GCN+ is dead

devonp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728144#Comment_121728144

do you have to have an active nowtv sub to see the Discovery+ on the stick ?, have the stick but not subbed at present cannot see D+ ..can see NetF etc ??

Macy0161

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121742553#Comment_121742553

I don't know (as we have several NowTV subs), but I doubt it. Should be in the apps to install? It was on AppleTV, and I've no sub for that.

mewso

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121740495#Comment_121740495

I've always assumed GCN+ was some kind of spin-off from Eurosport that had some kind of deal with them to broadcast the live content and then added content for a dedicated cycling audience. I may be wrong but that would lead me to assume that the move to Poland is the youtube GCN stuff but I would still expect studio coverage from Eurosport. We'll see for sure come Milan San Remo

MangleBadger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745025#Comment_121745025

I doubt the Youtube content is going anywhere since all the creators are based around Bath. GCN was originally a Youtube based cycling channel, which was then eventually ended up as part of the Discovery network and GCN+ was the online platform for streaming races. The breakaway etc is more of a Eurosport product with Dan Lloyd as part of the presenting team.

TNT Sports which is not BT/Eurosport will be Warsaw based for studios. As I have seen Brian O'Driscoll travel there for rugby coverage. So I'm presuming it will be the same scenario for the breakaway show.

nilhg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745025#Comment_121745025

The breakaway is back already with coverage from the UAE women's tour yesterday and today, I'm pretty sure Orla C had a story on inst about a long trip to Warsaw during the week so I'm presuming that's where the studio content is coming from.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3FXt4CMTGi/

CramCycle

If your content with catch ups, Lanterne Rouge on YouTube covers alot and seems to have the rights for official clips for alot of races.

dastardly00

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745747#Comment_121745747

I can't see Sean Kelly travelling all the way to Warsaw to be on the Breakaway!

Dodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121764628#Comment_121764628

He’s not cycling there! Only an extra hour on a flight for him.

Will be interesting to see how they handle the GT days as they’d often have the GCN lads do pre show, then a bit of commentary to give Hatch etc a break and then back in the studio. Same with the likes of McEwan etc

Junior

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121764900#Comment_121764900

So going back a few years ago, pre GCN, Eurosport got **** with their line up. If you remember we had odd people coming in for the Monuments, and coverage dipped for a while. They were trying not to get into a situation like they had with David Harmon when he walked. So they've been rotating main comms people with a while, and the co-commentator as well. It was also a cost cutting measure.

With the advent of Covid, they are no longer sending dedicated comms teams to the big races, they are keeping the main comms remote, and having the likes of Robbie, Sean et al based at a Studio, so they are available for post race shows with the likes of Orla.

So it will be interesting to see where they "base" the studio now, as they'll need to get the likes of McEwen, Kelly, Lloyd etc there.

Dodge

The studio is based in Warsaw. That’s not in doubt

Paddigol

When did life get so complicated?! I blame hedge funds.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121767101#Comment_121767101

Always a safe tack to take, even if they've nothing to do with a given case

Squidgy Black

I see Eurosport took over the Zwift Academy series this year on YouTube, none of the GCN crew involved.

Rider numbers halved, think it used to be 6 riders each through to the finals for men and women, they’re only doing 3 each this time round and they just jump straight in to basically just documenting the 3 riders training with the team instead of the whole competitions etc.

Fairly shíte in comparison tbh

seaviewphotos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800496#Comment_121800496

That's disappointing, I was looking forward to watching it.

G1032

I found out today when I tried to login to Discovery+ on a UK VPN that D+ can only be watched in the country it was purchased in. I emailed them about it and they more or less said tough sh!t.

This means if/when I go on holiday in summer I wouldn't be able to watch say, the TdF.

I assume they have their legal side covered but I wouldn't have thought such a policy was allowed?

Edit - Should be available in EU. But my VPN was set to UK today. I'll check later if it works with EU VPN

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/european-union-commission-eu-portability-regulation

dastardly00

Strade Bianche on tomorrow... I suppose I better finally bite the bullet and subscribe to Discovery+

wheelo01

I've heard of a guy selling Discovery + UK for 6 months @ $16. I dont know anything about him, but is this

A. Allowed

B. Good value?

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121840388#Comment_121840388

If you have to ask...

G1032

It looks like all the documentaries from GCN are gone. Wanted to watch 'Following El Diablo' again but can't find it on D+.

CrowdedHouse

Unlike GCN it doesn't remember that I want Ambient Sound and not the snip commentators.

Macy0161

Also not loving that you can't seem to add sport/ races to your watch list, at least on ATV (must try nowtv and firestick).

G1032

Am loving the key moments highlighted though. Came home from work and turned on and chose to watch from start (with the intention of fast forwarding to about half hour to go). But they had key moments in the race where you could jump to. So just jumped straight to 20km to go. Of course that's a half hour I'll never get back. Could have tuned in for last 500m tbh

Raoul Duke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121849934#Comment_121849934

I agree. Very useful on a sprinter's stage.

Bambaata

Luckily for me i copped my father has Sky at home which comes with free D+ via app so now ive to pay nothing for the service :)

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121838673#Comment_121838673

With a VPN connected back to Ireland, you should satisfy them it that's their criteria - you can check it easily by connecting your VPN to an Irish endpoint and see if you can watch D+. It may be they're detecting VPNs in general, in which case you're probably hosed.

On a more general note, a lot of races are free to air on France/Italy networks which you can watch over VPN (they are geoblocked). I watched Strade Bianche on RAI 2 on Saturday, Tireno Adriatico is on the same channel this week, and France 3 is carrying Paris Nice and will have Paris Roubaix. I presume the other monuments are findable as well, and I imagine Belgian TV carries a lot of the classics (and probably CX). Language is a disadvantage admittedly (though for me personally French is fine)

Don Juan II

ITV4 have Paris-Nice highlights (1 hour) at 7pm all week.

I record and watchback later when the kids are in bed.

IMHO, ITV4 do the best cycling highlights. I was a GCN+ subscriber and I'm a D+ subscriber as well but I'll always watch ITV4 over GCN+/D+. It's a pity ITV don't cover more races

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121852508#Comment_121852508

Just a heads-up for people on Virgin Media, a lot of the ITV4 cycling coverage is geo-blocked here alas :(

devonp

Got my -€7.78 refund from Apple/GCN+ today 😁, should I plough that into D+ for a months trial basis ??

not really missing GCN+ as much as I'd thought maybe cycling season not in full swing yet or I'm coping with ES on Virgin..?

De Bhál

I used to like the 5 minute highlights on GCN app.

no sign of that on Discovery

Raoul Duke

The highlighted key moments seems to have gone as well on D+. For me at least.