GophersInIowa
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Excellent. They won't have much longer until they fail and this dreadful experiment ends.
Reading the article, an understatement that this is a real mess. I can't tell if losing this cash cow for roughly half MLB, NHL & NBA teams will be a boom or boondoggle.But will whatever "defacto FSN" becomes, be carried on the major streaming providers?
That's what I'm wondering too. Who would take over?Reading the article, an understatement that this is a real mess. I can't tell if losing this cash cow for roughly half MLB, NHL & NBA teams will be a boom or boondoggle.
As for fans, there is always the possibility it will be replaced by something worse in terms of availability and/or more expensive.
Well, MLB salaries have been nearly flat for a decade or more, and revenue increased substantially during the time.This is going to hurt the franchises in the end. These sports channels dont produce enough revenue to pay the teams what they used to. Cord cutters didnt miss sports, drastically reducing the amount of people paying for it via Comcast/Direct TV (since they cut the cord). Now cable companies dont want to pay as much and they just dont drive enough in advertising. Meaning a BSN can only pay so much to the teams, or go belly up.
Good. Couldn't happen to a worse company.
I expect it will basically end up as MLB.TV for everyone, which is probably best. The Twins will pay Bremer/Morneau and for the production team which they do already. You will either pay XX per month for one team or XXX per month for all games.But will whatever "defacto FSN" becomes, be carried on the major streaming providers?
Disagree that an "over the top", separate streaming service that you have to access separately from YouTubeTV/Hulu Live/etc. is "best".I expect it will basically end up as MLB.TV for everyone, which is probably best. The Twins will pay Bremer/Morneau and for the production team which they do already. You will either pay XX per month for one team or XXX per month for all games.
Disagree that an "over the top", separate streaming service that you have to access separately from YouTubeTV/Hulu Live/etc. is "best".
It should be a cable channel, like it always was as FSN, accessible to every provider of such live TV channels (regardless the delivery method - cable, sat, or streaming).
I don't really disagree. But Bally's was trying to go that way anyway. They were on hardly any providers and playing hardball with the presumption that they would get fans to pay for access via their new app.Disagree that an "over the top", separate streaming service that you have to access separately from YouTubeTV/Hulu Live/etc. is "best".
It should be a cable channel, like it always was as FSN, accessible to every provider of such live TV channels (regardless the delivery method - cable, sat, or streaming).
For years, people wanted Congress to mandate "a la carte" cable channels. We basically have that now. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.in the end, between all the streaming services and standalone apps, we are all going to wind up paying more for streaming than we were paying for cable TV.
For years, people wanted Congress to mandate "a la carte" cable channels. We basically have that now. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
MLB(TV?) has a bunch of channels on my YouTubeTV, now. Not just the main cable channel, but a bunch of "standby" channels that show games sometimes. Or game of the week. Not sure what it all is.I don't really disagree. But Bally's was trying to go that way anyway. They were on hardly any providers and playing hardball with the presumption that they would get fans to pay for access via their new app.
At least if MLB controls it, it will be a standalone and probably under $10/month. If they are smart they will still find a way to get it on cable/satellite as the average MLB fan is over 50 and probably still mostly consumes regular cable/satellite versus streaming for regular TV access.
All I know is that my YouTubeTV used to have FSN. It was there and I could watch Twins, Wild, Twolves, and Loons. Now it's Bally's and it's not there.I get what you are saying - but you can't force a provider to make their content available to everyone. Those agreements have to be negotiated. There are reasons why YTTV, Hulu Live and Dish dropped FSN/Bally's. you can blame FSN/Bally's for hard-ball negotiation tactics, but it still takes two to make a deal.
If the Sinclair RSN's avoid bankruptcy, I don't see that changing. They want to steer customers to their new streaming app.
On the other hand, if they go bankrupt, and are taken over by MLB, NBA & NHL, then there could be new negotiations to get the games back on the streaming services. But - if MLB wants to put out its own streaming service, then they're not going to want games on YTTV, either.
in the end, between all the streaming services and standalone apps, we are all going to wind up paying more for streaming than we were paying for cable TV.
We switched from YTTV to Direct TV Stream just to get Bally's. it was more expensive and I really liked the YTTV interface and DVR better. If they go back to YTTV, I'm switching back as well. I'd prefer it wasn't another app that I have to download on my TV. it's nice to just have the programming all in one spot.All I know is that my YouTubeTV used to have FSN. It was there and I could watch Twins, Wild, Twolves, and Loons. Now it's Bally's and it's not there.
I hope whatever survives out of it is still a cable channel and gets picked up on my YTTV again. Lord knows they have all kinds of sport channels that I never tune in every.
We switched from YTTV to Direct TV Stream just to get Bally's. it was more expensive and I really liked the YTTV interface and DVR better. If they go back to YTTV, I'm switching back as well. I'd prefer it wasn't another app that I have to download on my TV. it's nice to just have the programming all in one spot.
There is essentially no difference between Hulu/Youtube and DirecTV/Comcast. It would still be beneficial to both sides to have the games available to a wider audience. The Twins make more getting $2 for every Hulu/YTTV subscriber than $10 from each one that pays for their app. And Hulu/YTTV are more likely to keep their subscribers if they have the local sports teams.I suppose anything's possible, but I would be very surprised if Bally's - or whatever it becomes - winds up on YTTV or Hulu Live.
My gut tells me that people who want to watch the Twins will either be getting the Bally's streaming app, or they'll be watching a streaming service that is run by MLB. like it or not, traditional cable TV is seen as a dying industry. it will hang on for a while, but the trend is going away from cable and toward streaming.
If you live in the Twins market these games are blacked out on MLB.TV. MLB has the most insane blackout rules in all of professional sports. When I lived in Iowa, I was 40 miles from the Missouri border and was still blacked out of the Twins.I suppose anything's possible, but I would be very surprised if Bally's - or whatever it becomes - winds up on YTTV or Hulu Live.
My gut tells me that people who want to watch the Twins will either be getting the Bally's streaming app, or they'll be watching a streaming service that is run by MLB. like it or not, traditional cable TV is seen as a dying industry. it will hang on for a while, but the trend is going away from cable and toward streaming.
At one point, I read that there were places in Iowa where the Twins, Royals, Cardinals, White Sox, Cubs and Brewers were all blacked out. Completely insane. I get that you have to protect the home market, but you're just shutting fans out for no reason in many cases.If you live in the Twins market these games are blacked out on MLB.TV. MLB has the most insane blackout rules in all of professional sports. When I lived in Iowa, I was 40 miles from the Missouri border and was still blacked out of the Twins.
If you live in the Twins market these games are blacked out on MLB.TV. MLB has the most insane blackout rules in all of professional sports. When I lived in Iowa, I was 40 miles from the Missouri border and was still blacked out of the Twins.
Yep, I was in one of those areas. I think it’s still the case.At one point, I read that there were places in Iowa where the Twins, Royals, Cardinals, White Sox, Cubs and Brewers were all blacked out. Completely insane. I get that you have to protect the home market, but you're just shutting fans out for no reason in many cases.
It seems highly likely Sinclaire/Diamond will have to sell/go bankrupt. Each league doing it's own streaming service seems the most likely outcome. There's really no reason for the middleman.but, I am suggesting that - IF Bally's folds and MLB takes over, then there would be a plan where Twins fans would get the local games. Basically a similar service, only originating through MLB instead of Bally's.
at this point, it's anyone's guess what's going to happen. But a lot of insiders seem to think that there is a good chance of Diamond (the company that owns the RSN's) going bankrupt. and if that happens, MLB could wind up taking over the operation.
Possibly in the short term. In the long term I think new revenue solutions will emerge.This is going to hurt the franchises in the end.
Football is a different animal. There are so fewer games and they are much more "major events'. That's what Amazon wants. Another thing to force people to sign up for a Prime membership.The first week of Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime drew 13 million viewers on Amazon and 15 million overall. This is actually slightly higher than the average last year on Fox / NFL Network /Amazon. I'm afraid the shift of sports to streaming is here to stay. We'll have to get used to it.
One thing the Twins absolutely should do is go back to having a package of games on local broadcast TV, like they used to for Sunday games.