GCN Race Pass

G1032

Anyone sign up for the GCN Race Pass?

Was a pure disaster for me on Saturday. Couldn't get coverage of the race via the app until I DM's them on Twitter and they sent me a link, which opened via the app, and streamed the race. But had to leave the phone down for a while and it was an ordeal to get the race back up again

Since then I haven't been able to watch anything on it. Trying to get highlights of La Route d'Occitainie but all I'm getting is the red screen on the app.

They don't seem to have any answers for me re how to resolve, excpect to force stop the app and start it again to "give it a nudge"

godtabh

not signed up but seeing a lot of issues on twitter.

Steve SilverMint

I was thinking of purchasing the yearly subscription as doing a deal for €19.99 at the moment.

It seems a decent offering as long as the app sorts issues and is running smoothly.

It's been very poorly communicated if at all as to what extent Eurosport will continue to show cycling? I'd imagine they will show the big races still surely as a large part of their audience will be watching on regular TV and have no interest in apps and subscriptions. It's weird when they plug GCN during races I'm clueless as to whether they are talking to me as a ES player subscriber or their TV audience as for the moment I get the same ad-free stream as GCN has.

Theres is no reason the ES player can't show me the same level of racing as GCN for my money as they have the same owners and streaming from the same servers in the same data center most likely, but who knows how rights work.

One things for sure though , if you want to see a woman race a bike on the roads at least you'll have to pay for GCN :mad:

It's no way to grow the sport and hardly what the UCI envisaged when they mandated the minimum coverage for womens races but hey that was as poorly thought out as most other UCI decisions around growing the sport overall with audiences.

Macy0161

Subscribed, but having casting issues in the pain cave. Which is why I went for Fire TV to play Eurosport Player. On the list to try a possible solution today actually (as I found an old router!)

dastardly00

I signed up to the app on Saturday morning. Not entirely sure why because I have a Eurosport Player subscription also... I've watched a lot of GCN over the years so I don't mind giving them a few quid anyway.

Everything worked perfectly for me for Strade Bianche (both men's & women's race). No issues with the app (Android), no connection problems, video quality was excellent, and it cast to my Sony TV (Android) seemlessly. I'm watching Milan-Torino now and all working good

Macy0161

In fairness, the problem is partly distance from the router casting, but not to say I found the Eurosport Player Android App very flaky.

I would've thought it would be easy for GCN to do a "lite" version of the Fire TV Eurosport Player App, which has been pretty flawless for me for the last few years.

dastardly00

Macy0161 wrote: »

In fairness, the problem is partly distance from the router casting, but not to say I found the Eurosport Player Android App very flaky.

I would've thought it would be easy for GCN to do a "lite" version of the Fire TV Eurosport Player App, which has been pretty flawless for me for the last few years.

There were tonnes of comments on the app from users complaining that the live feed wasn't working so you're not alone

G1032

Got a DM from them on Twitter this evening and told me to try again!! Opened app and it updated automatically and everything working perfectly now.

Chips Lovell

dastardly00 wrote: »

Not entirely sure why because I have a Eurosport Player subscription also... I've watched a lot of GCN over the years so I don't mind giving them a few quid anyway.

Eurosport own GCN, so you're throwing a few quid to the same people.

Macy0161

I'd previously hard wired ethernet to the pain cave, so got a router in there this week. Have to say I'm impressed with the Race Pass now I'm able to cast it.

Struggling to see what will be on eurosport that won't be on the race pass, so I think I'll be cancelling that subscription. About the only thing is it's handy having the eurosport player on the various Firesticks around the house.

koutoubia

Is there an app for android smart tvs for GCN racing app or will I have to cast it from laptop/Phone?

Daroxtar

GlobalCyclingNetwork (@gcntweet) Tweeted:
Race Pass Web Player is now in open beta! That’s right, the web version of Race Pass is now available. We’ve a few glitches to iron out (you can’t watch highlights, only replays for example) but if you’re a subscriber head to https://t.co/RXlSZ0t7ur and get involved! https://twitter.com/gcntweet/status/1297088619547701248?s=20

MyDarkArts

Experience with it hasn't been flawless, but I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for now, since it's a newly launched service. They seem to be pro-active about ironing out bugs so I expect if they sort out minor annoyances like being bounced back to the start of the video if the app is interrupted, and landscape view being hit-and-miss, I'll more than likely pick-up a renewal subscription when it rolls around next year.

Glad they got the web player up, sooner than I expected too. Hopefully that's decent even in Beta mode.

Z_a_x

I thought €20 for pretty much everything for a year ad free was decent value, a few issues going going full screen which were sorted by an app update. Still a few little niggles but they seem to be sorting them. Overall worth the money already and the grand tours haven't even started...

Cormo87

I have to say that I agree, for €20 it's great value. I also like the highlight playback function so you can watch the highlights when it suits.

Will the TDF be available to Ireland on this? I can see it as an upcoming race but its not listed on the website as being shown in Ireland

dahat

I used 3pay to sub for year 1 so effectively free really. I've enjoyed what I've looked at so far.

Cormo87

Cormo87 wrote: »

I have to say that I agree, for €20 it's great value. I also like the highlight playback function so you can watch the highlights when it suits.

Will the TDF be available to Ireland on this? I can see it as an upcoming race but its not listed on the website as being shown in Ireland

I think at this stage they'll have everything Eurosport have here, the issues arise with places like the US and Australia I think were they may be waiting out multi year rights deals to lapse. Flobikes etc. which is extortionate to say the least if you want to follow bike racing in the US.

G1032

Cormo87 wrote: »

I have to say that I agree, for €20 it's great value. I also like the highlight playback function so you can watch the highlights when it suits.

Will the TDF be available to Ireland on this? I can see it as an upcoming race but its not listed on the website as being shown in Ireland

It's available in Ireland
See this link
Look at Aug 29th
https://help.globalcyclingnetwork.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360015571739-Republic-of-Ireland

joey100

Can you get an app for this on apple TV or do you need to cast from your phone to a TV?

koutoubia

Yesterday I used the web page , used a hdmi cable to run from my laptop to an old tv and was perfect.
Watched the last hour of Milan - Torino while spinning on the rollers.

CantGetNoSleep

Is there any advantage of having this if you are a Eurosport Player subscriber too?

Macy0161

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Is there any advantage of having this if you are a Eurosport Player subscriber too?

Struggling to see the need for both, but it'll be the Eurosport Player I'll be dropping I think. I only watch cycling on it. Once GCN have their firetv app, Eurosport will be going for me.

MyDarkArts

Watched La Course on the web player, worked perfectly. No issue pausing and rewinding.

Seemed to have ironed out the issues on the app that I mentioned earlier too.

connie_c

Is anyone having issues accessing the long highlights on the app? Tg4 have long highlights. I'm wondering is there a licencing issue and the app won't give me long highlights access?

Cormo87

connie_c wrote: »

Is anyone having issues accessing the long highlights on the app? Tg4 have long highlights. I'm wondering is there a licencing issue and the app won't give me long highlights access?

Yeah same issue here, stage 1 was fine then had issues streaming the 2nd yesterday and can't see long highlights for stage 3. I emailed support and will let you know there reply. I hope it's not the case that we don't have access to them

Macy0161

I may have used the web streaming yesterday afternoon (depends who's reading!) - it worked well.

I can't help with the long highlights for the Tour, only used the App to catch up on "The Breakaway". Obviously the format is taking a COVID hit, but not sure I'll put up with 3 weeks of Wiggins "insights" (I do generally think he's alright, but he doesn't seem interested this year. Again maybe understandably).

keane2097

I wish you could watch the catch-up stuff and analysis sped up to 1.5X like you can with Youtube videos. Other than that it's a good service.

Cormo87

Stage 4 long highlights worked fine for me this evening. I have had no reply from GCN support.

G1032

Anyone having issues watching the racing on an android phone in landscape mode?
App keeps freezing when I put into landscape mode. Turning phone back to portrait mode unfreezes it but then I just get a black screen when I rotate back to landscape mode. Can only watch issue free in portrait mode which isn't ideal.

keane2097

G1032 wrote: »

Anyone having issues watching the racing on an android phone in landscape mode?
App keeps freezing when I put into landscape mode. Turning phone back to portrait mode unfreezes it but then I just get a black screen when I rotate back to landscape mode. Can only watch issue free in portrait mode which isn't ideal.

It's happened me a few times, if I kill the app and restart it works as normal again. Sometimes I've had to do so a couple of times in quick succession which is not ideal.

G1032

keane2097 wrote: »

It's happened me a few times, if I kill the app and restart it works as normal again. Sometimes I've had to do so a couple of times in quick succession which is not ideal.

Ya. It's a bit of a pain. I just DM'd them on Twitter so lets see the response

koutoubia

Anyone having difficulty with this?
For the last two days whatever race I click on its just coming up with a red screen
with the race details.

EDIT:
Sorted by logging out of the app AND on the laptop and logging back in.

fat bloke

Is this any better now as a matter of interest? I've toying with the idea of either this or the eurosport app. 39.99 for gcn sounds dear when the same price gets you a year's eurosport which includes more cycling than I could ever watch. And if the GCN app is glitchy and patchy...

Can't speak for the GCN app I've stuck with eurosport, exact same content in terms of racing and you have access to everything else too.

Heads up theres racing today on the road just gone live so I'll have an eye on that in the background on the laptop while the CX is on cast to the TV

fat bloke

Deleted User wrote: »

Can't speak for the GCN app I've stuck with eurosport, exact same content in terms of racing and you have access to everything else too.

Heads up theres racing today on the road just gone live so I'll have an eye on that in the background on the laptop while the CX is on cast to the TV

What road racing is that?

Eamonnator

fat bloke wrote: »

What road racing is that?

Grand Prix de Marseillaise.

CX World Championships are also on.(Men's elite race on shortly)

fat bloke

fat bloke wrote: »

What road racing is that?

GP Marseillaise, 1.1 race but 7 world tour teams there after the Spanish races were cancelled.

fat bloke

We already have eurosport 1 and 2 through virgin media so it's a bit of an extravagance to pay 40 quid for any app. It is a bit baffling that a world champs (cx) event is shuffled towards the back of the deck on the two channels though.

Eamonnator

Deleted User wrote: »

GP Marseillaise, 1.1 race but 7 world tour teams there after the Spanish races were cancelled.

And the startlist

https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/gp-d-ouverture/2021/startlist

On the CX I think BBC have it on the iplayer and red button

dastardly00

The prize giving for the GP de Marseille is hilarious... it's like The Price is Right with all the random prizes the winner is getting

CramCycle

How much is the annual racepass at the minute?

Eamonnator

dastardly00 wrote: »

The prize giving for the GP de Marseille is hilarious... it's like The Price is Right with all the random prizes the winner is getting

Was there a cuddly toy?

dahat

Paid for it using phone credit for the TDF last year, worth every cent & will renew even if only used for live coverage.

dastardly00

Eamonnator wrote: »

Was there a cuddly toy?

There was a small cuddly toy in the shape of a cycling jersey with the name of a race sponsor on it. That sponsor also happens to sponsor a World Tour team, but not the one that the winner rides for

dahat

dahat wrote: »

Paid for it using phone credit for the TDF last year, worth every cent & will renew even if only used for live coverage.

Was submitting my bills to revenue to claim the credits for working from home and was tempted to send in my Eurosport sub

Serious value for money when the racing is on mid week and you watch it live working at home.

Works out less than €1 a week and I've been renewing the last 3 years and they still charge me the "legacy" rate as it's called on the invoice of 29.99

There was a few nights there was nothing on and we didn't fancy a film or starting a TV series we watched snooker and herself enjoys the winter sports and tennis so she got to see the French Open etc.

TheBlaaMan

GCN have 'launched' GCN+

Ehh, I think, the links aren't to worky. A bit like the App

Anyway, it seems to be everyting on the RacePass plus docu/adventure films plus other bits and pieces,
with a special offier price for the month of February at €20 (normally €40)
https://welcome.globalcyclingnetwork.com/gcnplus

Having just recently sub'd to Eurosport, I'm not sure its for me, but maybe I will....

wirelessdude01

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

GCN have 'launched' GCN+

Ehh, I think, the links aren't to worky. A bit like the App

Anyway, it seems to be everyting on the RacePass plus docu/adventure films plus other bits and pieces,
with a special offier price for the month of February at €20 (normally €40)
https://welcome.globalcyclingnetwork.com/gcnplus

Having just recently sub'd to Eurosport, I'm not sure its for me, but maybe I will....

Are we lumped in with the UK for this or Rest of the world?

Checks app, yeah if you already have racepass you'll be moved over to GCN+ it looks like a rebrand with some additional content being added.

De Bhál

bought it for the cx and reaping the bonus wfh today with racing on in the background, 4km left

Tour de la provence