I paid very little if any attention to live coverage of 4CC. Real life and all that jazz.

I hadn't considered the idea that Eurosport 3,4,5 may show up on the Player. I don't think they will, what with being this weird exclusivity contract with Liberty Global or whatever it's called thing.
and I read that the 3,4,5 channels are now available on Ziggo and the app.

BT TV in the UK can't be part of Liberty Global thing surely, but may be different on the Continent. Just looked at BT TV thing and looks as if Eurosport 3, 4 and 5 will all be dedicated to showing a single event in their entirety - sounds ideal if it's skating, but of course will skating come in the top 3? Also will it be with or without commentary, would have thought it has to be the former, especially for daytime viewing, can't really imagine they'll just show commentary free livestreams.

Let's hope they end up on the player, will at least give alternatives. http://tv.bt.com/tv/tv-from-bt/wint...-bt-tv-pop-up-channels-team-gb-11364248449159

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

BT TV in the UK can't be part of Liberty Global thing surely, but may be different on the Continent. Just looked at BT TV thing and looks as if Eurosport 3, 4 and 5 will all be dedicated to showing a single event in their entirety - sounds ideal if it's skating, but of course will skating come in the top 3? Also will it be with or without commentary, would have thought it has to be the former, especially for daytime viewing, can't really imagine they'll just show commentary free livestreams.

Let's hope they end up on the player, will at least give alternatives. http://tv.bt.com/tv/tv-from-bt/wint...-bt-tv-pop-up-channels-team-gb-11364248449159

BT is the exception. But, all the other providers that are carrying the new channels are owned by Liberty.

I do like the idea of having things shown in their entirity. Because that is what was driving me mad about the coverage that was on BBC1 and BBC2 in previous Olympics. They were jumping all over the place, and if you were only interested in a specific sport within a block of coverage, it was a nightmare.

From the comment on Digital Spy that I referred to in my post first thing this morning, it seems that Eurosport aren't going to have any commentary free coverage. Which, in a way, is a shame for figure skating fans as, even if you don't decide to watch the commentary free version, it is still nice to have the option of watching it.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Miller]

From the comment on Digital Spy that I referred to in my post first thing this morning, it seems that Eurosport aren't going to have any commentary free coverage. Which, in a way, is a shame for figure skating fans as, even if you don't decide to watch the commentary free version, it is still nice to have the option of watching it.

CaroLiza_fan

That's a shame. I was kind of hoping if E3, E4 and E5 ended up on the Player, we'd have the alternative of commentary free livestreams, and maybe commentary versions as well. Now all you might get is OBS commentary for E3, 4 and 5, and say Simon/Chris for official Eurosport ones, in which case it doesn't really matter if E3, 4 and 5 don't end up on the Player, as it sounds like we're we're going to get the OBS commentary on there anyway.

 

[Winnie_20]

I missed that. So, basically, no streams without commentary?
Wow.

:disagree:
I so don’t like commentary. Any commentary. I can decide for myself if I enjoy something. The only exception is Ted Barton.

 

[somelikeitpink]

Does anyone know when the channels will show up in the UK? Cause I checked my virgin schedule thing yesterday and the channel list and they weren't there yet? (Or maybe even better - anybody who has virgin and knows the channel numbers? )

 

[Spinning]

Does anyone know when the channels will show up in the UK? Cause I checked my virgin schedule thing yesterday and the channel list and they weren't there yet? (Or maybe even better - anybody who has virgin and knows the channel numbers? )

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-02-07/winter-olympics-2018-live-on-tv-bbc-eurosport-coverage/

But waiting for CaroLiza_fan for details is a sure bet!

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

When did Hungary switch over to receiving Eurosport 2 Xtra?! It was still the normal Eurosport 2 when I made out the 4 Continents schedule.

The result is that Hungary is getting the same coverage of the Olympics as Germany, i.e. Not as much as elsewhere!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Does anyone know when the channels will show up in the UK? Cause I checked my virgin schedule thing yesterday and the channel list and they weren't there yet? (Or maybe even better - anybody who has virgin and knows the channel numbers? )

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-02-07/winter-olympics-2018-live-on-tv-bbc-eurosport-coverage/

But waiting for CaroLiza_fan for details is a sure bet!

I wouldn't recommend relying on me for that, considering that cable TV is not available where I live.

BUT, I would suggest that these pages on the TV Channel Lists website might be a good bet:

List of channels on Virgin Media (UK)
List of channels on Virgin Media (Ireland)

They are not on there yet, but keep an eye on them over the next couple of days. If the editors keep the cable pages as up to date as they keep the Sky page, then the channels should appear in the lists quite quickly.

Hope this helps

CaroLiza_fan

 

[somelikeitpink]

Perfect thank you!
I had been searching and couldn't find it.