Sumo live on PC with a new Softbank service

[Akinomaki]

On 31.10.2016 at 12:44, Akinomaki said:

SportsNaviLive after late November will get a homepage for registered users to watch the stream also on PC and Mac

Looks nice, but the videos get the "cannot be played outside of Japan"-error: http://sports.mb.softbank.jp/genre/sumo

The question is: would they (and all lower divisions) be viewable outside of Japan for a registered user?

 

Meanwhile the NSK makuuchi sumo app seems to have been upgraded:

also with the free version one favorite rikishi can be registered, and the VOD database contains all bouts since May 2010.

 

Edited January 2, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki]

On 31.10.2016 at 14:00, kuroimori said:

what would be the cheapest mobile phone contract in Japan, eligible for non-residents that would qualify for this service?

I will give this a try in May, but also as non-resident an address in Japan is probably required. The cheapest way to get the service should be a Softbank prepaid contract: a new contract costs 3000yen and it needs recharge after a year (+120days I presume, later years +60days), to have the contract and the phone number stay alive, which is the login id for the app on tablet and the PC site - apparently 4000 yen is the minimum amount available for recharge.

I don't know if there are other costs if no smartphone is bought, but the prepaid option is maybe only available with the 3 standard phones Softbank offers (and for a few other premium devices the site search showed), one for 10800 yen, which includes a usable charge amount of 10000yen, to be used up within 120 days. http://www.softbank.jp/mobile/products/list/aquos-crystal-prepaid/price/

The costs depend on wether the 500 yen a month for the SportsNavi service have to paid from the charged prepaid amount, can or must  be paid separately: the last has fixed costs of up to 19800yen the first year (+120days) and then 10000 yen each year (+60days - if I'm right) for this solution vs. at least 1500 yen per month for solutions with other carriers -  the price of 3000 yen a month may come back for a while, but I don't think it will stay permanently. If recharge is necessary to pay for SportsNavi, it later leads to monthly costs of 2000 yen for this Softbank solution  - in that case another Softbank contract may be a bit cheaper.

The problem then still is: will the videos (and the live stream) after login outside of Japan play on the PC - to be at worst screen recorded - or at least on a tablet - or only by using the international services of Softbank on a mobile phone.

The PC page has for Jan. 8th and later the live stream on schedule - as locked/pay service. http://sports.mb.softbank.jp/genre/sumo

The page usually won't open properly at first with an outside link: You have to select 大相撲 again from the その他 drop down list on the right to show the (unplayable) video selection.  Chose the date and it gives: Jonokuchi to Makuuchi, with start of broadcast in your time zone

 

[LIVE]一月場所 初日（序ノ口～幕内）

1/8 (日) 0:25〜

序ノ口～全取組をライブ配信

Edited January 4, 2017 by Akinomaki

[rhyen]

Interesting, the service now includes oyakata during demonstration of bouts that took place in the day.

http://sports.mb.softbank.jp/vod/player/3478
http://sports.mb.softbank.jp/vod/player/3475

[Akinomaki]

On 3.1.2017 at 20:14, Akinomaki said:

The costs depend on wether the 500 yen a month for the SportsNavi service have to paid from the charged prepaid amount, can or must  be paid separately: the last has fixed costs of up to 19800yen the first year (+120days) and then 10000 yen each year (+60days - if I'm right) for this solution vs. at least 1500 yen per month for solutions with other carriers -  the price of 3000 yen a month may come back for a while, but I don't think it will stay permanently.

Softbank introduces full HD for the SportsNavi service on March 16th. The service will then cost 1480 Yen for all or 980 Yen for Softbank and Y!Mobile users - and for others who use the Yahoo premium service for 462Yen a month - those who have booked the old standard HD service will still get that for 500 Yen, but application for it is only possible till March 15th. http://www.softbank.jp/corp/group/sbm/news/press/2017/20170208_01/

That makes my calculations and planning so far void.

Sports apps from several other makers are entering the market, but sumo is only for Softbank - at least it leads to the general service to get cheaper.

Edited February 8, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Asashosakari]

In case it's of interest to somebody - the NSK's official iOS/Android app offers a free one-month trial if you sign up during March or April.

Edited March 10, 2017 by Asashosakari

[Akinomaki]

Softbank published a video about the fascination of sumo, esp. new yokozuna Kisenosato, with former heya mate Takanowaka, who apparently commentates on the Softbank service, 2 sujo and a sponavi live sumo responsible, who also comments. In the end of course about the service, which can expect a rise in customers with the promotion of Kise and the very slim chance to get a ticket for the real live event now.

 

[Asashosakari]

According to a blurb on the Kyokai's news page, the Softbank live coverage will be available for free on Day 1, all the way from jonokuchi to the musubi no ichiban. Video to be shown here or via the Softbank Sportsnavi app, though presumably still geolocked to Japanese IPs, unfortunately.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Asashosakari

[sesom]

Yes, it is geolocked. With my japanese IP I only get a spinning circle.

[Akinomaki]

For 3 days now in Japan I'm doing nothing but getting to access the Sponavi videos - and have to find out that only the free Haru basho videos are available after login - the lower div. videos are either hidden somewhere or get deleted after a month.

some things to remember
- you have to be a resident to get a contract
- payment for Sponavi may be difficult even with a contract, only the "other providers" option accepted my credit card

So far I could only watch the videos on Japanese devices (smartphone, tablet, PC). After setting everything I could think of to "Japan" on the notebook I brought here and a restart, I managed to watch the videos with Firefox Developer edition.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki]

11 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

So far I could only watch the videos on Japanese devices (smartphone, tablet, PC). After setting everything I could think of to "Japan" on the notebook I brought here and a restart, I managed to watch the videos with Firefox Developer edition.

With these settings, my news&pics check program won't work anymore - all pages created are mingled trash, like 2 years ago, when I tried to have the routines run on a local PC. Softbank seems to check this special setting to determine if it's a Japanese device - switching needs a system restart all the time, so this is quite annoying.

[Akinomaki]

9 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

20 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

So far I could only watch the videos on Japanese devices (smartphone, tablet, PC). After setting everything I could think of to "Japan" on the notebook I brought here and a restart, I managed to watch the videos with Firefox Developer edition.

With these settings, my news&pics check program won't work anymore - all pages created are mingled trash, like 2 years ago, when I tried to have the routines run on a local PC. Softbank seems to check this special setting to determine if it's a Japanese device - switching needs a system restart all the time, so this is quite annoying.

After switching back I still could watch the videos with the German version of Ff dev. ed. I installed here, but with no other browser I had already on my notebook. Actually on a Japanese w8 notebook I couldn't watch the videos either with older versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer, only with Ff dev. ed. I installed there new as well - Edge on another Japanese w10 notebook had no problems. There seem to be a variety of limitations for the videos.

[Akinomaki]

Day 1 one is again free to watch in Japan. Each device I'm streaming it has a slightly different timing. So far I only could get it on the TV screen from the PC - but no way to record without recording the screen. My new cheap tablet has no video output and the lightning cable adapter HDMI end won't fit into the old TV.

[Akinomaki]

Sponavi is really nice, for sandanme onward they also have replay and oyakata as guests, later slomo - seems almost like NHK. I'd prefer the pure hall sound though: you have that only till jonidan. But what a surprise: NHK on BS broadcasts on the sub-channel the unblemished hall sound - from 16h on there is the English commentary.

With a tablet or mobile on wifi, you can even use Sponavi for replay in the kokugikan - comes with a 30s delay. If not softbank/ymoble user, the softbank nationwide wifi spots can be used for about 500yen a month -  and there is one in the kokugikan - lining up outside for presents or watching rikishi you can't use it.

The 10h live broadcast of the day is available in 9 parts as VOD - but only for a week, then the video gets deleted. And they don't care for the dohyo-iri: the videos start somewhere in the middle.

I had a tiny hope I would be able to see something on the Japanese tablet I brought back from Japan, but the app stops at once with: sponavi can't be used outside of Japan.

Edited June 3, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Asashosakari]

One free day of coverage on Sponavi again, but this time Day 6.

http://www.sumo.or.jp/IrohaKyokaiInformation/detail?id=235

[Asashosakari]

Apparently they're making the lower divisions (up to the juryo dohyo-iri) available for free on all days this basho, and juryo/makuuchi additionally on the first day.

http://www.sumo.or.jp/IrohaKyokaiInformation/detail?id=239

(See this thread for how to possibly make use of that.)

[Akinomaki]

4 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Apparently they're making the lower divisions (up to the juryo dohyo-iri) available for free on all days this basho, and juryo/makuuchi additionally on the first day.

At least today, also the 9 VOD of the live streams are free, available for a week - so maybe the 7 for each other day of the free live streaming part will be as well - but it could be that all VOD, also those of today, will be for pay view tomorrow.

[Akinomaki]

And today they announced the end of this service for sumo

1 hour ago, Akinomaki said:

The announcement on sponavi maybe was looking not so good -  we might get something better, but will we? Sponavi announced the end of their sumo broadcast service as end of the year https://cf.sports.mb.softbank.jp/ext/info/info_20171126.html

This was the last basho they did, the videos stay till Dec. 31st. (not the live streams anyway)

 

Edited November 26, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Asashosakari]

That didn't last long. I guess making the lower divisions available for free was a last-ditch effort to promote the service, but it didn't do enough to make it worthwhile to Softbank.

Back to Ustream and $120 per basho price tags?