dslreports logo
 story category
NBC Will Stream London Olympics
But You'll Need Cable Connection to Access It
NBC recently stated that the company will be streaming the London Olympics live to computer and mobile device users for the very first time. Last Olympics NBC annoyed many by only streaming a smattering of pre-recorded events, with authentication systems that didn't work very well for many. Just as with cable industry "TV Everywhere" content, you'll have to have access to a cable, telco or satellite TV connection if you want to watch the streams -- given the industry is terrified of encouraging "cord cutting." According to the NBC website, users will be able to log into the stream using credentials they'll start providing in June for coverage of the Olympic trials. Hopefully stream and authentication issues will be kept to a minimum.
view:
topics flat nest 

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

See list of participating cable & telcos

»www.nbcolympics.com/live ··· .html#Q2

Then select the pull down box labeled "Select TV Provider" to see the list of participating cable & telcos.

Of course AT&T U-verse, Verizon Fios, Comcast, & Time Warner are all on the list. That covers most cable TV users in the US.
kshusker
join:2009-10-12

kshusker

Member

Re: See list of participating cable & telcos

This leaves off a ton of smaller cable companies covering medium-sized cities, smaller towns, and rural areas, even some medium sized overbuilders like Knology.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: See list of participating cable & telcos

said by kshusker:

This leaves off a ton of smaller cable companies covering medium-sized cities, smaller towns, and rural areas, even some medium sized overbuilders like Knology.

I don't know. That list includes a lot of cable companies. And Comcast has said more will be added:
quote:
(If you don’t see your TV provider listed here, check back soon. We're working hard to add new partners.)
mogamer
join:2011-04-20
Royal Oak, MI

mogamer to kshusker

Member

to kshusker
said by kshusker:

This leaves off a ton of smaller cable companies covering medium-sized cities, smaller towns, and rural areas, even some medium sized overbuilders like Knology.

Wide Open West bought Knology and they're on the list. So I would imagine Knology customers will be able to receive this too.

powerspec88
Premium Member
join:2007-03-11
Lees Summit, MO

powerspec88 to kshusker

Premium Member

to kshusker
Surewest is on the list, so that's one small cable company that's on the list! Which is weird as we don't have hbo go or espn3 yet....

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList

Premium Member

really??

why can't they just let this model die already??!
HeadSpinning
MNSi Internet
join:2005-05-29
Windsor, ON

1 recommendation

HeadSpinning

Member

Re: really??

This is like forcing everyone who buys a new car to prove they own a buggy whip.
thor793
join:2005-09-10
Schaumburg, IL

thor793

Member

Re: really??

Too true!

anononon
@level3.net

anononon to HeadSpinning

Anon

to HeadSpinning
No it isn't. It's like requiring new-car-users who want to travel on a buggy-only road to prove that they own one.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536 to ArrayList

Premium Member

to ArrayList
said by ArrayList:

why can't they just let this model die already??!

they want the cord cutters back is why. however those people will get the content and at a better bitrate than the bitstarved crap NBC is going to give.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Not a Problem

Most people will already know the final scores of all the events well before they are aired in the US anyway.

And given how Comcast owns NBC, we now have yet another textbook example of why vertical integration is a bad thing.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Not a Problem

said by pnh102:

Most people will already know the final scores of all the events well before they are aired in the US anyway.

The online feeds will be LIVE and not tape delayed.

asfasfasfasf
@comcast.net

asfasfasfasf to pnh102

Anon

to pnh102
the point here is that it will be "live" online via this nbc app

it's not just showing the same content that is on TV

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Re: Not a Problem

said by asfasfasfasf :

the point here is that it will be "live" online via this nbc app

it's not just showing the same content that is on TV

Then that just begs the question, why should a Cable TV subscription be required if you're watching something that:

1. The "good stuff" is being broadcast OTA.
2. Isn't live in the OTA broadcast.

I'll just stick to my traditional method of using Google to catch the latest scores.
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch

Member

Yet another reason

Yet another reason to avoid the Olympics. Lest anyone forget, this event stopped being about promoting amateur athletes years ago. Not only are professional athletes allowed in, but the IOC has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any reporting on the event that they don't sanction and charge for. Not only that, but the IOC has been known for years to be packed with political cronies who have absolutely nothing to do with athletics.

The Olympics has turned into a big-money event, run by a corrupt organization accountable to no one, that, in many cases, is there simply to advance the careers of professional and soon-to-be professional athletes.

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

1 edit

jmn1207

Premium Member

Re: Yet another reason

<rant>
I'm going to skip the Olympics. This business model needs to be regulated. There has to be an option for people to be able to buy the online content without being forced to pay for a TV subscription.

This ESPN 3 crap is out of control. Once again the consumers are completely removed from any power when it comes to content other than to go completely without all of it or pay tons of money for a bunch of stuff they don't want.

This is the reason our cable bills are increasing 2-3 times during the year in either a direct rate increase or in some thinly disguised equipment cost adjustment or mysterious usage fee.

The consumer needs to have a choice in whether or not they want Disney/ABC, Time Warner, NBCUniversal/Viacom, or any other packaged channels that are designed to add "value" to our lineup so that these corporations can squeeze more money out of the customers.

So, anyone know what the minimum amount that someone would need to spend in order to qualify for the online streaming? I'm sure that the requirements for anyone would include a lengthy 2-year contract with a minimum TV package with an onerous penalty for early termination.

NBC lost money in the last Olympic games because they tape delayed all of the events thinking that everyone would tune in during prime time. They were wrong. Still, a few individuals made a bucketful of money, even though the company took a hit. I'm sure all of those that benefited control the direction the company heads.

In 2014, ESPN will win the bid for the Olympics going forward. It appears that this model will live on for years to come. Time for a new channel for Disney; ESPN-O, for exclusive 24-hour Olympics coverage all year. Why not go ESPN-SO and ESPN-WO for summer and winter games, add the Spanish versions next, and then charge the cable TV providers an additional 40% increase in future contract negotiations? The cable TV provider will fire most of the skeleton crew that is left in customer support while raising our rates and adjusting the TV channel lineups in a manner that attempts to move more people into higher cost tiers.

Since both Hewey Cable and Dewey Satellite play the same game, there really is no other option for the consumer.

Screw it, I'm reading a book.
</rant>

maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA

maartena

Premium Member

Re: Yet another reason

said by jmn1207:

In 2014, ESPN will win the bid for the Olympics going forward.

NBC already has won and bought the rights for the Olympics through the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Since both Hewey Cable and Dewey Satellite play the same game, there really is no other option for the consumer.

There really is no option for the cable-cutting consumer. I'm thinking everyone that has some sort of subscription TV service can watch the online streams without a problem, and you probably can borrow a friends password if you don't have it yourself.

Most cable cutters aren't sports lovers anyways, as your local sports teams don't stream online unless you buy league-wide coverage packages like MLB.tv or something. (Which is just as expensive per year as the cheapest cable package)

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

jmn1207

Premium Member

Re: Yet another reason

said by maartena:

said by jmn1207:

In 2014, ESPN will win the bid for the Olympics going forward.

NBC already has won and bought the rights for the Olympics through the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Thanks. I see that I am a year late to this party.

I basically only watch sports and subscribe to MLB.TV premium so that my family in Orlando can catch the NY Bankee's games that are blacked out or otherwise made unavailable to them on DirecTV. I think that MLB.TV is an excellent value, other than the crazy black out rules. Let's hope that MLB.TV won't be "free" to everyone that has a TV subscription and it remains available to purchase for those that want it.

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH

buzz_4_20 to maartena

Member

to maartena
Some cable cutters are using other methods to acquire content. Oddly enough there are no odd rules to the content they get, even all the commercials are edited out.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Yet another reason

said by buzz_4_20:

Oddly enough there are no odd rules to the content they get, even all the commercials are edited out.

And it's not live, which is kind of the point of this broadcast.

thedragonmas
Premium Member
join:2007-12-28
Albany, GA
Netgear R6300 v2
ARRIS SB6180

thedragonmas to maartena

Premium Member

to maartena
said by maartena:

(..snip..)
There really is no option for the cable-cutting consumer. I'm thinking everyone that has some sort of subscription TV service can watch the online streams without a problem, (..snip..)

the site says your subscription has to include cnbc and msnbc, down where im at thats expanded basic, (~$60/mo) yeah im one of the ones that wont be able to watch it, since im basic cable only.

and while im not a sports fan, i do enjoy the olympics.

ah well, guess ill just stick to what evers on the local channel.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to maartena

Member

to maartena
said by maartena:

and you probably can borrow a friends password if you don't have it yourself.

which in my state since last year is against the law which is punishable by 1 year I jail and $2500 fine. That's for a first offense and less than $500 in entertainment "stolen"

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

jmn1207

Premium Member

Re: Yet another reason

said by 88615298:

said by maartena:

and you probably can borrow a friends password if you don't have it yourself.

which in my state since last year is against the law which is punishable by 1 year I jail and $2500 fine. That's for a first offense and less than $500 in entertainment "stolen"

It might be a cheaper solution to pay the fines and go to jail. Besides, the prisons probably get all of the sports channels and Olympic online streaming events.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to 88615298

Premium Member

to 88615298
Seems like a rather silly and stupid law. Guess that means when someone shares an MMO account they are violating that law if they live in TN too.
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch to jmn1207

Member

to jmn1207
And don't forget one of NBC's oldest ideas for broadcasting the Olympics and screwing over people at the same time: the Triple-Cast. For those who don't remember, this took place during the 1992 Summer Olympics, and it involved three cable channels being rebranded into subscription Olympic channels for the duration of the event. Anyone wanting to watch had to get a subscription from their cable company, which included a decoder box and a special Triple-Cast remote.

And the reason I said that people got screwed was not so much because of the cost of the event, although I recall it being pretty expensive, but because the channels used were basic cable channels. I don't remember which ones, but, if you happened to watch those channels, you were just SOL for those two weeks. And don't think for a minute that those who didn't take the Triple-Cast got any kind of refund for losing those three channels.
slckusr
Premium Member
join:2003-03-17
Greenville, SC

slckusr to jmn1207

Premium Member

to jmn1207
said by jmn1207:

<rant>

So, anyone know what the minimum amount that someone would need to spend in order to qualify for the online streaming? I'm sure that the requirements for anyone would include a lengthy 2-year contract with a minimum TV package with an onerous penalty for early termination.

Since both Hewey Cable and Dewey Satellite play the same game, there really is no other option for the consumer.

Screw it, I'm reading a book.
</rant>

I pay dish 22.00 a month after taxes for my channels + dvr. I get online access to the channels I get. ( I dont watch sports though, and when I do I goto a friends or the bar).

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

Infected

And if its like it was last time, you'll need to infect your system with silverlight as well!!1

if i got cable, why not just turn on the TV? *shrug*

caffeinator
Coming soon to a cup near you..
Premium Member
join:2005-01-16
00000

caffeinator

Premium Member

Re: Infected

Yeah, I just hid the "recommended" Silverlight addition from WU once again. It keeps coming back up...Buggers.

If anything, I'll watch some of it on NBC via OTA. Not caring too much though.

Smith6612
MVM
join:2008-02-01
North Tonawanda, NY
·Charter
Ubee EU2251
Ubiquiti UAP-IW-HD
Ubiquiti UniFi AP-AC-HD

1 edit

Smith6612

MVM

Or ya know...

I could avoid the stupid Silverlight player, the self-setting streams that look like crap and the constant commercials all over the player by watch the Olympics on an overseas network online. Two years ago when NBC had their Olympics "TV Everywhere" wall up, you could watch the Olympics live without an issue through that, but it looked terrible, you had constant ads on the screen away from the actual streamed video itself, and of course, you had the dreaded issues with video quality, Silverlight blowing itself up (chewing memory), and other limitations. Overall, not good.

While I pay for TV that I never use and others in the house do, I really do not want to have to authenticate myself to some streaming app to prove that I actually pay. As far as I'm concerned the Olympics is already sponsored shoulder deep since it is a worldwide event. They already air it Over The Air with the same commercials the streams had from their last stream, and OTA just looks and works a lot better.

What I find ironic is, due to the scope of the event there are tons of other media networks out their airing essentially the same rounds at the same time. A quick search will find sites that have not been bombed into the search results that actually belong to these out-of-country networks that are the equivalent of NBC, who actually stream the HD Feed with hardly an advertisement to those who simply visit the URL. No Pay Wall, and sure, while the servers might go down for a half an hour at times (weekends), there's just no nonsense to put up with for those times where I cannot sit back and enjoy a sporting event in front of a TV. Maybe the language was something I'd understand only half of, but it's the same content.

As far as I'm concerned though when it comes to cost, if you're sponsoring an event and you've opted to air it at the same time, you've already lost money. No sense trying to regain it back if you are going to air it for free to anyone who can receive OTA television, yet charge for Cable TV and Internet streams. I'll gladly take consideration of authenticating to a stream if it looked like this or better: »seansite.dyndns.org/blog ··· lym4.png
stridr69
join:2003-05-19
San Luis Obispo, CA

stridr69

Member

Typical...

Seems that flash is needed to view content. Hey, NBC, does the iPad mean anything to you? Get with the program, people. I'd like to use my spank'n new iPad 3 to watch the Olympics. Silver light is so 2008.

caffeinator
Coming soon to a cup near you..
Premium Member
join:2005-01-16
00000

caffeinator

Premium Member

Re: Typical...

Ya know it's M$NBC, right?
I don't think they will give a dime about Apple peeps.