Commentary and coverage on HBO MAX (formerly TNT, Discovery, EuroSport etc)

[awavey]

It's going a bit by eck northern on the commentary today 😳 there'll be trouble at mill before long 😆

 

[RedheadDane]

Admittedly, this has nothing to do with the commentating, but rather with the scheduling.

I bring excellent news!
Starting Wednesday with stage 1 of Slovenia, there will be at least one race live every day until 22/6! Even with the pretty obvious mistake of the Giro (men's) being listed on the schedule from 15/6.

 

[Potomac]

Admittedly, this has nothing to do with the commentating, but rather with the scheduling.

I bring excellent news!
Starting Wednesday with stage 1 of Slovenia, there will be at least one race live every day until 22/6! Even with the pretty obvious mistake of the Giro (men's) being listed on the schedule from 15/6.

Men's U23 Giro?

 

[HashRouge]

Well, my thoughts on the Giro coverage are as follows:

• Robbie McEwan is a fantastic commentator, as is Matt Stephens.
• I really enjoyed (to my surprise) the Adam Blythe on the motorbike segments.
• Rob Hatch is quite good but please could he stop with the overdramatic yelling any time any rider gets a minor mechanical or flat tyre miles from the finish.
• The more cycling I watch, the more I appreciate Sean Kelly's experience. Also, I think you know you're a true cycling fan when you start being able to predict whether it's an interesting, difficult or danger one.
• Hannah Walker deserves a medal for those bits where she's chasing after riders, trying to decipher the complicated, overly-long question she's been given by the studio team into something a rider or DS could actually understand and answer.
• I wish they wouldn't switch to the Breakaway team so quickly after the finish. Some of the most poignant moments are those after the finish shots of riders coming in, greeting their teammates etc.
• I did miss Carlton Kirby. I'm sorry, I know there are people who don't like him, but I just adore him.

 

[RedheadDane]

Men's U23 Giro?

Why didn't I think about that?

 

[Davesta]

Also, I think you know you're a true cycling fan when you start being able to predict whether it's an interesting, difficult or danger one.

😂

 

[Sciatic]

Well, my thoughts on the Giro coverage ar.

• I wish they wouldn't switch to the Breakaway team so quickly after the finish. Some of the most poignant moments are those after the finish shots of riders coming in, greeting their teammates etc.

That was very disappointing on the RAI broadcasts as well. I’m used to most European broadcasters continuing to show riders as the continue to across the line (or alternate between riders gathered after the line and those crossing it) on tough stages, but they were cutting away to their Processo alla Tappa panel very quickly. Additionally annoying because RAI has seemingly endless channels to broadcast simultaneously.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

Well, my thoughts on the Giro coverage are as follows:

• Robbie McEwan is a fantastic commentator, as is Matt Stephens.
• I really enjoyed (to my surprise) the Adam Blythe on the motorbike segments.
• Rob Hatch is quite good but please could he stop with the overdramatic yelling any time any rider gets a minor mechanical or flat tyre miles from the finish.
• The more cycling I watch, the more I appreciate Sean Kelly's experience. Also, I think you know you're a true cycling fan when you start being able to predict whether it's an interesting, difficult or danger one.
• Hannah Walker deserves a medal for those bits where she's chasing after riders, trying to decipher the complicated, overly-long question she's been given by the studio team into something a rider or DS could actually understand and answer.
• I wish they wouldn't switch to the Breakaway team so quickly after the finish. Some of the most poignant moments are those after the finish shots of riders coming in, greeting their teammates etc.
• I did miss Carlton Kirby. I'm sorry, I know there are people who don't like him, but I just adore him.

Nicely said but I think Hatch was quite bad. He was never that bad til recently and I reckon it's mostly down to the producers who want tasty 3-5 minute YouTube highlights, so maybe maybe that explains why he over dramatically yells at a nothing in particular just in case it's needed for the YouTube edit. On the other hand it might be that he is just crap at banter and shows no cultural knowledge of a region (apart from swatting up on the correct pronunciation) so has to yelp all the time.

And I'm surprised that I didn't mind Blythe on the bike either,

 

[ashhutch1997]

Nicely said but I think Hatch was quite bad. He was never that bad til recently and I reckon it's mostly down to the producers who want tasty 3-5 minute YouTube highlights, so maybe maybe that explains why he over dramatically yells at a nothing in particular just in case it's needed for the YouTube edit. On the other hand it might be that he is just crap at banter and shows no cultural knowledge of a region (apart from swatting up on the correct pronunciation) so has to yelp all the time.

And I'm surprised that I didn't mind Blythe on the bike either,

Agreed, I used to really like Hatch, but in the last 5 or so years he changed. He's gotten way over dramatic to the point where I find it a little cringy. Plus he's absolutely unbearable when there's a crash and he'll spend the next 10 minutes dwelling on it.
It's ashame because I really used to enjoy his commentary, especially in the Giro.

 

[awavey]

And I'm surprised that I didn't mind Blythe on the bike either,

😲 Even on the final stage ?

And I agree the over emphasis on randomness at points is entirely for highlights reels and producer driven

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

😲 Even on the final stage ?

And I agree the over emphasis on randomness at points is entirely for highlights reels and producer driven

I thought he was fine with the bit about ice cream before crisps and sandwich but it was Hatch who was over-egging things, yet again, banging on about 99s. Do they even have those in Italy? I'd hate to be a in a pub with hatch. Could you imagine if someone spilled a drink or broke a glass? Oh.no no no. NO. NO.
I thought it was interesting the dialogue between Blythe and Robbie McEwen about, as recently as 12 years ago, you could stop at a cafe during a stage. So I actually learnt something.
I'm usually in the anti-Blythe camp but on a boring flat stage he does bring some light relief and is better on the bike than in the studio.

 

[Potomac]

Blythe was at his best on the moto going into tight curves and saying "jeeesus" and shitting himself.

 

[awavey]

I thought he was fine with the bit about ice cream before crisps and sandwich but it was Hatch who was over-egging things, yet again, banging on about 99s. Do they even have those in Italy? I'd hate to be a in a pub with hatch. Could you imagine if someone spilled a drink or broke a glass? Oh.no no no. NO. NO.
I thought it was interesting the dialogue between Blythe and Robbie McEwen about, as recently as 12 years ago, you could stop at a cafe during a stage. So I actually learnt something.
I'm usually in the anti-Blythe camp but on a boring flat stage he does bring some light relief and is better on the bike than in the studio.

It was the bit before the ice cream possibly on the roll out when nothing was happening on the road and they decided to have a who can sound the most northern competition and then even roped in DS's from some of the teams.

It was like a Monty Python sketch just nowhere near as amusing as those involved with it thought.

 

[HashRouge]

I thought he was fine with the bit about ice cream before crisps and sandwich but it was Hatch who was over-egging things, yet again, banging on about 99s. Do they even have those in Italy? I'd hate to be a in a pub with hatch. Could you imagine if someone spilled a drink or broke a glass? Oh.no no no. NO. NO.
I thought it was interesting the dialogue between Blythe and Robbie McEwen about, as recently as 12 years ago, you could stop at a cafe during a stage. So I actually learnt something.
I'm usually in the anti-Blythe camp but on a boring flat stage he does bring some light relief and is better on the bike than in the studio.

I much prefer him on the bike. I don't like him on commentary, but I thought he was quite funny on the bike. Plus he deserved a medal for whichever stage he did where it was absolute peeing it down for the first half of the race and he didn't have any gloves, looked awful!

 

[Potomac]

Generally Peacock is inferior during the race, but to their credit they stay didn't go to the studio at the end stage 1 Dauphine today.

We got all the podium stuff, and the interviews.

 

[argyllflyer]

There

I thought he was fine with the bit about ice cream before crisps and sandwich but it was Hatch who was over-egging things, yet again, banging on about 99s. Do they even have those in Italy? I'd hate to be a in a pub with hatch. Could you imagine if someone spilled a drink or broke a glass? Oh.no no no. NO. NO.
I thought it was interesting the dialogue between Blythe and Robbie McEwen about, as recently as 12 years ago, you could stop at a cafe during a stage. So I actually learnt something.
I'm usually in the anti-Blythe camp but on a boring flat stage he does bring some light relief and is better on the bike than in the studio.

There is Viz comic strip idea within that.. the sports commentator that cannot help but overegg the pudding on every day mundanity 😅

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

There

There is Viz comic strip idea within that.. the sports commentator that cannot help but overegg the pudding on every day mundanity 😅

I won't be able to get that notion out of my head for a while, though wouldn't it be great if they intermingled commentary usage of the Profanosaurus?

 

[argyllflyer]

I won't be able to get that notion out of my head for a while, though wouldn't it be great if they intermingled commentary usage of the Profanosaurus?

Sometimes I wonder with some of Sean's phrases 😅

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Now what???
https://www.reuters.com/business/warner-bros-discovery-split-into-two-companies-2025-06-09/

 

[Wyndbrook]

I'm guessing that untimately it's likely more bad news for the cost of watching bike racing.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

I'm guessing that untimately it's likely more bad news for the cost of watching bike racing.

And probably less races covered at a guess.

 

[awavey]

I'm guessing that untimately it's likely more bad news for the cost of watching bike racing.

well I dont think the cost was ever going to stay where it was for long, but what it means for this Global Networks company and how they handle the portfolio of channels, deals, sports they have going forward who knows.

its funny because most media commentators think its the studio & streaming businesses that lose the most money, WB especially, without Barbie theyd have not made any money at the box office for years, cable tv is pretty static in terms of income per subscriber, as long as you dont get stuck in a bidding war with other cable tv rights holders. and actually show things people want to watch. but DAZN will obviously be ramping up in this market in the future in Europe I think so you could see a split happen with who shows what.

 

[Izzyeviel]

Now what???
https://www.reuters.com/business/warner-bros-discovery-split-into-two-companies-2025-06-09/

I'm sorry lads, I only signed up to TNT this morning. I just wanted to watch Le Mans.

 

[wirral]

German ex-riders on bikes are all good.

£30.99 per month is too much. Come October, I will seek other ways of watching.

 

[awavey]

I'm sorry lads, I only signed up to TNT this morning. I just wanted to watch Le Mans.

And if you thought the ad breaks were bad for the cycling...

Also i don't get they're taking WEC tv commentators for practice/qualifying, but parachuting their own team in for the race.

And they wonder why they lose money