At least we have a reliable streaming opportunity for 'The Football' today.
Rather nice looking programme not available in your area board currently on channel 4 Ireland as predicted
How is Channel 4 HD's coverage of Hungary Vs England doing via other channels on the Sky boxes in Ireland. Is coverage of that game blocked in the Republic of Ireland as well as Channel 4 ROI.
Couldn’t they stick on a few hours of Come Dine with Me for viewers in ROI?
(04-06-2022, 04:24 PM)BcastCornwall Wrote: [ -> ]At least we have a reliable streaming opportunity for 'The Football' today.
Cue the complaints for people unable to get it working on the ITV Hub in 3, 2, 1....
This presentation is so 'BT Sport' in type and style. You'd never have seen the Ade Adepitan sequence on any other channel.
The presentation is all a bit dull and generic, I’m surprised they didn’t try to get someone like Ian Wright in to make things a bit more interesting.
(04-06-2022, 04:45 PM)Jon Wrote: [ -> ]The presentation is all a bit dull and generic, I’m surprised they didn’t try to get someone like Ian Wright in to make things a bit more interesting.
Really? I'm glad there's no histrionics. The lack of Roy Keane is a huge plus.
Here's a question, is Steve Bower the first person to commentate on live Football for all five terrestrial channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV, C4 and C5)?
(04-06-2022, 04:52 PM)BcastCornwall Wrote: [ -> ] (04-06-2022, 04:45 PM)Jon Wrote: [ -> ]The presentation is all a bit dull and generic, I’m surprised they didn’t try to get someone like Ian Wright in to make things a bit more interesting.
Really? I'm glad there's no histrionics. The lack of Roy Keane is a huge plus.
I imagine the calculation was football fans will watch whatever, which is fair enough. But on the other hand, it’s just seems very un-Channel 4 to play it so safe on such a big contract.
Also I’ve always thought that football fans will watch whoever the talent is, but by brining in some characters to the coverage you may pick up a few extra people. Which is why I never really got why ITV got rid of Adrian Chiles from their coverage, yes people moaned about him but they will still watching.
I think the sponsor has just been reused from ITV's coverage. I know it is the same sponsor but the same music and videos are played.
(04-06-2022, 04:45 PM)Jon Wrote: [ -> ]The presentation is all a bit dull and generic, I’m surprised they didn’t try to get someone like Ian Wright in to make things a bit more interesting.
Well no channel is safe from Ian Wright but as much as I find him irritating he undoubtedly brings a bit of life to proceedings, though is a bit old guard now.
Perhaps this feels a bit rushed because it is and they've just had to get a competent package together rather than stamp something #AltogetherDifferent on it. A Last Leg style twist to the highlights would be a start for example.
The Channel 4 highlights sadly did not feature any action from the day's/matchweek's other matches like the predecessors on ITV used to do. The only mention to other going-ons was the score of Italy v. Germany, the other match in England's group, mentioned when Jules Breach was summarising the table at the end of the programme.
The first two parts of the show was extended highlights of the Hungary v. England (dount there would be many matches less deserving of a 20 minute plus edit), before parts three and four featuring interviews with England players and coaches and punditry from the live coverage's presentation team plus Rob Green joining them. I only glanced through it because it showed nothing new, so no idea if they could add much more insight than they did in the live coverage, especially with the same personnel involved.
(04-06-2022, 04:59 PM)Tom Wrote: [ -> ]Here's a question, is Steve Bower the first person to commentate on live Football for all five terrestrial channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV, C4 and C5)?
What has he done for ITV? He's certainly been on all the other channels from what I can remember, but nothing comes to mind from ITV.
(04-06-2022, 04:28 PM)Torpido Wrote: [ -> ]Rather nice looking programme not available in your area board currently on channel 4 Ireland as predicted
Quite odd that they went to the trouble to do it. In the past it would be the dreaded STB-generated 08 message. Meaning C4 actually went to the trouble to put out a dedicated feed for ROI rather than simply asking Sky to block the programme using the CAS like Premier Sports (the main broadcaster using the facility regularly)would for instance.
(05-06-2022, 03:04 AM)RhysJR Wrote: [ -> ]The Channel 4 highlights sadly did not feature any action from the day's/matchweek's other matches like the predecessors on ITV used to do. The only mention to other going-ons was the score of Italy v. Germany, the other match in England's group, mentioned when Jules Breach was summarising the table at the end of the programme.
What has he done for ITV? He's certainly been on all the other channels from what I can remember, but nothing comes to mind from ITV.
No, I don't think Bower has done anything live for ITV. I can't think of any other commentator who has commentated for all five channels either.
As you say, nothing at all from the other Nations League matches. I assumed ITV were obliged to do that, given they presumably wouldn't have shown anything from Kosovo vs Georgia unless they were required to, but seemingly if that was the case it isn't anymore. No mention of Ireland - I know it wasn't on in Ireland, but it's surely of interest to British fans - and it'll be fascinating to see what we get next Saturday when on the same day England are playing there's also Wales and Scotland vs Ireland. I know Wales and Scotland have their own highlights shows in the respective nations, but it seems a bit remiss, and in the past five years we've gone from the equivalent highlights show (not just for the Nations League, but qualifying campaigns as well) covering all matches from each round of fixtures, to covering those from the same day as England played, to just England. And that's with live matches going from Sky Sports to Premier Sports which its much, much smaller audience.
Skimmed through the live coverage, watched the highlights, found it all a bit boring. The pundits are all nice people and I think Rob Green is one of the more likeable and thoughtful pundits, but they aren't very big characters. I'm not saying we had to have Roy Keane there slagging everything off, as that can get a bit wearing, but it was all a bit bland. I'm sorry to say Jules Breach seemed a bit lightweight as well, she's a very likeable presenter but it was all very much "well, a disappointing night for England" and there was probably scope to go a bit further in terms of criticism. I don't think they mentioned the booing at all on the highlights show, which seemed a bit remiss.
The only obvious C4 element was the piece with Ade Adepitan and the England players but it was barely that different to anything they do on Football Focus or in the build-up they used to do on ITV. I know if you try and innovate a bit too much you end up with some rubbish like the first incarnations of Friday Night Football or The Premiership on ITV, but then if you play it as safe as C4 did, with jobbing freelancers like Steve Bower involved (who is a perfectly fine commentator, but not box office), there doesn't seem to be any point. Normally when you start a new deal the broadcasters get to say "the coverage will now be more diverse/innovative/accessible than ever before", even if it isn't really, to try and emphasise the reason for the change. Whereas here the no-frills coverage, both here and on Premier Sports, just shouts "We're showing it because nobody else wanted it and UEFA were desperate". I suppose England Nations League matches are marginally more accessible than before when they were on Sky, but the qualifiers were live on ITV, and the rest of the Nations League certainly isn't more accessible. Quite the opposite.