I can't find the schedule for the live stream of Skate Canada. Am I reading the post below mine right, that Ice Network is not live streaming it this year?

That's correct, we are not live streaming the rest of the Grand Prix Series this season. On-demand video will be posted approximately seven days after the conclusion of each event.

Can you please explain why you will not be live streaming the rest of the Grand Prix series this year? One of the main reasons that I subscribe to Ice Network is to watch the live streaming. I like to be able to watch the events as soon as or close to they when they happen (on-demand was previously being put up several hours after the event) so that I don't get spoiled. Now we won't even be able to watch the last event until the next event is beginning, a whole week later, making it pretty much impossible for me to not see the outcome of the competition. I am really disappointed about this and feel like I'm no longer getting what I fully paid for.

I agree...while Icenetwork did add sectionals, it is a shame that almost the entire Grand Prix is not live, and on top of that Icenetwork is not showing 4CC or Worlds at all (that i know of at this moment). A couple of years ago when I subscribed this was all being shown but now each year less and less is offered. While I appreciate the sectionals and regionals being offered (although not always live) it's these big events that people want to see live.

I'd rather have the sectionals and regionals posted a week later for the simple fact that most of these results are not headline news on the skating blogs, so results are not ruined...i.e. if you wait a week to watch them you won't know who won unless you did a more thorough search. On the other hand, the Grand Prix events, 4CC, and Worlds are front page news on skating blog sites...i.e. you can't avoid the results and thus it ruins the watching experience.

It would be great if Icenetwork were more transparent about this process and why every year for the past three years service has declined instead of improved. I recognize there might be some licensing restrictions, contacts, etc but then I wonder what US Figure Skating is doing to secure more and better access rather than decreasing services. Is there an answer to this?

I completely agree.  I have had a subscription for about 4 or 5 years now and the Grand Prix season is what I look forward to the most.  The GP series was always shown on here and I don't understand why it isn't anymore.  It is a shame that we have to wait a week to watch these events.  That's great that they added Regionals but even then most of the videos went up a week or more after the event so that was almost pointless.  I am excited to see sectionals but what I really want to see is GP series, 4 CC, and worlds.  I am going to have to seriously consider if I want to pay the money for this next year.  I am disappointed with Icenetwork this year.

Do to rights-holder restrictions from NBC/Universal we were not able to show the rest of the GP Series live (except for Skate America). We laid out all of this information in the Season Pass email you were sent, on the subscription page and in an article

CLICK HERE

i will not pay to icenetwork anymore next year. so stupid. Wasting my money

I don't know why people are surprised; the rights issue was mentioned before the passes went on sale this year. It's a tricky business trying to secure broadcast rights when you have to deal with different countries and irritating companies like NBC.

I don't have to like it but you're right, it's my fault for not fully reading the details before I subscribed...I just assumed that it would be the same. It's sad that other broadcast services make it so difficult to provide content which obviously a large amount of people want to see.

While I realize that compared to most of you I am a casual competition viewer, I want to add an alternative view to watching competition live.  First I want to say that I do especally enjoy watching some competitions, such as Nationals and Olympics live, and did enjoy watching Skate America. I find, however, that after 3 or 4 days of watching figure skating at all hours of the night and day for weeks on end, I'm somewhat burnt out and feel as though I am re-emerging from a cocoon that includes only my living room, kitchen and computer, back to life again when it's over.  Rather, I find that I enjoy watching the competitions at a slower pace far more, and feel that taking all week to see them is nicer.  It doesn't matter if I already know who won, I simply enjoy watching superb skating.  I do not subscribe to other boards, however, and --as noted above-- am more of a casual skating fan. 

 

I am hoping that Ice Network is able to strike a deal similar to last year's that, for an extra 6 bucks, allows us to view 4 Continents and the Worlds.  It doesn't have to be live, but it would be nice to see the skating.