As last year came to an end and 2023 kicked off, I made a move from the place that I have called home for the past 20+ years to a new apartment in Wolfeboro. There was really no reason for it other than it was time for a change.
I attempted to bring my DirecTV package with me to the new location, but after a discussion on the phone with a DirecTV representative, it became obvious that I couldn't do that, since the new apartment would not get satellite service because of the many, many trees that surround the house where I am living. As a devoted television addict, I had to look for another option to get my fix.
My only experience with streaming services before the move was my subscription to Paramount-Plus, which I did during Survivor season 40 in order to get the awesome behind the scenes videos that came out during that season, which aired during the height of COVID in the spring of 2020. Beyond watching those videos, I didn't really watch much else online, but I knew that I would have access to Survivor and The Amazing Race, two of my favorite shows, no matter what I chose.
On the recommendation of a friend, I went with YouTubeTV and so far, despite a few internet-related issues at the new apartment, I have been pleased with what they have offered. I am able to watch and/or record the network and non-network shows that I traditionally watch right on my television like I could with DirecTV, at a price that is basically a fraction of what I was paying. The one drawback is that NESN is currently not available on YouTubeTV, but my SiriusXM radio package for my car allows me to listen to all the Red Sox games no matter where I am, so I know I have access to those games.
One of the other things that I was working on trying to figure out was how to watch FIS World Cup alpine races and other snow sports. NBC Sports Network used to run tons of these races on weekends, but when that network went away a while back, they were spread out on a few different networks, but were less frequently on the air. With the DirecTV subscription off the bill, I decided to subscribe to Peacock, which is NBC's streaming service, but also has the rights to some of the alpine races (randomly enough, including all the ones in Austria). So, I was able to watch those races on my computer and on my television.
I also subscribed to skiandsnowboardlive.com, which basically airs all of the races for cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding and ski jumping in addition to the alpine races not on Peacock. Between the two services, I have been able to watch Mikaela Shiffrin chase down Lindsey Vonn's record for most World Cup wins by a female skier and as I sit here on Tuesday, Jan. 24, I am in my office in Meredith watching as she (spoiler alert) picks up her 83rd World Cup victory in Italy, breaking Lindsey's record and putting her one win closer to the all-time record.
I am really enjoying the broadcasts with different commentators so far and am glad I was able to see some history being made. And as I start thinking about the 2026 Winter Olympics, it was great to see the women race in Cortina D'Ampezzo, which will be the site of the alpine events in those Olympics. For the first time, it looks like I could be enjoying a Winter Olympics in a site that looks like winter (sorry, Sochi, PyeongChang and Beijing) and that in and of itself is exciting.
Congratulations to Mikaela Shiffrin on becoming the winningest female alpine skier of all time. It's been a pleasure watching you race in person and on my screens. Hopefully, I will see you in Italy in a few years.
Been enjoying watching Mikaela Shiffrin chase history on my computer in the office the last few weeks.
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