I posted about NBC Olympic coverage - today I discovered I cannot stream BBC provided media content from the Olympics on my Windows PDA using Opera via the Vodafone 3G service. Seems the BBC does not think I am in the UK. I know Yorkshire assumes it should be independent, but I don't think it has happened yet.
I suppose this is all to be expected, technology that allows reasonable media delivery over a mobile network at a vaguely sane price is new; especially when roaming between countries/networks. I doubt we will see this problem disappear soon unless the media rights are more commonly picked up by the telco providers such as Vodfone as opposed to the broadcast media companies like NBC and the BBC.
Makes you think how long can terrestrial broadcasters last in it current form as boundaries blur between delivery mechanisms?
That said the BBC has 7 media streams up at the moment across digital terrestrial, satellite, cable and the Internet, but I still find myself watching the primary BBC1 terrestrial coverage. After watching events on the other streams that are showing coverage of just one sport, I realise that in general I want the editorial service the BBC provides on it primary coverage, unless I have a real dedicated interest in one sport.