Sports Media

[zambonir]

The bottom line here is really the same - SI managed to publish a good magazine through all this but the ownership structure remains dubious and wasn't great even before this guy came along. And the website is all just fan blogs of highly variable quality, and that's where the money is (and it's not even that much). But this has just been the reality since Time-Warner began selling these things off (or in truth the reality since the TW/AOL merger).

Threats, Demands, a Lawsuit, and a Website in Limbo: Inside the Chaos at ‘SI’ -...

[andyb]

2024 seems much the same with Phillies broadcasts. No Peacock this year though apparently NBC and MLB are still talking. A couple of games on Apple so far and at least one game on the 9th will be exclusive to the NBC app rather than on NBC Sports Philly because of conflicts.

The Phillies are back, and Tom McCarthy is back with them on NBC Sports...

[dicemen99]

Does anyone have experience with watching MiLB TV through the MLB TV app? Do I need to subscribe to MLB TV to watch MiLB through the Roku app or can I just subscribe to MiLB TV and then watch the Phillies affiliates through the MLB TV app?

It is not really clearly explained online. I have not subscribed to either service (I'm not interested in watching teams other than the Phillies on a regular basis), but this year I would like to watch the Phillies affiliates.

Thanks in advance for the help

[zambonir]

It says that the $29.99 AT bat subscription lets you watch your minor league games on MLB.TV. There's still a separate MILB app for phone apparently. MILB.TV itself does not technically exist anymore.

(It also mentions some Iron Pigs games might be blacked out, not sure what that involves.)

https://www.milb.com/live-stream-games/subscribe

[andyb]

When I go onto the MLB TV app (Fire TV) it has all the Phillies minor league games on the front page menu because I select them as my favorite teams. One has to hunt for other games but there are there too.

It is included in the MLB.TV subscription so no need to get the minor league one if you have the major league (national, not single team version).

[zambonir]

Right but Dice doesn't have or want an MLB.TV subscription. However, minor league games are still part of the 29.99 At Bat product, including video (while only offering out of market audio for MLB). There is no separate minor league product. I'm assuming the only real point of the MILB app is to get scores and news and schedules, even though the video and audio is also available in it. But that app is phones only so you'd have to cast to take advantage of it there.

[HopeSpringsEternal]

But that app is phones only

… or iPads. I watched the game winning grand slam HR on opening night on my iPad.

[dicemen99]

Thanks for the help.
MLB.TV app on Roku with the 29.99 At Bat subscription was the ticket. Was able to watch Reading, Lakewood and Clearwater last night.

[zambonir]

Hard to find this thread now that the games have started!

Kind of weird MLB still can just do this in-season though I know they'd said they were still negotiating with Peacock. I don't think this will cost anyone subscription $ but you'll at least need the Roku app (if not a device). Like Apple, this would replace games that might otherwise be on local.

MLB, Roku in advanced talks for Sunday morning baseball: Sources

[andyb]

Roku would seem to be a mistake to me. Too many people would have trouble finding it compared to Peacock which was already bad. A little surprised ESPN might take a step back too.

[bkox]

Bally Sports channels pulled off air by Comcast

[zambonir]

I would think Roku is actually a lot easier to find (i.e. way more people own Roku devices than have Peacock).

MLB doesn't really care how easy it is for people to find anything though, they take the money and then Roku hopes to sell some more products. Not sure anyone is going out to get a new TV or streaming stick for a couple of baseball games but it gets people using the ecosystem more.

[zambonir]

PS tonight is an Apple TV + game for Phillies

[andyb]

But if you don't have a Roku device it is probably not installed on your TV. And if you still have cable do you even install many apps?

[zambonir]

I would think most people with cable still have smart TVs for Netflix or Hulu or Amazon at this point, as well as phones and computers. And Roku app is on most of those things (not just Roku native devices and apps). They have more than 80 million users which is higher than ESPN's cable households at this point.

But obviously if you are a cable-only person who doesn't stream, neither Roku nor MLB cares about you. Or wants to force you to install the app. That's what they are paying for same as Peacock and Apple and Amazon (except all those three also require $).

[andyb]

Sometimes chasing $20 million and trading it for less exposure is the wrong answer. If these Roku games are exclusive there does not need to be more than a handful of local fans who complain loudly for it to be a disaster for MLB (i.e. many millions more in negative press). This could be a PR disaster like the new uniforms.

IMO they should have just lowered the price to keep Peacock or tried to put it with another partner like Amazon where people are learning how to find the games because of the NFL. MLB is penny wise and pound foolish all the time.

[zambonir]

A June Phillies game will start before noon, making it the earliest ever at...

[andyb]

I guess that is the same deal they did with Peacock for 11:30 starts. Just seems misguided to me.

Meanwhile, prepare for NFL on Netflix!

It looks like Netflix will wind up carrying the two NFL games scheduled for December 25, per a bevy of sources. https://t.co/Se6okT3qFe

— John Ourand ( @Ourand_Puck ) May 10, 2024

[zambonir]

And also NBA playoffs on Amazon which is already a done deal.

That's pretty awful that an 11:30 Sunday game involves a West Coast team though I guess they are sort of used to that from football (with noon college or 1pm NFL starts).

Also one of the other Arizona games which is the Cole Hamels retirement ceremony is Apple.

At least Roku is free.

[andyb]

And also NBA playoffs on Amazon which is already a done deal.

Well, mostly done. I have been trying to follow the fight for the last package of NBA rights which had NBC bidding $2.5 billion for the TNT package (which is a lesser package now since they are splitting games and some playoffs with the C package that Amazon got). TNT has the right to match this offer but NBC is claiming that since they offer a broadcast network TNT really can't match it without that. So now TNT is considering matching the Amazon offer which was for only $1.8 billion and really is close to the same number of games (one night a week exclusive, some playoffs including a conference final every other year) as the B package minus the All Star game.

So it is possible we end up with ESPN, NBC, and TNT as the 3 winners though if I had to guess the NBA still wants Amazon involved in some way.