Sports Media

[zambonir]

I will say this - I've always wondered why MLB.TV can't also include pre and post-game coverage. But I don't really need to hear/see any of that stuff anymore than I need to listen to WIP. (I prefer to just get all my news and "takes" right here!)

[BostonRoss]

So if you are in-market, you are not blacked out from Game Day Audio (as you would be on MLB TV)?

I’m never blacked out on MLB audio, even for the Red Sox.

[zambonir]

If memory serves you actually hear the local commercials, unlike with the video product.

[BostonRoss]

If memory serves you actually hear the local commercials, unlike with the video product.

Right. I like to hear the Philly accents in some of them.

[andyb]

Youtube renews its MLB deal. 15 games, mostly afternoon. They are exclusive but no Phillies in the first batch announced.

It is really getting confusing to figure out where to watch a game: RSNs, TBS, ESPN. FS1. FOX, Peacock, Apple, Youtube. Did I forget anything?

YouTube Game of the Week returns May 5

[zambonir]

It is really getting confusing to figure out where to watch a game: RSNs, TBS, ESPN. FS1. FOX, Peacock, Apple, Youtube. Did I forget anything?

Yeah, we just might miss the cable bundle when it's gone. The apps and device's attempt to integrate all your subscriptions and channels is still lacking too. I suppose in theory you can just tell your device - although I don't use voice commands - to put on the Phillies and will find it. Then you have to hope not to hit the paywall.

"longstanding fan-favorite partnership," ha.

[zambonir]

Phillies won’t be on NBC Sports Philadelphia or any other TV channel Saturday

If you do get NBC Sports (whether on TV or from a cord-cutter) you can stream on their app. Won't affect MLB.TV (including blackouts).

[zambonir]

Just an interesting note here, Fubo is currently not carrying TNT or TBS which has to be frustrating given it's often the streaming service of choice for sports fans.

Sixers-Heat NBA playoffs: Game time, how to watch and stream Game 1

[andyb]

Fubo has been strange. They pitch themselves as a sports-focused streaming service but at the beginning they did not have ESPN and they dropped the Turner networks because of cost when they added ESPN.

That is why I never looked at them. YTTV was the same price but had all the basic cable sports networks. I know it is tough to compete with Google for a smaller startup like Fubo since Google can subsidize losses in many ways using your data.

[zambonir]

It obviously really depends on what sport and what local team you need. Living in Portland I was set with ATT/DirecTV because I like the Timbers more than the Blazers so I didn't need NBC Sports NW as much as Root Sports (and Root also gave me the M's and then the Kraken). Now, ironically, the Blazers are on Root (NBC shut down once they lost the deal) and the Timbers are 100% OTA (along with national networks) this year. But this also works out good for me last couple of months, since I already switched to YouTube and Philly (plus the Blazers and Kraken are done now anyway).

Another thing that kept me with ATT was they had the NHL Network and Big 10 Network, but now NHL doesn't exist anymore, and of course back East BTN is more widely available.

Google already owns me anyway (phone/laptop) though it was really their higher # of non-sports channels that won out for me over Hulu.

[zambonir]

Seems like people are already howling about this but doesn't seem so bad to me. Doesn't affect us obviously, and it's maybe less attractive if all your local teams aren't on Bally in a given market. But basically, if Comcast did something similar, you'd be able to pay 20 bucks a month to get NBC Sports Philly as an online-only product (or at least the Phillies, Flyers and Sixers games). Will be especially attractive if people in those tweener blackout areas can get it (though I suspect people in Texas will still be siloed between either Dallas or Houston).

Sinclair Announces Initial Pricing for 'Bally Sports+' DTC Streaming App

[andyb]

A key is whether one has all 3 sports in the service. That makes the year round $190 fee somewhat palatable. If your market has 2 different sports stations though then you need to get both for 6-7 months each.

I think this is a temporary 5-year phase where these will be offered. Eventually the major league package will be where we get local games. And it will be something like $100-$150 for the out of market games and then another $100 for the in market games with discounts if you get both sides of the package.

[zambonir]

It just depends what your sports interests are. There are many people on here who don't watch a minute of basketball or hockey. I was paying $130 for MLB.TV ($110 if I wanted Phillies only) while also paying for my full cord-cutter service. $189.99 for an entire Phillies season doesn't seem unreasonable - except for the part where you wouldn't be able to watch 20 or 30 games if you don't also have the various other national providers.

Now, if you live in Dallas and still want ESPN and are paying for cable or cord-cutter, and are only doing this because you can't get Bally any other way, that's less appealing. Or yeah, if you have to pay for one thing to get the Rangers and another to get the Mavs. But a similar service from Comcast in Philly, we know would include all three teams. Of course I would likely also never need it, unless and until the actual NBCSN channel ceases to exist.

[bkox]

Philadelphia sports media legend Ray Didinger announces his retirement

[Philsmania]

Was he still writing or just doing radio/TV stuff?

[bkeich]

Pretty much the only person on WIP that wasn't constantly over reacting to everything.

[zambonir]

A little quirky blackout sidenote: I can still watch my NBCSN Philly broadcast of the Phillies-Mariners while in the Pacific NW, no location/IP blocking like there would be on MLB.TV (and a good thing, since YouTube doesn't offer the Seattle RSN)

[bkeich]

A little quirky blackout sidenote: I can still watch my NBCSN Philly broadcast of the Phillies-Mariners while in the Pacific NW, no location/IP blocking like there would be on MLB.TV (and a good thing, since YouTube doesn't offer the Seattle RSN)

I hope the "powers that be" dont read that.

[VoteForKalas]

Ray is a legend, so glad to be alive when he was covering the teams. Smart, rational, reasonable and measured.

He and his wife also bought my mother's condo in center city. I got to meet him and he is the same article in person, class act.

[zambonir]

I think it's pretty far above everybody's pay grade. The streaming/cord-cutter services are a very different ecosystem than the MLB.TV's subscription product. So long as I ultimately return to Philadelphia in a timely manner I can continue to watch the Philly RSN. But I can't watch any of the broadcast networks (so if the Phillies are on NBC proper I won't get that).

Now, if I was a Comcast cable subscriber who used that subscription to stream the games on the Comcast app, I might not be able to do that while I was in the other team's territory.