ESPN coverage of NCAA tournament

Chuck · March 18, 2021, 04:24:52 PM

First of all I do understand through apps and streaming each mat can be watched individually and I do appreciate the fact they are televising some of the tournament.
But I'm sure there are fans that are not as tech savvy and just want to turn on ESPN and watch.
I feel ESPN could have put in a little more effort and had at times split screen or quad screen on occasion rather then 1 match at a time.

TomM · March 18, 2021, 04:27:59 PM

I am juggling a number of apps to watch.

It appears there is one ESPN 'channel' that has a 'regular' broadcast. I believe it has Tim Johnson and another chap calling high profile matches and giving stats etc.

vsmf2010 · March 18, 2021, 05:26:19 PM

Quote from: gsdad on March 18, 2021, 04:24:52 PM
First of all I do understand through apps and streaming each mat can be watched individually and I do appreciate the fact they are televising some of the tournament.
But I'm sure there are fans that are not as tech savvy and just want to turn on ESPN and watch.
I feel ESPN could have put in a little more effort and had at times split screen or quad screen on occasion rather then 1 match at a time.

Not to be a contrarian or disregard your opinion but I could not be happier. Much easier than ever to just watch the badger matches in the NCAA and Big Tens. To be able to sit down in front of tv without having hook up my laptop and watch is amazing. Only my opinion.

crossface21 · March 18, 2021, 10:39:27 PM

ESPN3 has all the individual mats if you wanted to watch a certain match and they also had a multicast with all 8 mats on one screen. This is by far better than what the coverage was even just 3-4 years ago. Even for Match Madness there are 4 dedicated channels and you can't see every game. How do you expect ESPN to televise all 8 mats on TV? The Ocho doesn't really exist.

Chuck · March 19, 2021, 05:52:27 AM

Then I guess it is my provider that is bad. 1 channel 1 mat is all I had the option of watching. I did switch to using the ESPN + app for round 2 . That way I could choose any mat I wanted or all 8 at once.

neutral · March 19, 2021, 06:56:28 AM

I agree with gsdad.
While appreciative of whatever we get (without streaming) - I don't have any idea why they show the matches they show.
I don't need to see #1s beat on #64s ... when I'll be seeing them in later rounds. Show the more evenly matched matches - and jump around a bit (so the others get a look-see) ... and settle on 1 or 2 of the best matches to follow. There were many times when they were showing a much less compelling match than was available.
Also - there's way too much time away from the mats while wrestling is going on. If there's things they want to discuss - I don't need to see them standing or sitting with masks on while doing it. Let us watch the matched without their play-by-play while they talk.
Also #2 - they keep referring to technical issue they are having without referring to what they are (they are unnoticeable to me). I might help to know what they are ... in case they are contributing to what I am considering less than "choice" coverage.

bigG · March 19, 2021, 07:04:48 AM

I agree Neutral. Too much chat. I want to see wrestling, not interviews. Interview between rounds or something. I wonder if the logic of showing #1 v. 64 is the greater potential for pin to reel in the lesser intense wrestling fans; but I hear you. I want close catfights.

neutral · March 19, 2021, 07:18:09 AM

does that mean we're both wrong?