How to watch the Kentucky Derby in Canada without cable?
May 2, 2019 10:01 PM Subscribe
My friend who lives in Toronto and I in the U.S. have a longstanding annual tradition of watching the Derby together while chatting online. However, this year there is a snag - she recently gave up cable, which is how she was previously watching it, to help with the household budget. I'm trying to find a way for her to watch online.
Either live streaming or after-the-fact would be fine (after-the-fact might be better, for flexibility - we've often timeshifted the race to match our schedules) but ideally there would be at least some of the pre-race programming included.
I know how _I_ could watch it streaming, but I'm having trouble figuring out what will also be available in Canada, since a lot of video stuff seems to be country-limited. My friend is a competent regular computer user, but might have trouble implementing anything more complicated, like a VPN. I'd be fine with some sort of pay-per-view, but only if _I_ can somehow pay for it for her to have, which seems tricky.
After all these years of shared highs and lows and hats and two Triple Crown winners, I really, really don't want to lose this connection. Infinite thanks to anyone in the hive mind who can help!
Either live streaming or after-the-fact would be fine (after-the-fact might be better, for flexibility - we've often timeshifted the race to match our schedules) but ideally there would be at least some of the pre-race programming included.
I know how _I_ could watch it streaming, but I'm having trouble figuring out what will also be available in Canada, since a lot of video stuff seems to be country-limited. My friend is a competent regular computer user, but might have trouble implementing anything more complicated, like a VPN. I'd be fine with some sort of pay-per-view, but only if _I_ can somehow pay for it for her to have, which seems tricky.
After all these years of shared highs and lows and hats and two Triple Crown winners, I really, really don't want to lose this connection. Infinite thanks to anyone in the hive mind who can help!
Is there any chance your friend can pick up the NBC broadcast over the air (via rabbit ears or an antenna)? Depending on where you live in Canada, the three major US broadcasters (NBC, CBS and ABC) are often the signals that you can pull down without cable.
posted by sardonyx at 9:00 AM on May 3, 2019
posted by sardonyx at 9:00 AM on May 3, 2019
Do you have a major cable/satellite provider? Could you supply your username/credentials to the NBC live stream portal so she can log in and watch the stream? I'm unsure if this would require a VPN if she's in Canada. The pre- and post- race programs may be available without a provider login, but not the race itself; the NBC streaming site isn't clear on that.
This page suggests she may be able to pick up the Buffalo NBC affiliate in Toronto if she has the antenna and can point it in the right direction. (The site has a map to help with this.)
posted by SquidLips at 8:55 PM on May 3, 2019
This page suggests she may be able to pick up the Buffalo NBC affiliate in Toronto if she has the antenna and can point it in the right direction. (The site has a map to help with this.)
posted by SquidLips at 8:55 PM on May 3, 2019
Hope you were able to work out the technical challenges, LadyOscar. That was one for the record books.
posted by sardonyx at 4:39 PM on May 4, 2019
posted by sardonyx at 4:39 PM on May 4, 2019
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posted by neda at 4:08 AM on May 3, 2019 [1 favorite]