ESPN PR Viewers: Rate & Review the 2005 Season Coverage

[Andrew]

Since I only got Foxtel last September, this was my first season watching the NBA live on ESPN Pacific Rim. While it was great to watch live NBA games on a regular basis after years of watching them taped a day or so after the fact, ESPN PR's coverage left a little to be desired considering the coverage they've offered in years past.

Apparently they're not showing the NBA Finals due to the fact they couldn't work out a reasonable deal from a financial standpoint. While that's not a completely satisfactory reason, if funds are indeed the problem then perhaps they shouldn't be securing the rights to the Scrabble Championships, Tractor Pulling or the World Juggling Federation. Surely these events don't have the audience that the NBA does, making them poorer investments. But I could be wrong.

On the whole, I was pleased with the coverage on ESPN PR and I suppose I shouldn't complain because a lot of Australians don't have Foxtel or Austar and thus can't watch live NBA games. On the other hand, it is one of the main reasons I'm shelling out $75/month on Foxtel so I certainly want to get my money's worth.

Through the regular season they showed a fairly good selection of games, though a little more variety would have been nice. A couple of weeks no games were televised here, but we did of course get NBA Action, SportsCenter highlights and some weeks we got up to three live games so it wasn't too bad. However, not showing the All-Star Weekend or the NBA Finals brings the grade down somewhat.

Part of the problem is broadcasting rights, for the most part we're limited to ESPN and ESPN2 broadcasts with a few TNT and FSN games shown in the playoffs and late in the regular season. It would be nice if Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 could pick up NBA games in addition to ESPN. They do after all show some MLB and NFL.

I'm probably less disappointed than most because it's been a while since I've been able to catch so many games live during the season and in all fairness the coverage has been pretty good throughout the year. But I really hope they lift their game next season. I'd give their 2004/2005 NBA coverage a B+.

[Andrew]

It seems I may have spoken prematurely. Even though they haven't been advertising it and none of the online guides mention it, there was just an ad on ESPN PR for the NBA Finals starting June 10th (June 10th being the date the first game will be televised here in Australia). I'm a little skeptical, but if they do televise the whole Finals series that will raise my grade a little.

[MaD_hAND1e]

I'm feeling ya Andrew, I live in New Zealand, and on the local satellite TV (the only one) SkyTV, i think they show the same ESPN. Last year, they didn't have much of the finals at all, I remember they only showed 2 or 3 of the finals, but in past years they would've showed everything. These past 2 years, they haven't had regular coverage of the NBA. In past years there was ALWAYS games on saturdays and thursdays, they always showed the entire all star break, and usually have a double header game on christmas.

[Andrew]

Yeah you guys have got Pacific Rim as well. Last year they did show every Finals game and the year before that as well - my cousin's got Austar so I was able to watch the games taped (and one game live when I was able to get up to his place for the day). Let's hope they show all of the games again this year (if they are indeed going to show them), at the very least the deciding game.

It was a shame about the All-Star Weekend, I got the DVDs from PonTel but of course that's more money. On Christmas Day I remember they showed a Harlem Globetrotters vs Michigan State game from a couple of years back since no NBA games were scheduled, but surely they could have found a way to then show the Lakers/Heat game on the Sunday.

Do you get Fox Sports 1 and 2 on Sky? Like I said before, it would be great if they could show some NBA in addition to the NBL games. They already show MLB and NFL games.

[Drex]

I'd give them a D This year was by far the worst we've had here. Only one game for week, no ASW, no Finals...

[Andrew]

Which ESPN International network do you get Drex? It looks as though the Finals might be shown on Pacific Rim after all.

[Drex]

ESPN LatinAmerica, I guess I've looked on the TV Guide, and there's nothing there. I might check ESPN's web and hopefully I'll get the Finals...

[Andrew]

If you watch NBA Action or SportsCenter or anything else on ESPN for that matter, you might catch an ad for it. I was watching NBA Action last night when I first saw the ad for the Finals, I'm still waiting for it to show up in the online guides.

[Drex]

It's not on the website, so that adds to more frustration. Now that you mention it, I saw a Finals ad once, like a couple weeks ago...

[Andrew]

Just checked, the NBA Finals have officially been added to the ESPN PR schedule!
(ESPN PR Schedule)

Nothing on ESPN Latin America yet, but if I were you I'd keep checking the ESPN International Sports Wizard and listings, as well as keep an eye out for those ads.

[Drex]

Good for you and all the Aussies Now all I can do is hope

[Andrew]

I checked the on-screen guide (I've got Foxtel Digital) and Game 1 is now part of the lineup this Friday @ 11:00 AM AEST. Even after it was added to the online guide at ESPN International, I remained a little skeptical. It's not Miami/San Antonio as I was hoping for, but I'll be watching.

[The X]

as far as I know, Pacific Rim ESPN has never shown the All-Star Weekend and probably never will....I too had Sky Digital in New Zealand for a year or so a few years back when I was living in ChCh....basically you got your 2 games a week (I think it was either Tuesday and Friday or Wednesday and Saturday)....playoffs, you got a decent amount of coverage, but not as much as I'd like....I did however like the college basketball coverage, however, that was due to the fact I also had ESPN2 which covered a lot of those....

I have been thinking about getting Foxtel (or similar) for a while now, and might commence it around October (provided NBA lockout is resolved), however I am concerned, like you Andrew, that I won't get my monies worth....

I'm a huge fan of Sportscentre so can you tell me if they play it 2 to 3 times a day, as it's the best way to keep up with the sports and get some highlights....

hope you get NBA Finals coverage Andrew....it would be a travestry if you did not....

and looking forward to your point of view and opinions as to whether it would cater to my bball needs....

namely:
- Sportscentre (and lots of it)
- College Basketball (a couple of games a week)
- NBA (a couple of games a week and playoff coverage)

[MaD_hAND1e]

NO, we don't get FOx sports
ESPN PR did show the ENTIRE allstar weekend, in 02-04, I remember, cos it was the first time I'd seen the entire dunk contest live on television. Heck, they even showed the celebrity game and 2 ball and all that. But this year, apparently they thought fishing was much more entertaining than the Allstar game . I'm finding that there's less and less quality sports programming to watch now, in past years, I could turn on ESPN and trust that they would have some good sport, be it gridiron, football, baseball, basketball etc. but now... I'm finding they show heaps of golf, scrabble , poker , fishing, hunting wtf??? I recall chess was on ESPN once.... come on... since when was poker, scrabble or chess a sport

Though, they did have heaps of NCAA Final Four coverage, which they didn't have as much of before.

[Strike Freedom]

Last year's ESPN was much more interesting as it showed every event of the All Star game. I remember it was the first time watching the first ever live Slam Dunk competition. Although Fred Jones was the winner, who won with a successful lay up in the end, but it was fun to watch. I' live in NZ too.

[Choppies]

I had a rant like this a few months back.

If we could get at least 3 games a week Plus better Playoff coverage on a regular basis (IE not being cancelled for Fishing, Scrabble etc) The I would be happy..

At the beginning of the season we didnt get our normal season opening double header as we have done in previous years. Instead we had to wait a few days into the season for a game.

We had one game a week for a couple of weeks then they used to take it off and replace it with something else the list goes on.

Its Disgraceful to say the least.

[Drex]

Also! We didn't got the Christmas game...no Finals either...fuck...shit...I'm so pissed...Seems like ESPN really made an effort...in getting the fishing, bowling, poker and golf shows, they show that shit everytime...those fuckers

[Ruff Ryder]

Ah, cable in the US of A.

[Andrew]

as far as I know, Pacific Rim ESPN has never shown the All-Star Weekend and probably never will....

They've had the All-Star Weekend in years past, or at the very least the All-Star Game. I wouldn't be all that surprised if they didn't show it again next year though.

I have been thinking about getting Foxtel (or similar) for a while now, and might commence it around October (provided NBA lockout is resolved), however I am concerned, like you Andrew, that I won't get my monies worth....

For the most part I feel like I get my money's worth, but I should also mention there's a lot of other stuff on Foxtel that I like too.

I'm a huge fan of Sportscentre so can you tell me if they play it 2 to 3 times a day, as it's the best way to keep up with the sports and get some highlights....

There's usually one live SportsCenter broadcast a day, usually in the morning. Then there's another one usually at 6 PM, with a replay of the 6 PM broadcast at 12 AM.

hope you get NBA Finals coverage Andrew....it would be a travestry if you did not....

Yeah, especially after the ads and the fact all the guides have it scheduled - all seven games, if necessary. I have to admit, my pessimistic side is expecting them to pull the plug at the last minute.

and looking forward to your point of view and opinions as to whether it would cater to my bball needs....

namely:
- Sportscentre (and lots of it)
- College Basketball (a couple of games a week)
- NBA (a couple of games a week and playoff coverage)

SportsCenter's on every day, at least three times a day (one's a repeat). Their NCAA coverage was decent this year, seemed to be at least one game a week, sometimes two. There was almost always one NBA game per week but sometimes as many as three, NBA Action, and the coverage through the playoffs has been pretty good. They were prepared to show the whole WCF, they had two games per week and it looks like they'll show the whole NBA Finals.

I'd recommend it, but with the notice that it will cost you around $75 per month as ESPN isn't on the basic package. There's a lot of other stuff I really enjoy on Foxtel so for me I'm paying $75 a month for a lot of programming with the NBA as my main reason for getting it, so if I were you I'd check out the other stuff on offer.

NO, we don't get FOx sports

That's a shame. Do you get any other sports channel other than ESPN?

[MaD_hAND1e]

Yea, we get Sky Sport 1, 2 and 3, which mainly shows Rugby, Cricket and English Premier League.

[Andrew]

Perhaps there's some way they could offer NBA coverage too. Do you get any NBL coverage?

[MaD_hAND1e]

Yea, but mainly of the Breakers
THe NBA coverage they offer is the same as what ESPN has.

[Andrew]

It might be worth getting a petition up to try and persuade these other networks to work out deals with their affiliates to allow them to rebroadcast NBA games.

[The X]

I'd recommend it, but with the notice that it will cost you around $75 per month as ESPN isn't on the basic package. There's a lot of other stuff I really enjoy on Foxtel so for me I'm paying $75 a month for a lot of programming with the NBA as my main reason for getting it, so if I were you I'd check out the other stuff on offer.

gutted....I thought that would probably be the case....I wish they could have it so that you could customise what channels you get and pay based on that....so if you don't want a channel then you don't have to pay....

ah well....I'll have to think about it....probably will get it though around October or so....will just wait until they have a promo with free installation and some other perks I guess....I like other channels like music channels, Discovery and National Geographic....

but I'm glad there's plenty of Sportscentre....and some college bball....a definite bonus for me....

[Strike Freedom]

Isn't the Sky in NZ is the same as australia's?