How can NBC improve coverage of the TdF?
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How can NBC improve coverage of the TdF?
Now that the 2018 TdF is over, I'm starting this thread in the very distant hope that maybe someone from NBCSN will see it and leverage our thoughts to produce a better product. I thoroughly enjoying watching the TdF each year and generally think the NBCSN coverage is fairly good, but also feel that they are missing a lot of opportunity especially with so much air time to fill.
To get us started, here's a few initial thoughts:
To get us started, here's a few initial thoughts:
- If they are going to keep the team of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, they've got to rebalance the load. 3 to 4 hours of air time is far too much to fill with stream-of-consciousness commentary from any reporter, much less one like Phil that has occasional lapses.
- Paul's commentary on the landscapes and sights surrounding the tour are routinely excellent. For some reason the value of these seems lost on Phil; he treats them like a waste of time. Many viewers who are not hard-core cycling fans cite that part of the coverage as a reason that they watch, especially if they haven't personally been to France.
- Steve Porino? Yeah I've read the separate Forum thread on him and have to laugh at the criticism. Name me one other sports commentator who can juggle multiple technology platforms, source out inside information during the event, report back live without a hint of "uh" or "you know" in his vocabulary, and do all of that on the back of a moving motorcycle? I can't imagine a tougher set of broadcasting circumstances in sports, and he's the only TdF commentator who is actually viewing the event live. My only suggestion for the Porino segments is to lessen the insane focus on tarmac temperatures. Yes, tell us when it's hot and how hot, but reporting back that the tarmac is 110 deg F is misleading (in cycling and any motorsports); they're not laying down on the tarmac they're driving over it.
- With so much time to fill, where is the analysis? So much of the coverage is commentary on what is happening or what has already happened but there is very little coverage of what might happen ahead or what teams should be doing next. If you watch any other sports coverage there is always analysis of what each individual or team's strength and weakness is, how it matches up against the opponent(s), and how they can win or lose. There's very little of that in NBCSN's coverage...it's all stream-of-consciousness.
- The smartest guy on the team is Christian Vande Velde and he gets the least air time. If you were paying attention during Stage 19, Vande Velde was the one who called the moment that G. Thomas won the tour as Froome cracked. Liggett missed it entirely, including the giveaway moment when Froome reached down to key his microphone and say something to Team Sky leaders as he dropped back. More Vande Velde would make the product better!
- Better use of new technology would make segments more interesting. I want to see Vande Velde strap on those goggles and go down one of those frightening descents at full speed. It looks terrifying from the moto, I can only imagine what it must look like on the bike!
- There are lots of additional topics that they don't delve into but would make for interesting add-ons. Examples:
- How about a bit of coverage of the equipment? Different bikes, different approaches, etc. Think about how other sports cover this aspect, e.g. swimming skinsuits, Formula 1 technology, motorcycle equipment, etc. Don't tell me that the suppliers will get mad; the exposure is good for them and so is the competition.
- What about differences in training approaches by the riders and/or teams?
- What are the riders focusing on while on the bike? We've all heard about Froome's obsession with watts, but what are riders seeing on their Garmin units and how are they using it?
- What was the impact or difference of disc brakes, used for the first time this year?
- What would have happened if Froome would not have gone off-course in Stage 1 and lost over 1 minute?
- OK, I love Taylor Phinney for the different approach he brings but for God's sake someone please reduce his Xanax prescription or get him a little bit of PR training. The "california stoner on a bike ride" vibe is getting a bit old, especially when there's no substance to what he's saying and he can't seem to finish a sentence off. Come on Taylor, it's global exposure!
Last edited by cj19; 07-30-18 at 08:05 AM.
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Maybe more commercials?
Nature of the beast.
Have you heard Ant McCrossan go solo for 5+ hours on one of the demi-Classics without the luxury of the sightseeing book that Paul reads from?
I agree with much of what you are saying, but I think there is a strong under-current of trying to pack too much shiny stuff in. Maybe that would work for broader TV audiences where people have the attention span of a goldfish. It is a two-edged sword. Much like the motos, and the debate about the barriers and the public, and whether there should be more or less time bonuses, and.....Hey look, squirrel!
Have you heard Ant McCrossan go solo for 5+ hours on one of the demi-Classics without the luxury of the sightseeing book that Paul reads from?
I agree with much of what you are saying, but I think there is a strong under-current of trying to pack too much shiny stuff in. Maybe that would work for broader TV audiences where people have the attention span of a goldfish. It is a two-edged sword. Much like the motos, and the debate about the barriers and the public, and whether there should be more or less time bonuses, and.....Hey look, squirrel!
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Not saying it couldn't be improved but I wouldn't hold my breath. I was listening to a podcast a while back with someone who had been involved at one point in NBC's coverage and he said TDF coverage would routinely get trounced in the ratings by things like fishing and hunting shows. Not much incentive for NBC to invest more than they already have, and I'm surprised they've invested even that much.
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In a perfect world, there would be a 45-60 minute summary of highlights on a daily basis. I love le Tour, and think NBC does a great job of covering it, but there are a lot of days I don't want to watch 4 hours, or even FF through 4 hours trying to find the moves, crashes, or other events that proved important.
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Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton
Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton
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Eurosport (English) have a guy who comes on during a quiet part of each stage to talk about the wine/cheese/cuisine of the region and give a recipe for a local dish. They also have former pro-rider Juan Antonio Fletcha riding his bike up the day's main climb describing what it's like and doing rider interviews, especially in Spanish. Also on the team is the former pro-cyclist and team manager Brian Smith (Scottish accent) and cycling legend Sean Kelly (Irish accent).
None of the above may suit an American audience however.
None of the above may suit an American audience however.
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I believe NBC SN is the greatest sports network in North America. They have single-handedly brought back sports like horse racing, Track & Field and others and made them must see events. I cannot wait to see what they do with the Indy 500 next year. They take sporting events that nobody else wants and makes them into winners . They know how to cover a big event like no other network.
Their coverage of the tour is really extensive, it's pretty much on all day long for 21 days straight. There's not much more they can do to get eyes on the TV set than that. No other network would dare take a chance and do that. We'd be lucky to get snippets of the race from the likes of ESPN or CBS Sports.
I really like the crew they have put together to give us the tour and they seemed to pass the microphone around to everyone much more than they ever have. Phil and Paul are the best, they are the Patriarchs of the tour and for me, the voice of the tour. And the rest of the commentators really add some spice to the whole event and I love the fact that they don't hold back and they openly disagree with each other in such an honest way. Bob Roll has a great sense of humor and gives some great insight. And yes I even like Steve Porino!
All-in- all I am thrilled with the coverage we get from NBCSN. It's far better than what we used to get, which was pretty much nothing. Now if they can cover The Monuments this way, then we would really have something!
Their coverage of the tour is really extensive, it's pretty much on all day long for 21 days straight. There's not much more they can do to get eyes on the TV set than that. No other network would dare take a chance and do that. We'd be lucky to get snippets of the race from the likes of ESPN or CBS Sports.
I really like the crew they have put together to give us the tour and they seemed to pass the microphone around to everyone much more than they ever have. Phil and Paul are the best, they are the Patriarchs of the tour and for me, the voice of the tour. And the rest of the commentators really add some spice to the whole event and I love the fact that they don't hold back and they openly disagree with each other in such an honest way. Bob Roll has a great sense of humor and gives some great insight. And yes I even like Steve Porino!
All-in- all I am thrilled with the coverage we get from NBCSN. It's far better than what we used to get, which was pretty much nothing. Now if they can cover The Monuments this way, then we would really have something!
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All in all it was good stuff. To answer your question.
- Drone work would add some different perspective.
- On board cameras real time instead of the little snipets after the race.
- Mic up some riders and have Porino do some live interviews in the race.
- Access to data. Cadence, power, gear combo, speed etc. on the screen real time would be fascinating! I know the teams would resist thinking it would put them at a disadvantage, but tough,
- Someone already said this but more behind the scenes stuff. Teams, gear, training, nutrition, race operations, logistics, safety, etc. Way more interesting than some random stone castle. Although, I do enjoy the travel side of the broadcast too.
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I watched it on NBC Gold. Much as I love Phil and Paul, I can’t handle the ads. So I had non-stop stream-of-consciousness from the two Aussies, Matt and Robbie. Not too bad, though they somehow missed the significance of the peloton’s giving Sylvian Chavanel the first ride around the Champs Élysées in tribute to his 18th and final year on Le Tour. Still, it beat the hell out of truck and beer ads ad nauseam.
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Your precedent is flawed. OLN => Versus => NBCSN is a rebranding thing, not a drop and pick up of the property. Sort of like Leopard Trek to Radioshack to Trek to Trek-Segafredo. At least in the US, there may be some Canadian spawn of OLN that survived. IDK.
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All in all it was good stuff. To answer your question.
- Drone work would add some different perspective.
- On board cameras real time instead of the little snipets after the race.
- Mic up some riders and have Porino do some live interviews in the race.
- Access to data. Cadence, power, gear combo, speed etc. on the screen real time would be fascinating! I know the teams would resist thinking it would put them at a disadvantage, but tough,
- Someone already said this but more behind the scenes stuff. Teams, gear, training, nutrition, race operations, logistics, safety, etc. Way more interesting than some random stone castle. Although, I do enjoy the travel side of the broadcast too.
I like the Grid Walk they do in F1 and Indycar before the race starts when the drivers and cars are getting ready to go, the interviewer runs down the grid trying to grab quick snippets and comments from the drivers, team managers, movie stars or whoever they can grab quickly. Its fast-paced and often the comments are quick, honest and interesting. I don't see why cycling couldnt do it to.
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I want to see longer video shots. Like long enough that when you can figure out who they are showing, you can then count the riders, see if so-and-so is there, estimate the time between when they pass and object and the next group does, etc.
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Love the ones about NBC flying drones over the tour and getting live feed from on-board cameras like they owned it.
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The coverage is excellent, and I really look forward to watching the tour each year. I like many of the suggestions on here, and hope MSNBC is listening. In no particular order:
(1) I second 79pmooney's suggestion of longer video segments of a single group of riders. They'll often show the leaders with a chase group in the background, but they don't stick with it long enough to count seconds past a particular shadow / bridge / whatever. It's maddening.
(2) The graphics on top of the screen should show distance to the next relevant point instead of to the end of the stage. When they are climbing an HC, I want to know how many k to the summit, not the finish line.
(3) They need better graphics and more thorough discussions about remaining points for the secondary jerseys. For KOM, for example, it wouldn't be that hard to show how many mountains are left in each category, total points available, etc. They could do the same for the green jersey, but that won't be necessary so long as Peter Sagan remains as dominant as he has been of late.
(4) More overhead views from the helicopters. These can be very telling, especially when the field is scattered on a tough climb. Have the chopper start with the leaders and drift SLOWLY backwards through the entire field, discussing along the way who is in which group.
(5) Don't ignore the Lanterne Rouge!!! I don't think they should overly dramatize it, either, but simply finishing the tour is a great accomplishment and the guys at the back deserve recognition.
(1) I second 79pmooney's suggestion of longer video segments of a single group of riders. They'll often show the leaders with a chase group in the background, but they don't stick with it long enough to count seconds past a particular shadow / bridge / whatever. It's maddening.
(2) The graphics on top of the screen should show distance to the next relevant point instead of to the end of the stage. When they are climbing an HC, I want to know how many k to the summit, not the finish line.
(3) They need better graphics and more thorough discussions about remaining points for the secondary jerseys. For KOM, for example, it wouldn't be that hard to show how many mountains are left in each category, total points available, etc. They could do the same for the green jersey, but that won't be necessary so long as Peter Sagan remains as dominant as he has been of late.
(4) More overhead views from the helicopters. These can be very telling, especially when the field is scattered on a tough climb. Have the chopper start with the leaders and drift SLOWLY backwards through the entire field, discussing along the way who is in which group.
(5) Don't ignore the Lanterne Rouge!!! I don't think they should overly dramatize it, either, but simply finishing the tour is a great accomplishment and the guys at the back deserve recognition.
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The coverage is excellent, and I really look forward to watching the tour each year. I like many of the suggestions on here, and hope MSNBC is listening. In no particular order:
(1) I second 79pmooney's suggestion of longer video segments of a single group of riders. They'll often show the leaders with a chase group in the background, but they don't stick with it long enough to count seconds past a particular shadow / bridge / whatever. It's maddening.
.
(1) I second 79pmooney's suggestion of longer video segments of a single group of riders. They'll often show the leaders with a chase group in the background, but they don't stick with it long enough to count seconds past a particular shadow / bridge / whatever. It's maddening.
.
#19
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They need to have Lance and George doing the commentating. Their podcast this year was way more entertaining than anything else.
Seriously though. One thing that really annoyed me is they don't make it obvious what group the camera is on when the group is all spit up. When you have the peloton all spaced out and they cut from one group to another, unless the yellow jersey was in it or you happened to recognize someone, you were unsure if that was the front group, a chase group, or a group off the back.
They should have some guest commentary during the race from the GCN guys or other famous youtubers. How bout durianrider anyone? LOL.
More CVV.
Seriously though. One thing that really annoyed me is they don't make it obvious what group the camera is on when the group is all spit up. When you have the peloton all spaced out and they cut from one group to another, unless the yellow jersey was in it or you happened to recognize someone, you were unsure if that was the front group, a chase group, or a group off the back.
They should have some guest commentary during the race from the GCN guys or other famous youtubers. How bout durianrider anyone? LOL.
More CVV.
Last edited by brianmcg123; 07-30-18 at 04:14 PM.
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Add the Giro and Vuelta.
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more personal info about the riders. how much money do they make. what do stage wins and other bonuses pay. whats on the menu for the meal after the race. how do the feed bags differ from rider to rider. what kind of tires, group sets, saddles, sunglasses, etc. what happens to all the bottles they throw. anecdotes about the towns they go through
it's good already and I'm going to miss it until next year
it's good already and I'm going to miss it until next year
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I'd like that.
And I wish they'd do replays at a decent time on weekends as I seldom get to watch the live coverage.
Overall I think the coverage is pretty good though. Certainly some of the suggestions made above could make it better, but I'm happy to get coverage at all. And I'm not sure how much control they have over some of the camera work as I was under the impression they're using someone else's feed for much of it.
And I wish they'd do replays at a decent time on weekends as I seldom get to watch the live coverage.
Overall I think the coverage is pretty good though. Certainly some of the suggestions made above could make it better, but I'm happy to get coverage at all. And I'm not sure how much control they have over some of the camera work as I was under the impression they're using someone else's feed for much of it.