Pittsburgh's going to the superbowl

January 24, 2006 6:13 PM

Watching the Superbowl in England. For real

So I would like to find a way to watch the Superbowl in its true glory. That is, with American commentators and American commercials. I suppose I could find some bar in London with a satellite feed. However, I'm stuck in Cambridge and I'd like to find a way to get it streamed online. My only idea is to find someone with a homebrewed DVR that would immediately stream it to me through a dedicated connection, but I don't know of such a person. Any ideas?

posted by allen.spaulding to Computers & Internet (22 answers total)

Get to London, Manchester or (maybe) Bristol, otherwise...

:(

For in-person opportunities, i'd suggest upcoming.org - for some reason American expats in Britain gravitate to the site.
posted by huskerdont at 6:17 PM on January 24, 2006

I was thinking along the same lines as huskerdont. Find some american expats who like football, and tell them you're trying to find a way to watch the game.

I'll hazard a guess that if you ask a few american football fans, you'll end up inviting you to their Superbowl party (and trust me, they will be having a superbowl party). With some luck, you'd get the whole experience, replete with American enthusiasm.

In an ideal world, you'd find a bunch of expats half from Pittsburgh and half from Seattle, but that's hoping for too much.
posted by I Love Tacos at 6:24 PM on January 24, 2006

You might be able to find people using something like PPStream, PPLive or SopCast to stream the SuperBowl. That's how soccer fans get to illicitly watch streams of Premier League games that are being shown on satellite TV in China. Trouble is, the technology is developed in China, and I don't think it's been widely adopted (on the server side) in the US.
posted by holgate at 6:47 PM on January 24, 2006

Thanks for the input. Ideally, I'd be holding the party, repleat with my ex-pat community, so finding someone else with a feed is suboptimal. I'll look into PPStream etc.
posted by allen.spaulding at 7:00 PM on January 24, 2006

Do you know any American servicemen over there. The game will be on their satellite channel. A lot of US expats get that channel as well just for the sports.
posted by caddis at 7:01 PM on January 24, 2006

FYI, the game won't start until around 23:30 in England.

Good luck finding a spot. Go Steelers!
posted by terrapin at 7:13 PM on January 24, 2006

Yeah, the start time is part of my reservation of going down to London. I plan on being drunk and rowdy. I mean, how often do the Steelers win the Superbowl?
posted by allen.spaulding at 7:17 PM on January 24, 2006

Too long for my liking. I was 14 the last time, and I turn 40 next month. Please, please, please, please...
posted by terrapin at 7:18 PM on January 24, 2006

I watched it in SW England a few years ago. On Sky maybe? A classmate had satelite. Not sure if you want the US boradcast or just any broadcast. You might be treated to commentary by a second string place kicker and a Scottish color (colour?) commentator.
posted by jaysus chris at 7:25 PM on January 24, 2006

Right, the sky broadcast is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. That's what I watched the AFC championship on and I'm not going back. The servicemen I know have only that, I really need a live feed.
posted by allen.spaulding at 7:31 PM on January 24, 2006

Maybe contact these guys or these guys and see what they could suggest ?
posted by jamesonandwater at 7:46 PM on January 24, 2006

no need for a homebrew DVR, you just need to find someone with one of these bad boys and you can watch it right off someone's TiVo over the net in real time. I've seen it in action, and would be perfect for what you want.

Go Pats!

huh? they what?
posted by popechunk at 8:00 PM on January 24, 2006

It will be on normal, not digital terrestrial television. Or at least it was last year. I seem to remember that it was on Channel 4, they had their own pundits. But I belive the comentarry was the traditional american commentators.

Go the steelers....
posted by gergtreble at 8:12 PM on January 24, 2006

Try calling the sports bars in your area and ask if they're showing it, or if they know any other places that are showing it.

Uh, go Seahawks!

(had to balance the thread a bit.)
posted by apple scruff at 8:51 PM on January 24, 2006

I mean, how often do the Steelers win the Superbowl?

NEVER.

...go 'hawks!
posted by salad spork at 10:07 PM on January 24, 2006

According to this, the Superbowl will be shown on ITV, one of the main terrestrial channels. Usually there's studio punditry from Americans who try to explain what's going on to clueless Brits, but the game commentary is all-American.
posted by essexjan at 1:12 AM on January 25, 2006

The Superbowl will be shown on both terrestrial and satellite TV. The ITV broadcast will be designed for people who don't really follow the sport, and so will be excrutiating for committed fans. The Sky Sports broadcast, on the other hand, is the one you ought to try and watch. Excellent commentary and analysis. The only thing you'll be missing are the adverts. As a Brit, I find the whole fascination with the adverts truly baffling, but there you go.
posted by salmacis at 1:27 AM on January 25, 2006

salmacis: he already said he doesn't want the Sky broadcast...

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, as I'm trying to find a way to get the American broadcast as well! (In Dublin)
posted by antifuse at 1:33 AM on January 25, 2006

A few years back when the Steelers were making their way in the earlier stages of the championships, I was able to stream Myron Cope off of Pittsburgh radio. I see he retired last year. It was only made better when I put the baby monitor by the PC and narrowcast it down to the kitchen.

Now, where's my Terrible Towel?
posted by sagwalla at 1:35 AM on January 25, 2006

That's a thought - watching the English broadcast of the game with the TV muted, and then streaming American audio commentary off the web. Most of my friends do that with local college basketball, as they vastly prefer the live radio commentary to the TV version...
posted by daveleck at 5:13 AM on January 25, 2006

Problem is that you will have to pay to hear the American streamed content. Believe me. I used to love to listen to Myron Cope's annoying voice, but the NFL has locked down all the local stations (WDVE in Pittsburgh) who broadcast the game so that people are forced to pay to hear it (usually on nfl.com).

salad spork: Your answer reflects the Seahawks success in the Super Bowl. The Steelers have won 4 so far. One for the thumb comes on 5 February. :)
posted by terrapin at 5:46 AM on January 25, 2006

Your answer reflects the Seahawks success in the Super Bowl. The Steelers have won 4 so far.

They've never faced the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, though. Nobody has!
posted by kindall at 8:31 AM on January 25, 2006