NBC Sports Software

I haven’t cut the cable yet so I can watch most nbc content on directv. But I did get the cycling pass to watch things others than the TDF and to watch it ad-free. No offense to the knowledgeable Aussie fellows who prattle on continually in the ad-free version but I was hoping for Bob Roll and Phil Liggett, et al. It seems stupid (and perhaps a bit misleading?) on nbc’s part to pay another set on commentators when they could just have other content or vignettes during the commercials. My hat is off to the aussies who can keep up a conversation for 3 to 4 hours though. I guess millennials like that stuff. The TV feed comes from the one source anyway and anyone can add commentary. We’ll see when the spring classics get here but I’m not sure I’ll be renewing this. As to the app working, it does most of the time but sometimes goes walkabout or does not connect the first time. But if you are casting to a tv realize that google or Samsung are probably sending your content to their servers to spy on you. Or maybe google is piping it to China for free! 😏

App just updated 20 hours ago in time for the Olympics and is still very buggy with videos that don’t load, error messages and so forth, especially when trying to use Chromecast. In addition, this app can be vastly improved upon for the Olympics 2018 viewing by being much more versatile. Eg 1) It would be nice if videos that pertain to the host country, it’s people, it’s culture, history, the venue, etc could be viewable on the app and separated out from the sports videos into a category of its own. Right now there are only two categories, sports and athletes, but I often like the ones about the host country even better. 2) I think it would be nice if we could view ANY event, including the opening and closing ceremonies, via video rather than only certain ones being viewable and these being viewable only after the event has aired on TV. Some of us don’t have TV viewing any more and won’t be able to watch the opening and closing ceremonies when NBC wants to air them.

I’m ok with paying a fee for service, just like I do for Netflix or HBO GO, but personally I feel NBC is going a little far to charge a fee per sport/interest. Just have the fee for all-access to content like other services, instead of being locked out of all content but still being able to visually see it all. I don’t think anyone at NBC actually uses the App because long, long ago they would have desired to place the option to easily rewind/fast forward either in 15-30 second increments, or/and in using the app on the phone or through the T.V. allow the viewer to see content while in NBC’s version of “scrolling” through content to find the spot you are looking for. Old School VHS players rewind easier. The viewer is forced to sign in over and over again so the least NBC could do is actually remember where the user is in their personal content in one channel when switching from different devices. Netflix will remember where you currently are in their content with a multitude of shows, NBC can make the app remember where I am with my siphoned/filtered down content to one game on two personal devices. I appreciate that NBC has allowed me to watch Rugby in America, and I want to continue this relationship but possibly from your end (at NBC) continue to make the product work better for your users.