Winter Olympics 2022 Snubbed by RTE

Markus Antonius · 04-02-2022 11:29am #1

They don't even have an evening highlights show like with Tokyo last year. All I can see is 1 hour of highlights on the News Now channel...

I suppose they think if they put it on, there would be an outcry from the populous to have a ski jump ramp built in Abbotstown. Or maybe the political propaganda would bolster the pro-China factions in Ireland, god forbid.

Is there anywhere we can get a look at any of the events? I don't have Sky/Eir etc, but I do have an exceptional internet connection.

Markus Antonius · 04-02-2022 11:40am

Got it on the BBC iplayer but have to use the VPN on my work laptop. I really need to look into getting a proper VPN for myself..

tom1ie · 04-02-2022 1:33pm

What time (Ireland time) is the opening ceremony on?

super_furry · 04-02-2022 1:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118581104#Comment_118581104

Started 2 hours ago on the RTE News Channel.

AJB39 · 04-02-2022 1:35pm

It’s also available on the Eurosport channels and Discovery + online.

silverharp · 04-02-2022 2:10pm

The RTE would need ot pay hazard pay by the loooks of it

https://twitter.com/SarahMya2000/status/1489588942596935683

pjordan · 04-02-2022 2:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058231320/winter-olympics-2022-snubbed-by-rte

Fraid it's alway been thus. Remember back in 2002 when I effectively lived in 4 channel land (RTE's 1 and 2, TG4 and TV3) having to go to great lengths to see Clifton Wottersley's great performance in the skelton.

I think the reply I got at the time in corrospondence with RTE was that it was "prohibitively expensive" to cover and I guess the general thinking is that it's very much a minority interest compared to the massively exeggerated hype around the 6 nations, or GAA or soccerr or Horse racing.

Course the trials of us rural folk on a limited TV diet also didn't unduly bother the D4 heads in Donnybrook who could access it through the BBC anyways

Impressive opening ceremony if one overlooks the slightly scary and subtle political undertones of China signalling it's ability and attempt/intent to be the worlds most powerful nation. Be a bit worried about that relatively flimsy torch continuing burning within the snowflake for two weeks!!!

Markus Antonius · 04-02-2022 3:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118581358#Comment_118581358

That's shocking stuff. In all likelihood the media are confined to particular zones and any reporting outside of these is briskly dealt with. Very sinister regardless.

icdg · 04-02-2022 4:11pm

I think there’s a few points.

The Winter Olympics is a fairly niche event in Ireland - we’re sending a team of six, and let’s face it there’s not a lot places to play or practice winter sports here - we don’t get much snow and there’s no permanent ice rink in the Republic. (There’s a pro ice hockey team in Belfast, but how many south of the border can say they’ve been to a match or even watched them on TV?). The small size of the team doesn’t give much opportunity for RTE to tell “the Team Ireland story” at the games, either.

There’s extensive free to air coverage on the BBC, and a huge amount of coverage on the basic cable Eurosport along with multiple dedicated feeds on Sky and some other providers.

RTE virtually ignored the Winter Games completely until the late 2000s, and their coverage has never gone beyond what they’re doing for this one. I agree they should do more, but I am not sure what their sublicensing deal with Discovery (who are the rights holder in Ireland) entitles them to show beyond what they are doing, it may be a case that it’s not worth them paying for more given the niche status of the event. OBS produces world feed coverage, RTE don’t actually need to send anyone to China at all, though they might feel obligated to if they were giving it more coverage.

CrabRevolution · 04-02-2022 4:39pm

I'd say the minimal interest in winter sport in Ireland is the main cause.

Our small team and complete dependence on Irish-qualified athletes from abroad also mean people have far less interest than the Summer Olympics, where even competitors in the most obscure sports will have a groundswell of local interest and support.

Atlantic Dawn · 04-02-2022 4:50pm

I was impressed by Discovery Plus and their coverage of the Summer Olympics it's €6.99 a month. You could rewatch back coverage and watch live.

https://www.discoveryplus.com/ie

Markus Antonius · 11-02-2022 2:18pm

I have to say (even though it burns my nationalism to say it) the BBC iplayer coverage has been impeccable so far. Shameful coverage by RTE, some great sporting moments being missed. The sooner they drop this "Oirish interest" crap the better. That goes for the summer olympics too with their endless coverage of boxing and horse-related events with hours of "analysis" and commentary that nobody is interested in.

lertsnim · 11-02-2022 8:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118616096#Comment_118616096

Every broadcaster is guilty of that to be fair when it comes to their own athletes.

Furze99 · 11-02-2022 8:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118616096#Comment_118616096

RTE's issue is that their sports staff have very narrow interests: GAA primarily with a hack knowledge of the horseys, soccer, rugby, athletics and a bit of boxing.

After that, they mostly haven't a fecking clue. So they can't cover a much wider range of sports or they'd be shown up very quickly.

Capt'n Midnight · 11-02-2022 8:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118582141#Comment_118582141

Jamaica have a bobsled team, and not for the first time either.

cena · 12-02-2022 1:55pm

If anyone is interested Irelands men ice hockey team played last Saturday in belfast. The hawks are also an Irish team but full of Latvian players. A very strong team to play against.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oncz9r6SvM

fryup · 12-02-2022 11:47pm

when will they invent ice hurling??

in fairness i don't blame rte not showing the W.O. it'd be a total waste of resources - we have next to zero participation in it afterall

Markus Antonius · 18-02-2022 12:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623445#Comment_118623445

Who cares if we have no participation in it? Have you watched any of the winter olympics this year?

I find it hard to believe that you could sit and watch Snowboard Cross, Ski Cross, Super G, Alpine, speed skating, slope style and shake your head because no Oirish interest here, lets watch Coronation street instead.

loyatemu · 18-02-2022 12:37pm

you seem to think because you find those sports interesting, everyone should and RTE should therefore cover it.

I'm sure RTE are aware of what the viewing figures were like for their previous coverage of the winter games, and how much demand there has been for coverage of this edition, or complaints about lack of coverage. They have limited budget and there are complaints that they already spend too much of the license fee on sports.

FWIW I've watched some of the highlights on Eurosport, it's fine to have on in the background but with little personal interest/knowledge in the sports or the competitors, and virtually no Irish involvement, it's difficult to really get into it.

Shakyfan · 18-02-2022 2:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118623445#Comment_118623445

By that logic there are a lot of World Cups and Euros that they wouldn't have covered either!

breezy1985 · 18-02-2022 2:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118653870#Comment_118653870

Ya but we have massive participation in soccer.

There is loads of stuff RTE doesn't cover and if they did some other poster would be crying that they are wasting money on it. It's a can't win situation for national broadcasters.

If you are like me and into what would be considered niche sports like the winter Olympics or cycling you are probably gonna have to pay for it and that's not just an RTE thing it was the same when I was in the UK

Markus Antonius · 18-02-2022 5:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118652888#Comment_118652888

Why would they cover it on the news every evening then if it's such a niche sporting event? I can guarantee you the winter olympics would generate more ad revenue than the two RTE orchestras do in a decade.

fryup · 18-02-2022 10:04pm

c'mon now you can just as easily watch it on the BBC and esp in this day & age of Free to Air TV in which UK channels are available to everyone in this country

after all RTE can't cover every sporting event with their limited budget

Winter Olympics 2022 Snubbed by RTE

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