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> One city: Athens In spirit, it's a neat idea. In practice, it would mean that for much of Asia and the entirety of the Americas the events are never aired at

> One city: Athens In spirit, it's a neat idea. In practice, it would mean that for much of Asia and the entirety of the Americas the events are never aired at an ideal time. Shifting the geography allows for the prime viewing experience to shift with it. That's part of what I love about Watanabe's idea: everyone always gets a prime viewing experience of at least some of the sports.

lupusreal 2y ago
The broadcast signals could in principle be recorded onto some manner of magnetic tape, then read back off that tape and rebroadcast a few hours later at whichever time is ideal for different parts of the world.
- HelloMcFly 2y ago
  I know you're being a little cheeky, but if you think "tape delay" is some sort of solution to the problem I voiced then you're not really being serious. While NBC certainly improved their primetime experience this time around, it's not at all the same as actually watching the events live. This is doubly true since the results of many of those contests are widely publicized before their primetime airing.
- Lerc 2y ago
  Utter madness, if the tape were magnetic, spoons would get stuck on it and clog the machine. (in a weird way, this post makes me feel like I'm honing my skills to become an AI sceptic)
saalweachter 2y ago
Is Greece really that bad of a compromise timezone? It's GMT+2, compared to GMT+8 for Beijing and GMT-5 for NYC/DC. It's pretty much just West Coast US and Australia who get really screwed, which is probably as good as you're going to get for a global event.
- HelloMcFly 2y ago
  The whole of the Americas gets screwed at GMT+2. My point is there is no good compromise timezone at all, that's why I think hosting it in one city is a very bad one. The status quo is better than that. But the status quo sucks too. I love the idea of having multiple cities hosting around the world at the same time.
  - saalweachter 2y ago
    Eh, not really -- Peru is also GMT-5, and Brazil is only GMT-3. The Paris Olympics ran 9am-midnight, which puts it at 2am-5pm going from Athens to GMT-5. Sure, you've got a few hours in the morning which are too early, but that's still a lot of Olympics happening during daylight hours for most of the Americas.
    - HelloMcFly 2y ago
      "Happening during daylight hours" is fine, but if that's all it ever is for you then it diminishes the relevance over time because to most the events will be watching something that you already know the outcome of. Modern society is not built for the success of tape-delay sporting events. I'm not saying it's not watchable, I am saying that makes it a wholly different event for everyone in the Americas. It's basically the UEFA Euro: good enough for enthusiasts, accessible enough to check-in on for most, not situated to garner large-scale attention (and thus, in the longer-term, interest).

lupusreal 2y ago

The broadcast signals could in principle be recorded onto some manner of magnetic tape, then read back off that tape and rebroadcast a few hours later at whichever time is ideal for different parts of the world.

HelloMcFly 2y ago
I know you're being a little cheeky, but if you think "tape delay" is some sort of solution to the problem I voiced then you're not really being serious. While NBC certainly improved their primetime experience this time around, it's not at all the same as actually watching the events live. This is doubly true since the results of many of those contests are widely publicized before their primetime airing.
Lerc 2y ago
Utter madness, if the tape were magnetic, spoons would get stuck on it and clog the machine. (in a weird way, this post makes me feel like I'm honing my skills to become an AI sceptic)

saalweachter 2y ago

Is Greece really that bad of a compromise timezone? It's GMT+2, compared to GMT+8 for Beijing and GMT-5 for NYC/DC. It's pretty much just West Coast US and Australia who get really screwed, which is probably as good as you're going to get for a global event.

HelloMcFly 2y ago
The whole of the Americas gets screwed at GMT+2. My point is there is no good compromise timezone at all, that's why I think hosting it in one city is a very bad one. The status quo is better than that. But the status quo sucks too. I love the idea of having multiple cities hosting around the world at the same time.
- saalweachter 2y ago
  Eh, not really -- Peru is also GMT-5, and Brazil is only GMT-3. The Paris Olympics ran 9am-midnight, which puts it at 2am-5pm going from Athens to GMT-5. Sure, you've got a few hours in the morning which are too early, but that's still a lot of Olympics happening during daylight hours for most of the Americas.
  - HelloMcFly 2y ago
    "Happening during daylight hours" is fine, but if that's all it ever is for you then it diminishes the relevance over time because to most the events will be watching something that you already know the outcome of. Modern society is not built for the success of tape-delay sporting events. I'm not saying it's not watchable, I am saying that makes it a wholly different event for everyone in the Americas. It's basically the UEFA Euro: good enough for enthusiasts, accessible enough to check-in on for most, not situated to garner large-scale attention (and thus, in the longer-term, interest).