The article makes a good point that cable-cutters have to do some extra work. Another separate issue is that MSNBC's (or the General Electric News Network, as I call them) really did a poor job on the coverage. I thought that a few of the announcers were consciously dissing on non-USA athletes. Isn't the Olympics supposed to be about good will and respect for athletes from around the world?<p>Another issue was in the choice of which events to cover. MSNBC would sometimes play USA athletes' performances over and over. Once would usually be enough, to make time for showing more sports venues.<p>This isn't just my opinion. Literally everyone I have talked to about the Olympic coverage did not like MSNBC's coverage.
Yes! I had a similar reaction to that Bloomberg article. My wife and I wanted to watch the Olympics, but were unable to do so because we're not cable subscribers (we mostly use our Roku).<p>This quote from the article was just so tone deaf:<p>[CEO of Time Warner’s Turner division] Martin said, “I wonder if there was less content available -- and people felt more compelled to tune in to the traditional network -- whether that would bolster ratings.”
Totally agree. I love the Olympics but couldn't bear to watch it on NBC. I went on vacation to the Czech Republic and the coverage was so much better - fewer adverts, actually real-time, and a good cross section of sporting events. My kids loved it, especially the Mongolian wrestling controversy. So sad NBC are looking to blame someone else for their out-dated and over commercialized offering.
What's amazing to me is that even with broadcast TV, theoretically the medium that they have the most experience with, they still delivered an abysmal product that the author was kind in describing as "tolerable".
Similar experience, in Canada.<p>Couldn't figure out how to legally watch the Olympics, using any available device.<p>If a provider can't be bothered to supply a legal, payed option using tools available to a large segment of the population, perhaps their marketing department needs an overhaul.