The Lights: An Alternative to Sportscenter

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

Just ran across an article on a new highlight show on NBC Sports called The Lights. It is a morning no frills highlights show that has a ton of information on the screen and no talking heads.

Before reading the article, I had no idea this existed.

Anyone watching this?

http://www.avclub.com/articles/what-should-a-sports-recap-show-be-in-2012,84328/

[sterlingice]

Well, the article starts out with a Sports Night reference so they guaranteed I'd read the rest.

It also brings to mind what NFL Primetime was: you got 3+ minutes per show and it wasn't just replays of TDs but they tried to tell a story of each game and you saw that big 3rd and 1 play. Or they took apart how a particular play early in the game came back later on.

SI

[sterlingice]

If fact, he even talks about some of what used to happen on NFL Primetime at the end of the article. "The storm clouds are gathering"? How about Berman and his booming "...this Sunday on the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field" or "And nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills" followed by International Statement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKiU2AypOH0)

(Or like the clip I posted earlier this week that was just a masterful 10 minutes of sports storytelling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBJI5pKtMrk&t=4m4s)

SI

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

with all the statistical info available in sports now it's amazing that sportscenter is basically an hour long editorial show.

i try to stay away from nbc sports because every time i turn it on i see florio who turned pft into the nfl's tmz

[Ksyrup]

On the issue of alternatives to ESPN that have a chance to survive, this one probably doesn't but it's worthwhile to note that NBC successfully lobbied (I assume) DirecTV to move this channel from 603 to 220. I know I'm far more likely to watch it now than I was at 603. That MIGHT give it a fighting chance.

I wonder if JIMGA has any thoughts on the importance of channel location. That's a huge move, IMO.

[Subby]

On the issue of alternatives to ESPN that have a chance to survive, this one probably doesn't but it's worthwhile to note that NBC successfully lobbied (I assume) DirecTV to move this channel from 603 to 220. I know I'm far more likely to watch it now than I was at 603. That MIGHT give it a fighting chance.

I wonder if JIMGA has any thoughts on the importance of channel location. That's a huge move, IMO.
lol wut?

[Subby]

Actually - that makes sense if 600 puts it in a group with Lifetime and VH1. I just assumed DirecTV grouped all of its HD in similar blocks.

Fios has a nice "favorites" feature where you can set the guide to just show you the channels you watch. Gets rid of about 70% of the useless channels (SD and other stuff).

[JonInMiddleGA]

On the issue of alternatives to ESPN that have a chance to survive, this one probably doesn't but it's worthwhile to note that NBC successfully lobbied (I assume) DirecTV to move this channel from 603 to 220. I know I'm far more likely to watch it now than I was at 603. That MIGHT give it a fighting chance.I wonder if JIMGA has any thoughts on the importance of channel location. That's a huge move, IMO.

It helps, although it helps most if you're put in the neighborhood with similar channels (I haven't the foggiest if the 220's are basically the sports zone on Direct or not).

[Ksyrup]

Actually - that makes sense if 600 puts it in a group with Lifetime and VH1. I just assumed DirecTV grouped all of its HD in similar blocks.

Fios has a nice "favorites" feature where you can set the guide to just show you the channels you watch. Gets rid of about 70% of the useless channels (SD and other stuff).

I hardly have any SD channels left to watch because DTV has so many HD channels, so on DTV there's no SD/HD blocks of channels. The 600s are where all of the regional sports/soccer/speciality sports channels (hunting, horse racing, etc.) reside. There's really no need for favorites the way they are set up. I always hate visiting my parents and trying to figure out which channels I had to go to the HD set for and which were in the SD set. Made for frustrating viewing.

The main sports block starts at 205 and goes to 220. ESPN has most of those, then the MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL/Golf/Tennis channels follow. NBCS is at the tail end of those.

This happened with NBA TV, too. They were once at channel 600 or 601 and then got moved to 216ish.

[Logan]

More reason for why ESPN is trying to kill NBC Sports before it really has a chance to get moving.

[stevew]

with all the statistical info available in sports now it's amazing that sportscenter is basically an hour long editorial show.

i try to stay away from nbc sports because every time i turn it on i see florio who turned pft into the nfl's tmz

I hate florio.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Once hockey season is done, I totally forget about NBC Sports. I know the channel by heart (206), but never even consider turning to it. Then again, I never watch Sports Center either, so there's that.