Update: This post was about the round-robin game on Sunday February 21. The Gold Medal Final between USA and Canada is airing on NBC proper at 3pm ET/Noon Pacific.
I believe, as NBC claims, that is airing the USA vs. Canada hockey game on MSNBC rather than NBC so that it can air the game live coast-to-coast and telecast the whole game without breaking away.
The move does have some conspiracy theorists licking their chops though. Might NBC Universal have deliberately moved the game to MSNBC because Comcast -- who is awaiting regulatory approval to take a controlling stake in NBC Universal -- has MSNBC in HD, and one of its competitors, DirecTV doesn't?
No chance! (update: and some comments suggest that Comcast's HD availability for MSNBC is fairly limited).
Though the move does pour some gasoline on the "who has the better HD?" fires, it is extremely unlikely it had anything at all to do to do with Comcast. If it's good news for Comcast, it's also good news for Dish Network, who really competes more directly with DirecTV and also good news for Time Warner Cable and other cable providers who also offer MSNBC in HD.
I'm sure the move has nothing at all to do with Comcast. Sure, NBC Universal is probably not crying that DirecTV gets a bit of a poke in the eyes for not signing up for MSNBC in HD. And sure, there's no doubt Comcast, Time Warner, Dish Network and any other cable provider who offers MSNBC in HD won't shed any tears over the move for DirecTV, but that's not exactly a conspiracy.
But whatever the reasons, there's no doubt the outcome sucks for DirecTV customers who'll have to watch in standard definition. I'm sure there are more than a few DirecTV customers shaking their fists and asking, "Why couldn't you move the game to USA Network where we have HD? Is a Pirates of The Caribbean Marathon THAT important?"
HD for televised sports makes a big difference, and for me personally, it's made the biggest difference of all with hockey.
Comcast here in Richmond VA does not have a HD version of MSNBC so I’m as screwed as a DirecTV customer!
Comcast doesn’t carry MSNBC in HD (or if it does it’s only in select markets) so this conspiracy theory makes absolutely no sense.
No MSNBC in HD here, either. (In fact, I didn’t even think we got MSNBC at all.)
No MSNBC in HD on my Comcast, in one of the nation’s largest cities. They don’t even carry Morning Joe in regular definition, usually nothing until 8 am and then all standard def, with no HD channel.
I’m pretty sure Comcast carries MSNBC in standard definition in all markets — though I’m not sure it is carried in the most basic, basic cable packages in all markets.
As for HD, I know it’s available in many big markets but I’m not sure of the coverage (and we don’t see HD coverage estimates by channel from Nielsen, though I wish we did!).
I had no idea it was available to me in HD and confess before today I didn’t care. But it sucks that it sounds like a lot of people who have HD won’t be able to watch the game in HD.
There’s more markets with CNBC HD than MSNBC HD although the standard broadcast uses the HD signal for MSNBC making the picture crisp.
Either way GO CANADA!
Vetinari, what market?
Who cares! I’m watching NASCAR on FOX in HD.
I know that on my Comcast Cable in suburban Pittsburgh, I get MSNBC, but only Standard, not HD version. I have NBC and USA in HD, but not CNBC or MSNBC. To me, with this being the biggest event so far for these olympics, it surely should have been broadcast nationwide on NBC, live and uninterrupted. Maybe my opinion is scewed because I like hockey, but I would bet this will be watched by more people than Ice Dancing which is what is going to be on NBC.
Lansing Michigan comcast has MSNBC HD, channel 376
Robert – Houston.
This is ridiculous. There is no MSNBC HD channel in my area. I have comcast, and comcast will soon own NBC, and they are putting the biggest hockey game in 4 years (in north america) and there is no HD channel. UNBELIEVABLE! What about USA HD. CNBC HD? I have all of these channels and yet no MSNBC HD. Verizon FIOS carries it everywhere apparently.
I found out last night that I had HD for MSNBC. It must be relatively new. I live in the suburbs of Detroit, MI.
Im sure they just wanna pump up msnbcs #s cause after this week msnbc goes back to a nothing channel.
Comcast has MSNBC in HP (channel 790) here in Portland, OR
This game should have been on a common channel that is widely available in HD and already has actual viewers and then promoted in advance!!!…as for MSNBC in Hd, no offense but I dont want it on directv -I’m gonna pay one way or another for all these upgrades and Id rather they be upgrading highly watched networks than a miniscule channel like msnbc. Being in hd won’t make me watch it.
No MSNBC HD on Comcast in Baltimore. “Xfinity” has brought us no new HD channels so far.
They should have shown it or simulcast it on Universal HD. That channel is hardly being used at all for the Olympics.
I don’t have MSNBC in HD on Comcast in Chicago which is why I think the conspiracy theory is complete garbage. Chicago is Comcast’s largest market.
Got MSNBC HD on FIOS in MA. Just added this month, along with ION HD (oh yeah).
Jam I also live in Chicago same thing. And honestly I hate to say it but what’s the big deal if it’;s not in HD. If you need to see it in HD, goto a bar.