# Best option for watching races in USA???



## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

What are people using to watch the upcoming - packed - WorldTour season?

FloBikes?

NBC Sports Gold? (could not find a cycling schedule on their site)

a VPN? which one?


thanks for your time.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

NBC has the rights, so FloBikes can't show it in the US. Your option is NBCsport or gold or a VPN and hopefully find a Eurosport feed.


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

I use PureVPN (http://bit.ly/2ZTnWsm) and log into a UK server to watch via my EuroSport subscription. I've never had EuroSport ask for billing address but have heard some folks having that issue. There is an on-line UK debit type card available from TransferWise (https://bit.ly/2CrlLGr). I figure I'll go that route if EuroSport asks for a UK billing address at some time.

I guess GCN also has their new RacePass service up and running. Supposedly content varies by location. Not sure if you could get around that via VPN.


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## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

KoroninK said:


> NBC has the rights, so FloBikes can't show it in the US. Your option is NBCsport or gold or a VPN and hopefully find a Eurosport feed.


There is an Aussie site for free WorldTour races, or so i am told.

Emailed FloBikes about USA availability. 

NBC Sports Gold has no cycling schedule posted, tho i realize they have broadcast rights. The also do no offer many of the races, notably GdI.


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## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

KoroninK said:


> NBC has the rights, so FloBikes can't show it in the US. Your option is NBCsport or gold or a VPN and hopefully find a Eurosport feed.


On another forum people responded from USA about using FloBikes and the $100+ annual subscription. I'll see if the have a monthly rate through November8th that gets all the races.


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## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

Update after checking FloBikes -

to get access to their subscription page, one must first give their email. Which I typically don't do.


Does anyone know if a 3 month rate is available and the fee?


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## JeffWarner (Sep 24, 2005)

SantaCruz said:


> There is an Aussie site for free WorldTour races, or so i am told.


You have any more details on the Aussie site? I'm working in the South Pacific and might not even need a VPN to get it!


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

NBCsports have started advertising the Tour on NBCsports and NBC Gold when they showed some stages earlier this month. It may not be listed, but they own the rights. They will have the Tour, Vuelta, Paris-Roubaix, Fleche Wallone, LBL, and Worlds.

GCN has a new app that has a subscription for some races and highlights for the rest.


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

Caught the end of Strade Bianche on EuroSport this morning. They had some sort of technical issue issue earlier but the feed was good the last 20K or so. Only thing different is they now add one of those "click on the images with xyz in it" when you log in. You do have to be careful with the subtle British vs. American English word meaning differences.

They did really minimize the number of fans along the race though. There were only half a dozen people along the final climb, likely folks who lived in the houses along the route that popped their heads out for a look as the riders went by.


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## upstateSC-rider (Aug 21, 2004)

4Crawler said:


> I use PureVPN (http://bit.ly/2ZTnWsm) and log into a UK server to watch via my EuroSport subscription. I've never had EuroSport ask for billing address but have heard some folks having that issue. There is an on-line UK debit type card available from TransferWise (https://bit.ly/2CrlLGr). I figure I'll go that route if EuroSport asks for a UK billing address at some time.
> 
> *I guess GCN also has their new RacePass service up and running. Supposedly content varies by location. Not sure if you could get around that via VPN*.


Anyone have any experience with this GCN race pass? Supposedly they're partnered with Eurosport so I have high hopes.


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

upstateSC-rider said:


> Anyone have any experience with this GCN race pass? Supposedly they're partnered with Eurosport so I have high hopes.


Haven't tried it but the Eurosport coverage does have the GCN logo on it and they mention the GCN app from time to time. I think you'll still need a VPN into a country that GCN has coverage rights for. Maybe the GCN app gives particulars on which content is available in which country. What I find to be the main issue is that geo-restricted content rarely provides a nice list of allowed countries. Instead you have to try different countries / VPN server locations until you find one that works. 

This thread has some US content info:
https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/anyone-considering-gcn-race-pass/39748/7

I haven't had cable or satellite TV for about 8 years now. Just been using Eurosport with PureVPN and that's working well. Eurosport has improved the player a lot so that the times and schedules reflect the local time. A few years back it was a mess as they used some weird mixture of UK time and local time. So you would log in at say 8AM (Pacific) in the morning expecting to catch the 4PM (UK) airing of a race, but they would show you the 8AM (UK) schedule and the "current" shows reflected that. So you had to hunt around to find which channel the race was playing on.

Only feature missing is there's no easy way to record anything. But they do seem to have more on demand playback options where you can replay many events.


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## upstateSC-rider (Aug 21, 2004)

4Crawler said:


> Haven't tried it but the Eurosport coverage does have the GCN logo on it and they mention the GCN app from time to time. I think you'll still need a VPN into a country that GCN has coverage rights for. Maybe the GCN app gives particulars on which content is available in which country. What I find to be the main issue is that geo-restricted content rarely provides a nice list of allowed countries. Instead you have to try different countries / VPN server locations until you find one that works.
> 
> This thread has some US content info:
> https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/anyone-considering-gcn-race-pass/39748/7


Thanks, that link is pretty helpful.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

upstateSC-rider said:


> Anyone have any experience with this GCN race pass? Supposedly they're partnered with Eurosport so I have high hopes.


Beware a bunch of their content is geoblocked. The difference between what you get in the USA and in the EU with GCN Pass is 30% different easily due to geoblocking.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Flo Bikes seems like the most economical way to get the most content. Fubo TV is pricey and NBC Sports Gold only provides the races affiliated with the group that runs the TdF.


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Rashadabd said:


> Flo Bikes seems like the most economical way to get the most content. Fubo TV is pricey and NBC Sports Gold only provides the races affiliated with the group that runs the TdF.


FloBikes can't show any of the races NBC has the rights to in the US.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

KoroninK said:


> FloBikes can't show any of the races NBC has the rights to in the US.


That sucks, but you still get more. Compare this list to what you get from NBC Sports. I would go Flobikes 100% of the time as a result because most people get the TdF for free with their cable package. The only reason to choose NBC over Flo in my opinion is Paris Roubaix and the Vuelta. As much as I love Roubaix, I prefer Strade Bianche, Flanders, San Remo, and the Giro over those two for watching live so it's an easy choice for me. 

https://www.flobikes.com/articles/6746542-flobikes-2020-broadcast-calendar-revised


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Rashadabd said:


> That sucks, but you still get more. Compare this list to what you get from NBC Sports. I would go Flobikes 100% of the time as a result because most people get the TdF for free with their cable package. The only reason to choose NBC over Flo in my opinion is Paris Roubaix and the Vuelta. As much as I love Roubaix, I prefer Strade Bianche, Flanders, San Remo, and the Giro over those two for watching live so it's an easy choice for me.
> 
> https://www.flobikes.com/articles/6746542-flobikes-2020-broadcast-calendar-revised


I agree FloBikes is the better option. Even more so when NBC shows the stuff on NBCsports/Olympic Channel. Although a good portion is only on Gold. Paris-Roubaix is tape delayed on NBCSpots and la Vuelta usually live on the Olympic Channel. When I move, hoping we can switch my satellite to their streaming service for a few months until we can move from the apt my husband is currently in to one of the town homes. Husband has new job in a different city and I get to pack the house and get it ready to sell. (I hate packing/moving and I hate selling a house even more.)


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## saddle tramp (Feb 22, 2006)

You mean to tell me nbc is not doing the Giro?! I finally caved and ponied the bucks to watch the Tour but no Giro...

Is everything remaining going to be on Flo?


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

saddle tramp said:


> You mean to tell me nbc is not doing the Giro?! I finally caved and ponied the bucks to watch the Tour but no Giro...
> 
> Is everything remaining going to be on Flo?


No, Giro is the major thing _not on NBC_. They haven't done it in years passed either. Because reasons. NBCGold does tend to have a good bit of CX this time of year starting now...


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

saddle tramp said:


> You mean to tell me nbc is not doing the Giro?! I finally caved and ponied the bucks to watch the Tour but no Giro...
> 
> Is everything remaining going to be on Flo?


I posted a link that shows what Flo is airing above. Here is what NBC has scheduled. 

https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/...ge-of-every-stage-of-the-2020-tour-de-france/


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## saddle tramp (Feb 22, 2006)

I really dug the commercial free ASO coverage on nbc of the Tour....the Giro should be equally epic...here I come Flo....


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

saddle tramp said:


> You mean to tell me nbc is not doing the Giro?! I finally caved and ponied the bucks to watch the Tour but no Giro...
> 
> Is everything remaining going to be on Flo?


NBC doesn't have the rights to any of the Italian races. The Giro, Strade Bianche, Lombardia and of the non Italian races, Flanders is the other big one NBC doesn't have the rights to.


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## OldChipper (May 15, 2011)

In the US, not taking cost into consideration, it seems a combination of NBCSports and Flosports (Flobikes) is the best option.


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