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Original poster

Why so little coverage of the women’s gymnastics team getting bronze

94 replies

Carycy · 27/07/2021 15:10

Just been watching the Olympics coverage of the women’s team gymnastics. I only saw one quick vault of a Brit, none of the routines. Everything was about the USA, the Russians and the Italians. Then I find out that Britain get bronze!!! What. Still hardly anything said. WTF?!?! This is a big thing. Still not in the headlines. More coverage of an American competitor dropping out. What is going on?

OP posts:
Palavah · 27/07/2021 15:11

Because the BBC don't have direct live coverage - to some extent they get the feed they get.

And Simone Biles dropping out is bigger news for gymnastics than GB winning bronze?

Original poster
Carycy · 27/07/2021 15:14

I don’t think one competitor dropping out of a team event that isn’t the British team is bigger than Britain getting bronze.
Maybe in the US it is.

OP posts:
iklboo · 27/07/2021 15:15

It is to whoever the BBC is getting its feed from. It can't dictate what is being filmed over there & sent to them.

Interested in this thread?

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General sports
Remaker · 27/07/2021 15:17

It sounds exactly

Original poster
Carycy · 27/07/2021 15:18

Frustrating isn’t it?

OP posts:
Remaker · 27/07/2021 15:18

Argh sorry, it sounds exactly the same as the feed we got in Australia tonight. I think it’s just the broadcast feed and you get what you get unfortunately.

Though Simone Biles withdrawing is the biggest news in the sport by far.

Palavah · 27/07/2021 15:20

@Carycy

I don’t think one competitor dropping out of a team event that isn’t the British team is bigger than Britain getting bronze. Maybe in the US it is.
For gymnastics it is. Internationally it is.
Original poster
Carycy · 27/07/2021 15:21

I guess so but seems odd that the bbc news seemed more Interested in her than the British team.

OP posts:
JosephineDeBeauharnais · 27/07/2021 15:21

Simone Biles dropping out is the biggest story in Olympic gymnastics for years.

YouthfulIndiscretion · 27/07/2021 15:21

Simone Biles is one of the greatest stars of these games. Arguably the single most famous current Olympics competitor worldwide except for the tennis players. And the USA vs China rivalry in women’s gymnastics is one of the greatest stories.

One bronze for the UK amongst a slew of other medals is nice, but not top headline news. I couldn’t pick any of the UK competitors out of a lineup, but I’m checking the TV listings regularly to see Biles perform.

ATrifleofFun · 27/07/2021 15:23

Maybe because discovery plus have only given 350 hours of footage to the BBC and they are only allowed to show 2 live streams at one time. Thus the patchy coverage. You can get free discovery plus if you have a Vodafone contract but the commentary is bad or nonexistent Angry

Tal45 · 27/07/2021 15:25

Coverage has been poor. This is because most of the UK's coverage has been sold by the IOC to Discovery plus and is behind a paywall. Completely different to the last two Olympics.

korawick12345 · 27/07/2021 15:26

They did go back and show a lot of the routines afterwards. They will probably also be on the highlights

LizziesTwin · 27/07/2021 15:26

@ATrifleofFun

Maybe because discovery plus have only given 350 hours of footage to the BBC and they are only allowed to show 2 live streams at one time. Thus the patchy coverage. You can get free discovery plus if you have a Vodafone contract but the commentary is bad or nonexistent Angry
Thank you for that - we have Vodafone broadband but DH is the account holder not me so I didn’t know.
Iknowthiswillendbutwhen · 27/07/2021 15:27

This was explained on the other Olympics thread, it's all about the host feed that the BBC are receiving, which I suppose boils down to money too.

DuncinToffee said:

"And regarding the limited BBC coverage, it is explained in this article

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/articles/2021/olympic-games-moments

In 2016 we announced that the IOC had awarded the pan-European rights for the Olympics to Discovery, meaning that free-to-air broadcasters across Europe had to carve out their own sub-licence deals with Discovery. The result for all European broadcasters was less coverage of the Games, and for us, it means that we’re allowed two live streams - one on BBC One and one that is available to play out on BBC iPlayer, red button and the BBC Sport website."

korawick12345 · 27/07/2021 15:27

But agree that the initial coverage was disappointing. A lot more coverage of the Italians because I think they thought they were going to get the bronze!

Original poster
Carycy · 27/07/2021 15:28

Not a massive follower so never heard of her. Still thinks it’s Pretty pretty fab we made bronze. Just wish there was a bit more even coverage. I hate this singling out stars.

OP posts:
korawick12345 · 27/07/2021 15:29

Absolutely amazing achievement by the GB team though! I remember when we used to get excited if we got a single gymnast through to a single apparatus final! They and the coaches were so emotional was lovely

korawick12345 · 27/07/2021 15:31

@Carycy

Not a massive follower so never heard of her. Still thinks it’s Pretty pretty fab we made bronze. Just wish there was a bit more even coverage. I hate this singling out stars.
TBF Simone Biles isn’t a star as such, as in a celebrity but she is without doubt the greatest female gymnast of all time and for anyone who likes watching gymnastics her withdrawal was massive news
AllTheSingleLadiess · 27/07/2021 15:32

The news about Simone Biles is massive. Just had a quick Google to check that she's ok. She is the biggest star in current gymnastics for a good reason.

I've not been watching the Olympics but you get what you get when you buy foreign feeds.

FreshApricot · 27/07/2021 15:34

The BBC get the feed they get from Discovery and can't change it. They'll be able to show more of the Team GB performances in the evening highlights show.

It really, really sucks but the IOC are responsible for this - they took a big cheque from Discovery with the result that fewer people in Europe can watch quality coverage of the games. It's a disgrace.

Radio 5 Live is quite good at covering what's going on with GB athletes in events as they happen but obviously you can't actually watch it.

Thecomfortador · 27/07/2021 15:34

Biles has been noted as the greatest of all time. It's big news that she dropped out of the team event and shows that she was what separates USA from Russia in normal circumstances. And yes it's fab that GB won bronze as well, but that's more interesting to our little island than the rest of the world. They did interview the team members and show some of their bar routines afterwards. (I'm perpetually frustrated by gymnastics coverage so know how you feel!)

Softleftpowerstance · 27/07/2021 15:36

Don’t follow gymnastic but I know who SB is. I was excited about watching her performances and shocked to see she’d dropped out. It’s massive news. I couldn’t name a single one of the GB team.

newnortherner111 · 27/07/2021 15:37

Along with the tv networks not having control, the British team and individual gymnasts do actually win medals, it's not a once in a generation event any more.

MindyStClaire · 27/07/2021 15:41

Biles isn't just the biggest name in gynmastics, she's one of the biggest names at the Games fullstop. Her withdrawal will be one of the biggest stories of the whole Olympics, regardless of what she does for the rest of the week.

The coverage of the bronze medal contenders was disappointing, but the BBC have no control over that.

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