Paying for live streams
- Thread starter viennaskater
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That is always a plus, yes.
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- Jan 17, 2022
I managed to access the Skate America ISU stream and videos from Germany without a VPN this time so now I am very confused but also very happy. I can just switch on the TV an don't have to mess about with my laptop. Maybe because Eurosport doesn't have any rights anymore, no VPN is necessary at the moment? Let's hope it satys that way.
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- Dec 7, 2022
well, I couldn't... there was not even a stream shown for me until I connected per VPN
There doesn't seem to be any consistency with it. Eurosport don't have the rights for the UK anymore either (no one does, as far as we know...), but the ISU stream was geoblocked for us unless we used a VPN. Last year (when Eurosport still had the rights) the Skate America ISU stream was geoblocked for us but the other senior GPs were not.
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- Jan 17, 2022
Crossing my fingers that Skate Canada will still be available without a fuss. But even if not, the Opera VPN solution is super easy. And the ISU streams at least have decent commentators. The local German ones are notoriously terrible after all.
You can try Skate Canada's Dailymotion, they streamed SCI there last year.
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It's not a VPN issue. It's a YouTube issue.
I found the same thing happening when watching archived livestreams from the Junior GP Series without the VPN switched on. They don't put ads in when the stream is broadcasting live, but they do when it is being watched on demand. And it is infuriating!
CaroLiza_fan
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That's why ad-blockers exist. I never see any ads on youtube.
It must be so annoying to get an ad in the middle of a performance.
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That's why ad-blockers exist. I never see any ads on youtube.
Me neither, but Youtube plans to crack down on us in the future unless we pay for Premium (I think their plan involves limiting the number of videos an ad block user can see per day). I read that on Yahoo a few days ago.
I am fortunate in that our TV is broadcasting the GP series this year again, on their linear channel, and archiving the streams on their website; at least for now. With North American and Asian GPs, the coverage is usually quite good and relatively complete as they're live at night/morning hours, but come European GP events, it's a bit harder as they kick skating out of linear channels whenever it clashes with a more mainstream sport. They don't archive online livestreams, and I'm clumsy and don't know how to record those (if I can do that at all on my PC). If Finland and France coverages are cut to the bone, I'll probably test the Opera VPN, or some other VPN tat's been recommended here.
And about the OP - I personally never pay for livestreams. I have no problem waiting and watching for free later on, as happened with the Nebelhorn streams. If it doesn't become available, too bad, but I'll survive. I always have such a FS watching backlog anyway, that I simply don't care.
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- Feb 18, 2014
Funny you should mention this. I regularly see ads on youtube and at the weekend, while watching the recorded men's short from Skate America, this damned thing actually happened. Usually I put up with the ads - if they pop up at the beginning of the recording or during a slow-mo recap then ok, but I was extremely annoyed when they started interfering with the performances. I am sure this never used to happen, I suspect it's deliberate. We have had the ISU YouTube channel showing the GP for years and I do not recall this being a problem before.That's why ad-blockers exist. I never see any ads on youtube.
Now I am not sure if they would show ads during the LIVE stream, but I was not prepared to take the risk. After trying adblock apps on my phone (which is linked to youtube on my smart TV), these did not solve the problem. My TV settings seem not to have a button to turn off ads, either, I think my TV is too old.
I have therefore subscribed to YouTube Premium (first month free) for the time being at least. If I continue it will be EUR 11.99 a month. I may be forced to go ahead with it. I use YouTube Music quite a lot too and Premium also removes ads from that, which is good.
I am somewhat saddened by yet another money-making scheme which is plagueing us all in this current climate. This just adds to the already established paying-quite-a-bit-for livestreams practice.
Ah I see I was watching it the next day due to the time difference.It's not a VPN issue. It's a YouTube issue.
I found the same thing happening when watching archived livestreams from the Junior GP Series without the VPN switched on. They don't put ads in when the stream is broadcasting live, but they do when it is being watched on demand. And it is infuriating!
CaroLiza_fan
I don't mind the adds but not in the middle of the skate!
Thats annoying to miss elements!
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Yes, it seems so. The YT for GP was for the first time not geoblocked in Scandinavia. It seems we will be watching GP and EC and WC on YouTube the whole season unless someone is buying the rights. Maybe for the Championships?
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If they do, we can just make up a separate google account purely for skating (I have quite a few myself, I use different gmail accounts for different things).
Though it's ironic that the countries where there is too little audience interest for anyone to take up the rights - or where that interest is waning - who have the best and easiest way to watch
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Announcement from Eurosport about their Winter Sports coverage:
https://media.discoverysports.com/p...over-with-wall-to-wall-world-cup-coverage-on-
The final footnote is probably the most important bit for us:
So, by extension, I take it that means that Eurosport WILL be showing the skating everywhere else.
Still doesn't provide clarity for those of us in the British Isles or the Nordic countries, but at least it does for those elsewhere in Europe.
CaroLiza_fan
https://media.discoverysports.com/p...over-with-wall-to-wall-world-cup-coverage-on-
The final footnote is probably the most important bit for us:
ISU Figure Skating, ISU Speed Skating and Short Track World Cup coverage excludes Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK and Ireland.
So, by extension, I take it that means that Eurosport WILL be showing the skating everywhere else.
Still doesn't provide clarity for those of us in the British Isles or the Nordic countries, but at least it does for those elsewhere in Europe.
CaroLiza_fan
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- Dec 7, 2022
But I'm in Germany and they didn't show Skate America for me - so now I'm really confused.
But thanks for posting this!
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I know in past years there was no coverage on Eurosport's linear channels of the events that were held in the middle of the night European time. However, they did provide the World Feed coverage on the Eurosport Player / Discovery+. But, from the sounds of comments on here, that wasn't provided for Skate America last week.
Maybe it was a VERY late deal. But, in that case, both parties would have known about the turmoil over Viaplay, and could have added the British Isles and the Nordic countries to the discussions.
In short, I don't know.
It might be worth keeping an eye on the Eurosport Player / Discovery+ over the next few weeks to see if anything appears for the upcoming Senior GP's. And reporting back to us.
CaroLiza_fan
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