Sports Media

xogfog 2024-07-26 18:47:49 UTC #721

andyb 2024-08-13 13:24:55 UTC #722

Venu will launch in a couple of weeks in time for college and pro football. This is the skinny sports bundle that combines ESPN, Fox, and Turner sports channels for $43 a month. It does not include NBC or CBS but one could add those streaming services for less than what one pays for a competitor like Youtube TV or Hulu Live.

It is probably not for me since I like having all the channels in one place on YTTV, but I am intrigued if the result of the legal challenges against this will be the availability of more skinny bundles from other competitors. A 20-25 channel bundle of broadcast, sports, and news channels would be perfect for me.

zambonir 2024-08-13 14:03:55 UTC #723

It's all still too damn confusing. I have currently dropped both Peacock and ESPN+/Disney+ though I may need one or both of those back for college football season. and now you can also get MAX in a discounted Hulu/Disney bundle, which I also currently don't have.

I have YT TV, Apple +/Netflix for free, and I can get Hulu for free but not bundled with any of the other ones (or no ads).

At the same time, since I now live in Philadelphia, it's pretty simple. I won't ever get rid of YT TV unless Comcast starts selling NBC Philly on its own but I'd still need ESPN and (non-broadcast) Fox. But most football and the World Series is still free on the four broadcast channels. So will the MLB playoffs be on this service?

VoteForKalas 2024-08-13 16:00:01 UTC #724

From what I read, the MLB playoffs will be broadcast on Fox, F1, ESPN, ESPN2 and MLB Network.

The WS is on Fox.

zambonir 2024-08-13 16:06:15 UTC #725

Still quite a bit on TNT and TBS (and because of that, MAX) as well. But all those channels would be on Venu except for MAX, and that's just simulcasts of sports anyway. But I wasn't sure if it was going to offer the main network stuff. I presume you would be able to watch the WS on Fox or a football game on ABC, but not The Simpsons or Jimmy Kimmel (for instance)

https://www.mlb.com/news/2024-mlb-playoff-and-world-series-schedule

All Wild Card Series games will be shown on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.

The NLDS will be broadcast on FOX or FS1, while TNT Sports will simulcast the ALDS on TBS, truTV and Max.

FOX or FS1 will broadcast the NLCS, while TBS, truTV and Max will be the home of the ALCS.

The World Series will be broadcast on FOX.

For a true cord-cutter with an HD antenna, you still lose when these things are on FS1 or ESPN instead of Fox or ABC. Ditto with college football and Final Four stuff.

bkox 2024-08-16 21:24:36 UTC #726

andyb 2024-08-16 21:32:29 UTC #727

I guess I am not surprised they got an injunction. The court testimony reports were saying the judge was sympathetic to Fubo. I just have to believe that what Venu is doing is not illegal as long as they let others offer skinny bundles too. It really should be illegal that cable companies and other streaming services are forced to offer packages of a dozen channels as opposed to the 2 or 3 everyone wants.

I still think this is at least 50-50 to launch next weekend for college football (or at least by Labor Day when the majority of college football has their first game).

bkox 2024-09-26 23:28:18 UTC #728

bkox 2024-10-02 17:20:41 UTC #729

andyb 2024-10-02 17:29:12 UTC #730

I think it has been obvious for awhile that MLB intends to sell MLB.TV within local markets for a higher price. In 2024 it was $140 for a national plan and $120 for a single team plan out of market. Maybe next year there will be an "in market" option for $200 nationally or $180 for a single team.

MLB just needs to get that in market money back to the team or teams that control those market rights. I am in the DC market and get the national plan through T-Mobile. For $60 extra maybe I would get the Nationals and Orioles. If the surcharge were more than that I might pass since I am first a Phillies fan. But it would be nice to get the Nats since my streaming service does not have MASN.

BaseballCat 2024-10-02 17:53:46 UTC #731

Not sure much will change until 2028, but T-Mobile could always change which plans are eligible for MLB tv or only pay half of the new rate. I have enjoyed being able to watch the Phillies the past two years as a T-Mobile customer, but sucks when they play the O’s or the Nats. Feel much more connected to the team. I would probably pay the current rate if I had to, but probably not much more. I am sure MLB will screw it up somehow.

andyb 2024-10-02 18:01:00 UTC #732

I used to do the Phillies single team before the Tmobile deal.

Now I just go to a bar when the Phillies play the Nats. It is like $40 a month more for the cheapest plan that has MASN compared to my Youtbe TV and that is just too much for me. At least I can get Monumental (Caps, Wizards) for now with YTTV.

zambonir 2024-10-02 20:39:07 UTC #733

When I lived elsewhere I certainly liked getting MLB.TV for free (and you also get as a season ticketholder to any team, I think, so I still do, just can't watch Phillies now). But even at its highest prices it was an incredible deal. Still no more than $1 a game for your preferred team (after blackouts and national games) and then hundreds more games on top of that if you wanted (though admittedly I never had the time or or inclination on top of watching the Phils and other sports). Plus MILB now.

I think they will be looking to make the local product standalone and higher-priced. Or rather, the same price MLB single team is now, but just available in the local market.

BaseballCat 2024-10-02 20:42:53 UTC #734

Going to a bar is not an option for my neck of the woods in south central VA, which made the end of the season annoying. Made it to the Friday Nats game during the 3rd inning due to weather and detours. Tried to convince the other half to stay for Saturday’s game but they did not go for that. Then I remembered that the last two games would be blocked. Annoying! Glad playoffs are televised as I am never picked in the lottery. Maybe one day!

bkox 2024-10-09 00:31:09 UTC #735

MLB announced it will produce and distribute Guardians, Twins and Brewers games next season. They join the Padres, Diamondbacks and Rockies, who are also under MLB’s umbrella.

The Rangers decided not to go with Diamond Sports Group and are considering local media options.
— Alden González ( @Alden_Gonzalez ) October 8, 2024

andyb 2024-10-17 17:20:04 UTC #736

Looks like NBC Sports Philly will be available on Peacock next season for local fans in the viewing area. For an extra fee of course. I am guessing the few streaming holdouts like Youtube TV will be dropping it or charging extra at some point.

zambonir 2024-10-17 17:50:00 UTC #737

I would think NBC still gets a decent carriage fee from YouTube, Hulu and Tubi, if not as much as they do from old-school cable. Depends how long the deals are for of course. Would be in NBC's court, I think. I would definitely have to think hard about whether to keep YouTube if they lost it, I don't watch much news, and most of the network/cable series I watch would still be on regular Hulu and Peacock. But that would still leave some non-ESPN and non-broadcast sports holes.

Given Peacock and Hulu are essentially rivals now (all the NBC stuff left Hulu once Comcast sold the its share to Disney) I guess they might not want to leave these RSNs on Hulu streaming in the long run either.

Guess the Venu disputes are not fast-tracked for resolution after all. And talk of Peacock merging with Paramount also quiet now.

andyb 2024-10-18 16:08:47 UTC #738

The Trea Turner documentary is up on Netflix. Only 25 minutes. Netflix seems to know I'm a Phillies fan since I get it on my banner screen which is a little creepy.

zambonir 2024-10-18 17:13:44 UTC #739

I mean, it's a fairly prominent release for them. Was bought for Netflix by the Obamas' company. I usually find I have the opposite problem with them, they know what I watch and yet it's impossible to find stuff easily on the home screen. My Roku certainly knows I'm a Phillies fan (from my YouTube and MLB usage).

andyb 2024-10-21 15:37:30 UTC #740

The John Ourand podcast The Varsity has an interview with Rob Manfred that is interesting. Clearly MLB wants to get to a place without blackouts. They might experiment a little bit on how they do that with some of the Bally rights they are getting.

Of course they also have an ESPN problem as they noticed that they really paid a whole lot for their national package compared to Roku and Apple for instance and they don't get much of the playoffs for that money. I kind of think baseball is going to blow up their national deals when they can be reopened. The big question is really how to keep the big market teams happy as they expand access and impede on their exclusivity (which is worth less these days as people cut the cord).