The circle of life. I do think the regional teams going together makes more sense than the league doing it. People are more likely to pay $20/month to watch the Wolves/Wild/Twins than $100 each to get MLB/NBA/NHL IMO.
Sinclair(Bally's Sport) nearing a deal for NBA streaming rights for direct to consumer offering
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short ornery norwegian
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found this on the new Chicago Network:
nothing yet on what the streaming service would cost.
A joint venture among the three teams and Standard Media, CHSN will broadcast from studios located in both Chicago’s United Center and Guaranteed Rate Field.
CHSN will start with airing Blackhawks and Bulls preseason games in October, showing White Sox games beginning in 2025. The rest of the White Sox games in 2024 will remain on NBC Sports Chicago.
Pending league approvals, CHSN will reach most of Illinois, as well as parts of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The network said it will launch with agreements in place with traditional cable providers, streaming services and be available via free, over-the-air broadcast.
nothing yet on what the streaming service would cost.
A joint venture among the three teams and Standard Media, CHSN will broadcast from studios located in both Chicago’s United Center and Guaranteed Rate Field.
CHSN will start with airing Blackhawks and Bulls preseason games in October, showing White Sox games beginning in 2025. The rest of the White Sox games in 2024 will remain on NBC Sports Chicago.
Pending league approvals, CHSN will reach most of Illinois, as well as parts of Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The network said it will launch with agreements in place with traditional cable providers, streaming services and be available via free, over-the-air broadcast.
gophersfan
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So what your thoughts. Would a new network work for the Twins, Wild, Wolves and the Lynx. I included the Lynx in it. I see it as a maybe. But we will see. Bring back Midwest Sports Channel.
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two issues for launching a new network/channel of that type.
#1 is distribution. need to be able to get cable and satellite systems to pick up the new channel. also need to have a streaming option and potentially an over-the-air local station option.
#2 is revenue. to make the venture break even or turn a profit, you have to generate enough revenue to cover your expenses. that means negotiating fee agreements with the cable, satellite and over-the-air TV providers, and it means getting enough people to sign up for the streaming service at a sufficient monthly or yearly rate to generate the needed revenue.
short version - people need to be able to see it and be willing to pay for it.
and the big question - how much would the network have to charge for broadcast fees and for streaming subscribers? would people pay $25 or $30 a month to stream the Wolves, Wild and Twins - and how many people would sign up at that rate?
#1 is distribution. need to be able to get cable and satellite systems to pick up the new channel. also need to have a streaming option and potentially an over-the-air local station option.
#2 is revenue. to make the venture break even or turn a profit, you have to generate enough revenue to cover your expenses. that means negotiating fee agreements with the cable, satellite and over-the-air TV providers, and it means getting enough people to sign up for the streaming service at a sufficient monthly or yearly rate to generate the needed revenue.
short version - people need to be able to see it and be willing to pay for it.
and the big question - how much would the network have to charge for broadcast fees and for streaming subscribers? would people pay $25 or $30 a month to stream the Wolves, Wild and Twins - and how many people would sign up at that rate?
short ornery norwegian
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damn - just ran across this bit of news online:
According to a Bloomberg report, FanDuel is eyeing a multiyear naming rights deal with Diamond Sports Group to bring the gaming brand to 18 regional pay-TV networks. As part of the deal, FanDuel will reportedly acquire a stake in Diamond while also providing the subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group with programming for the 18 channels.
FanDuel has also reportedly vowed to resell Diamond’s streaming service to customers.
so if Diamond survives, instead of watching Bally Sports North, it would be FanDuel Sports North. wonder what impact this will have on the proposed reorganizational plan?
According to a Bloomberg report, FanDuel is eyeing a multiyear naming rights deal with Diamond Sports Group to bring the gaming brand to 18 regional pay-TV networks. As part of the deal, FanDuel will reportedly acquire a stake in Diamond while also providing the subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group with programming for the 18 channels.
FanDuel has also reportedly vowed to resell Diamond’s streaming service to customers.
so if Diamond survives, instead of watching Bally Sports North, it would be FanDuel Sports North. wonder what impact this will have on the proposed reorganizational plan?
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Bankruptcy court status hearing at 11:00am today. will post update when outlets report on outcome.
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Phil Miller from the Strib on the Diamond status hearing - shots were fired!
Negotiations between Comcast cable systems and the Bally Sports Networks "are currently at an impasse," an attorney for Bally's parent company told a bankruptcy judge in Houston on Tuesday.
"Based on Comcast's intransigence to negotiate off their current position," said attorney Joe Graham, representing Diamond Sports Group, "the company has little choice but to explore alternatives to Comcast."
(note - the alternatives may include trying to do a new deal with Fubo....)
At a brief-but-contentious hearing before Judge Christopher Lopez, Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL all expressed their doubts about doing business with the networks much longer.
"Without a Comcast deal, [Diamond] may very well not be able to survive," said Vincent Indelicato, the NBA's attorney. "We simply cannot wait much longer" to find out.
But Lopez confirmed that he has agreed to move back a final decision on Diamond's future to July 30, more than a month past the June 18 deadline that the NBA and NHL had insisted upon at a hearing in May.
The fall leagues are dismayed by that delay, their attorneys said, citing their need to finalize broadcast plans for next season sometime soon.
They need time "well ahead of next season to properly produce, distribute and market games," Indelicato said. "We're talking about approximately 70 games per team across 15 different teams. You just simply can't launch [a new broadcasting partnership] for approximately 1,000 games in that many geographies overnight."
NHL attorney Shana Elberg said the league might not wait.
"We have told the debtors unequivocally that we need to get clarity on certain outstanding matters this week," she said.
Baseball's attorney, James Bromley, told Lopez that MLB currently plans to formally object to allowing Diamond to stay in business beyond this season
Negotiations between Comcast cable systems and the Bally Sports Networks "are currently at an impasse," an attorney for Bally's parent company told a bankruptcy judge in Houston on Tuesday.
"Based on Comcast's intransigence to negotiate off their current position," said attorney Joe Graham, representing Diamond Sports Group, "the company has little choice but to explore alternatives to Comcast."
(note - the alternatives may include trying to do a new deal with Fubo....)
At a brief-but-contentious hearing before Judge Christopher Lopez, Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL all expressed their doubts about doing business with the networks much longer.
"Without a Comcast deal, [Diamond] may very well not be able to survive," said Vincent Indelicato, the NBA's attorney. "We simply cannot wait much longer" to find out.
But Lopez confirmed that he has agreed to move back a final decision on Diamond's future to July 30, more than a month past the June 18 deadline that the NBA and NHL had insisted upon at a hearing in May.
The fall leagues are dismayed by that delay, their attorneys said, citing their need to finalize broadcast plans for next season sometime soon.
They need time "well ahead of next season to properly produce, distribute and market games," Indelicato said. "We're talking about approximately 70 games per team across 15 different teams. You just simply can't launch [a new broadcasting partnership] for approximately 1,000 games in that many geographies overnight."
NHL attorney Shana Elberg said the league might not wait.
"We have told the debtors unequivocally that we need to get clarity on certain outstanding matters this week," she said.
Baseball's attorney, James Bromley, told Lopez that MLB currently plans to formally object to allowing Diamond to stay in business beyond this season
short ornery norwegian
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and more on today's contentious hearing - from awful announcing.com --
NBA, NHL and MLB unhappy with the information - or lack of information provided by Diamond:
“We still have substantial concerns about the viability of the debtor’s business plan,” said James Bromley, MLB’s outside counsel. “We anticipate filing an objection.”
Similarly, the NBA’s outside counsel Vincent Indelicato chimed in, “The urgency, Your Honor, has been heightened by what we view and I think … as a very clear absence of any information today that would suggest to us that these debtors can achieve a viable business plan.”
And not to be outdone, the NHL’s outside counsel Shana Elberg said, “Time is of the essence, we do not yet have the answers we need from the debtors or a workable go-forward business plan.”
Even the judge overseeing the case, Chris Lopez said, “Whether Comcast is essential to the deal or not, I don’t know.”
To this end, MLB has reached a discovery agreement with DSG and will begin depositions next month.
(MLB’s Bromley) “The speculation right now is really more on the debtor’s fronts than on MLB’s front. Based on current information, we have zero comfort and zero information about the viability of the business going forward. If the debtors are able to produce information by the end of the month, it changes our mind. That’s great. We are not confident of that, but we are certainly willing to see what they produce.”
DSG told the court it has distribution deals “representing approximately 84% of our historic revenue.” That though does not mean these new deals will produce the same amount of revenue, especially if the channels are moved to a paid cable tier.
NBA, NHL and MLB unhappy with the information - or lack of information provided by Diamond:
“We still have substantial concerns about the viability of the debtor’s business plan,” said James Bromley, MLB’s outside counsel. “We anticipate filing an objection.”
Similarly, the NBA’s outside counsel Vincent Indelicato chimed in, “The urgency, Your Honor, has been heightened by what we view and I think … as a very clear absence of any information today that would suggest to us that these debtors can achieve a viable business plan.”
And not to be outdone, the NHL’s outside counsel Shana Elberg said, “Time is of the essence, we do not yet have the answers we need from the debtors or a workable go-forward business plan.”
Even the judge overseeing the case, Chris Lopez said, “Whether Comcast is essential to the deal or not, I don’t know.”
To this end, MLB has reached a discovery agreement with DSG and will begin depositions next month.
(MLB’s Bromley) “The speculation right now is really more on the debtor’s fronts than on MLB’s front. Based on current information, we have zero comfort and zero information about the viability of the business going forward. If the debtors are able to produce information by the end of the month, it changes our mind. That’s great. We are not confident of that, but we are certainly willing to see what they produce.”
DSG told the court it has distribution deals “representing approximately 84% of our historic revenue.” That though does not mean these new deals will produce the same amount of revenue, especially if the channels are moved to a paid cable tier.
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Update - Diamond Sports wants emergency hearing - because they don't want to turn over information to Pro sports leagues. Pro sports leagues say they can't make an informed decision without the information. From Awful Announcing.com --
Diamond Sports Group tonight asked a federal bankruptcy court for an emergency hearing Tuesday because it cannot resolve demands from the NBA, NHL, and MLB for documents like cable distribution agreements and the contract with Amazon Prime Video to stream the RSNs games.
Discovery disputes are hardly uncommon in legal processes, but the clock in this case is ticking loudly. There is a Chapter 11 plan confirmation hearing scheduled for July 29, which the leagues have said or suggested they would oppose if they are not convinced the plan is financially viable.
The leagues want details of the distribution contracts with carriers like Fubo, Charter, Cox, and DirecTV, as well as historical information on how financially important Comcast is to DSG. Comcast dropped the RSNs last month after failing to renew.
DSG said in its request that these contracts are protected by confidentiality agreements (in fact the RSN company added in a footnote it cannot even disclose the confidentiality agreements, because, well, they are confidential). It offered to show them privately to the judge.
“Such contracts each contain confidentiality provisions that, in substance, prevent the Debtors from disclosing the contracts or the information therein, to third parties absent the consent of the Debtors’ counterparty or a court order,” DSG wrote.
MLB is also asking DSG for all the details since the start of last year for its NHL and NBA contracts; when they expire, was the rights fee reduced, and so forth.
According to a timeline included in the motion, June 28 is the deadline for DSG to comply with the documents requests, and list of questions, known in legal parlance as interrogatories. Depositions are scheduled to start July 10.
The leagues also want to see the Amazon commercial agreement. No dice so far.
“The Debtors, Amazon, and the Leagues have so far been unable to resolve the parties’ respective concerns over disclosure in any fashion of the Commercial Agreement.” DSG wrote.
Diamond Sports Group tonight asked a federal bankruptcy court for an emergency hearing Tuesday because it cannot resolve demands from the NBA, NHL, and MLB for documents like cable distribution agreements and the contract with Amazon Prime Video to stream the RSNs games.
Discovery disputes are hardly uncommon in legal processes, but the clock in this case is ticking loudly. There is a Chapter 11 plan confirmation hearing scheduled for July 29, which the leagues have said or suggested they would oppose if they are not convinced the plan is financially viable.
The leagues want details of the distribution contracts with carriers like Fubo, Charter, Cox, and DirecTV, as well as historical information on how financially important Comcast is to DSG. Comcast dropped the RSNs last month after failing to renew.
DSG said in its request that these contracts are protected by confidentiality agreements (in fact the RSN company added in a footnote it cannot even disclose the confidentiality agreements, because, well, they are confidential). It offered to show them privately to the judge.
“Such contracts each contain confidentiality provisions that, in substance, prevent the Debtors from disclosing the contracts or the information therein, to third parties absent the consent of the Debtors’ counterparty or a court order,” DSG wrote.
MLB is also asking DSG for all the details since the start of last year for its NHL and NBA contracts; when they expire, was the rights fee reduced, and so forth.
According to a timeline included in the motion, June 28 is the deadline for DSG to comply with the documents requests, and list of questions, known in legal parlance as interrogatories. Depositions are scheduled to start July 10.
The leagues also want to see the Amazon commercial agreement. No dice so far.
“The Debtors, Amazon, and the Leagues have so far been unable to resolve the parties’ respective concerns over disclosure in any fashion of the Commercial Agreement.” DSG wrote.