UCI / Discovery channel
- Thread starter jonKranked
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True dat
The term was coined after motorised bikes came along so as to make a distinction between the two. The "Push" refers to pushing on the pedals to propel them rather than pushing them along. So strictly speaking class 1 Emtbs and Ebikes are also "push bikes"
UK Motorcyclists still pretty much always refer to bicycles as push bikes.
Actual cyclists are a pretty annoying group of nerds here too so have eleventy billion different niche names and categories for their beloved push bikes.
The term was coined after motorised bikes came along so as to make a distinction between the two. The "Push" refers to pushing on the pedals to propel them rather than pushing them along. So strictly speaking class 1 Emtbs and Ebikes are also "push bikes"
UK Motorcyclists still pretty much always refer to bicycles as push bikes.
Actual cyclists are a pretty annoying group of nerds here too so have eleventy billion different niche names and categories for their beloved push bikes.
Oh come on! My down country bike is significantly different from my All Mountain Light bike: it has 0.5° slacker HA, 5 mm more front travel and it is red. Clearly justifies a new category.
Despite my stupid comment about not wanting to focus only on bikes to be honest if it's still an option next year I might bug my boss for remote office/bike life option, especially if it was a get together with even more peeps from here. This year might be hard with work and the Ukraine thing tanking my currency (and wage for abroad work)
Re. Uci Discovery I wonder how many countries will get screwed just because Discovery has no presence in their country and they decide not to sell the rights to any local TV/Online provider. Since shit like this does happen.
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Mmmh, just saw that I missed that there is a conference in Lausanne August 14.-19.. Les Gets World Champs August 24.-28. Mmmhhh.....
Yeah! Get that M9 ready!Mmmh, just saw that I missed that there is a conference in Lausanne August 14.-19.. Les Gets World Champs August 24.-28. Mmmhhh.....
disco + is merging with HBOmax… good news for those that already have HBO access.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/14/22976876/hbo-max-discovery-plus-merge-app-confirmed
https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/14/22976876/hbo-max-discovery-plus-merge-app-confirmed
wtf now i saw this but didn't put 2 and 2 together re: bike racing
Hey Brother, I made a phone call for you/me. This matter of WC DH coverage is a Serious matter. It seem’s to have a couple of options coming to the table.
HBO Max Via the computer App from what I read,is garbage. If Discovery + is now under HBO,then you can get it from Dish,no App. However,you pay 5 Dollars for Max which gives you Discovery+. Right Now for 12 mounths you can get HBO Max for 12 Dollars a month,as to 15 regular. 10 for HBO,5 HBO Max. This will give us Live DH No hic up via Dish TV.
Now you said you do not get NBC,which left me scratching my Head? You Love SuperCross,me too. I have the Top package,I don’t know what you have,but here is what I found out for you:
As of Dec last year channel 105 USA,and channel 208 CNBC is now covering NBC Sport event’s. TDF,SuperCross etc. I can not confirm this,but It took me a Long time on the phone to get this info,Bitch was like”any more questions”? Yes Bitch,many more,you have some place Togo? Am I bothering you? She was not nice,her Tone was that of,you are annoying me,how soon can I get rid of Avy?
Avy
Hmm...Interesting. I actually do subscribe to HBOMax. But not through Dish, through the app. Which is kinda crap, but better than no HBO/Max.
Dish did put NBC back on, just in time for the Olympics and the Super Bowl. Hmm... Imagine that! Fuckers.
Anyways, I think I'll keep the peacock for now, mainly for supercross at my fingertips
I did notice the channels you mention do carry supercross, but it's kind of a pain in the ass to think ahead and make sure you set the DVR to record it. With wife and kid, I can never watch it live. Peacock is way easier.
Good on ya for calling and taking the time! Appreciate it!
@Avy, where do you live? I'm in Colorado.
I think I am just going HBOMax for the UCI Season and then cancel it. I can not deal with Race Time and have the App Acting up,No Sir. Correct me if I’m wrong,but RedBull will carry this upcoming Season,No? I was in a Panic like I was out of Coke. Glad the info was of help to you. Bay Area California is where I lay my head.Hmm...Interesting. I actually do subscribe to HBOMax. But not through Dish, through the app. Which is kinda crap, but better than no HBO/Max.
Dish did put NBC back on, just in time for the Olympics and the Super Bowl. Hmm... Imagine that! Fuckers.
Anyways, I think I'll keep the peacock for now, mainly for supercross at my fingertips
I did notice the channels you mention do carry supercross, but it's kind of a pain in the ass to think ahead and make sure you set the DVR to record it. With wife and kid, I can never watch it live. Peacock is way easier.
Good on ya for calling and taking the time! Appreciate it!
@Avy, where do you live? I'm in Colorado.
Avy
NBC is garbage if you are a non US resident. Some programmes they produced are basically impossible to see outside of the US or if they sold the rights they won't tell you to whom. I've managed to see one car programme after 2 years of waiting only because I got a job at a TV Channel that has it on air. Even the guys who did the show have no idea how to see it abroid since nbc tells them shit.
So I was listening to the PB post-Lourdes podcast, and Cathro said he spotted some of the Discovery people there scouting out the production. He said it sounded like they were going to try and do it in the same way they cover the enduro races.
That would be disastrous imo. I stopped following the enduro racing in part because coverage was so lame. I don't want some sort of 20 minute "race report" after the fact with useless commentary aimed at the uninitiated. please God let them maintain a live coverage format...
That would be disastrous imo. I stopped following the enduro racing in part because coverage was so lame. I don't want some sort of 20 minute "race report" after the fact with useless commentary aimed at the uninitiated. please God let them maintain a live coverage format...
Sven and Needles talked about on Needleses's podcast, and Sven mentioned the Disco people have Chris Ball on board (does that make him Disco Ball?). Anyway, Sven seemed this was a positive move, and also mentioned a much more robust race series, maybe races numbering into the teens. He says the teams feel like this was a positive move also. Hard to know, I thought the latest RB Lourdes coverage was pretty great, both the live event, and in particular the recap hosted by Eliot.
Give it a listen, the sound quality sucks, but the two of them together are very good.
The things I will say the EWS has had over the DH WCs in the past is both number of events and variety of locations. The pre-COVID EWS calendars have covered more countries in the few years its been running than the DH series has done in decades. Obviously EWS has the benefit of less infrastructure requirements, but it would be cool to see the DH series have a minimum # of new venues/countries annually.
how much cheaper is an ews event to run when you don’t need to pay off the uci lizards?
Doesn't really work like that. Running costs for the two are simply very different.
Even the money coming in from entries is on an entirely different scale due to the fact that hundreds of Jerrys queue up to pay £150 each to do all the various mickey mouse EWS - Z "events" that run alongside the main event
Chris Ball (and his team) are very savy
UCI not so much
Even the money coming in from entries is on an entirely different scale due to the fact that hundreds of Jerrys queue up to pay £150 each to do all the various mickey mouse EWS - Z "events" that run alongside the main event
Chris Ball (and his team) are very savy
UCI not so much
RIP high quality WC DH coverage
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm ok paying for it, as long as
a) I can (as in, if it's offered as a stand alone product, and not part of a cable package, or only in the US)
b) it's a high quality production.
The first EWS race summary was a disaster this year. I hope they learn from the criticism they receive and improve on that. They've managed to do a good job of it in the past: what I liked was a full description of each stage, with ride-previews and key section analysis, and then a summary of what happened in each stage. Location information, tech, and 'key stats' are ok, but shouldn't make up the bulk of the show. IMO of course.
Chris Ball was a UCI technical delegate before leaving to found the EWS if I'm not mistaken. He was around in the glory days of Freecaster and Redbull. Hopefully he remembers what made the sport awesome and fun to watch...
a) I can (as in, if it's offered as a stand alone product, and not part of a cable package, or only in the US)
b) it's a high quality production.
The first EWS race summary was a disaster this year. I hope they learn from the criticism they receive and improve on that. They've managed to do a good job of it in the past: what I liked was a full description of each stage, with ride-previews and key section analysis, and then a summary of what happened in each stage. Location information, tech, and 'key stats' are ok, but shouldn't make up the bulk of the show. IMO of course.
Chris Ball was a UCI technical delegate before leaving to found the EWS if I'm not mistaken. He was around in the glory days of Freecaster and Redbull. Hopefully he remembers what made the sport awesome and fun to watch...
If it ends up going pay to watch I will subscribe and play it on an endless loop on race weekends with a Webex feed for people to call into.
this. this is the problem. nothing i've seen so far indicates the coverage and production will be high quality.
i'm already preparing memes to shame them.
just realized this was different than what i posted friday, but let's keep the discussion to this thread for it.
from spomer commenting on the video:
"man in charge attends first world cup a few weeks ago, realizes there are factory teams for mountain bike racing. "
Pinkbike has a live question and answer going on with Chris Ball right now. He won’t give a straight answer on if the downhill world cups live feed will be free or not. Which we all know what that means…
what a shit show so far. why even held an AMA if you are not willing to answer questions properly?
so, downhill racing in february in europe. then nothing till june.
i secretly hope this means the return of snow DH, but deep down i know these guys are just idiots.
his responses are getting hidden for being downvoted so much
looks like they can’t ban/delete downvotes easilyhis responses are getting hidden for being downvoted so much
well, at least discovery can't fuck up rampage
ask me anything and i answer nothing
Given that the Discovery events guy hadn't even been to a mtb event until two weeks ago, it's not surprising he didn't have answers; they haven't had time to plan anything yet. Chris probably has all sorts of ideas, but until he's worked it out with WB/D, he probably can't say anything yet.
If I'm not mistaken, the current format came about during the Freecaster era. Then Red Bull picked up the ball and ran with it. Sometimes they fumbled or ran laterals, but for the most part they moved the yardstick farther down the field. I really hope WB/D realize this and build on what's there rather than try to reinvent the wheel.
Two groups we haven't heard from at all are team owners and "the industry"... They have as much to lose from this as any of us fans do... them and the riders themselves. Anyone know of any public statements from those groups?
I'm still reserving my judgment. The only thing I was able to glean from the AMA was that the races would still be broadcast and available to stream, whether for free or behind a paywall. At least I think that's what I understood.
If I'm not mistaken, the current format came about during the Freecaster era. Then Red Bull picked up the ball and ran with it. Sometimes they fumbled or ran laterals, but for the most part they moved the yardstick farther down the field. I really hope WB/D realize this and build on what's there rather than try to reinvent the wheel.
Two groups we haven't heard from at all are team owners and "the industry"... They have as much to lose from this as any of us fans do... them and the riders themselves. Anyone know of any public statements from those groups?
I'm still reserving my judgment. The only thing I was able to glean from the AMA was that the races would still be broadcast and available to stream, whether for free or behind a paywall. At least I think that's what I understood.
at least as far as DH is concerned, the coverage format was built upon the race format - which is essentially a time trial format. one racer at a time vs the clock, rolling start at a defined interval, race runs are ranked by time.
I realize that. I guess what i meant was that Freecaster figured out how to turn it into a watchable (and exciting) broadcast. I find dh skiing unwatchable and boring by comparison, and the race format is essentially the same. Yet dh has (presumably) more money.
Damn, that was such a total PR disaster.
At least, they now know that people are expecting them to fuck up a perfectly good thing.
The only positives I see are that Chris is an actual mtb rider, and the EWS seems to have been well-managed overall.
None of that may matter in the context of a corporate media company focused on selling golf, pharma ads, and the Toyota Summer Saleathon to boomers.
None of that may matter in the context of a corporate media company focused on selling golf, pharma ads, and the Toyota Summer Saleathon to boomers.