Collapse of Regional Sports Networks (Diamond Sports Group files bankruptcy, Warner-Discovery looking to leave business, Xfinity drops Bally)

[KevFu]

YES, MSG networks partner on new venture that could lead to all-in-one streaming service

YES and MSG Network are partnering on a new venture that eventually could lead to a direct-to-consumer streaming service that offers the Yankees, Knicks, Rangers, Nets, Devils and Islanders on one …

nypost.com

A fun quirk of this whole RSN situation the Mets are being left out altough that can change

It makes sense to partner with a winter sports team for a local streaming service like that, because if the baseball team goes it alone, there's zero reason for fans to pay monthly for October-March.


The Mets being left out also makes perfect sense, because SNY was started by the Mets owners 18 years ago to pocket more TV money and reduce the amount of revenue sharing.... but the new owner of the Mets didn't buy SNY, because the vast majority of the value of SNY is the fact that they have 150 Mets games, and SNY only has the rights for seven more years.

(SNY also has some UConn football, men's and women's basketball -- SNY is actually the real reason UConn left the American, went independent in football and rejoined the Big East. Well, the Fox national deal + SNY vs the ESPN/ESPN+ offer to the AAC).

But without the Mets, SNY is practically worthless. Why spend $2 billion for it when Steve Cohen can just START HIS OWN media company at the end of the SNY deal and put Mets games on it?

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

It makes sense to partner with a winter sports team for a local streaming service like that, because if the baseball team goes it alone, there's zero reason for fans to pay monthly for October-March.


The Mets being left out also makes perfect sense, because SNY was started by the Mets owners 18 years ago to pocket more TV money and reduce the amount of revenue sharing.... but the new owner of the Mets didn't buy SNY, because the vast majority of the value of SNY is the fact that they have 150 Mets games, and SNY only has the rights for seven more years.

(SNY also has some UConn football, men's and women's basketball -- SNY is actually the real reason UConn left the American, went independent in football and rejoined the Big East. Well, the Fox national deal + SNY vs the ESPN/ESPN+ offer to the AAC).

But without the Mets, SNY is practically worthless. Why spend $2 billion for it when Steve Cohen can just START HIS OWN media company at the end of the SNY deal and put Mets games on it?

I'm sure Cohen is letting the time of the SNY contract run to start something the minute the deal is done.

According to the ESPN article:

Customers will be able to access their local team's content on Prime Video channels where Diamond has rights. Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date. Regional sports content will also remain available on cable and satellite providers.

This is awesome news. Though, this will be a blow to the cable companies. I have a number of friends who subscribe to Comcast just to be able to watch Braves games (after Bally's left YouTube TV).

Yeah I mean if the NHL can go to ESPN+ for non market streaming deals the in market part was just a matter of time and being Amazon makes it easier to sell to the fans.

 

[GreenHornet]

According to the ESPN article:

This is awesome news. Though, this will be a blow to the cable companies. I have a number of friends who subscribe to Comcast just to be able to watch Braves games (after Bally's left YouTube TV).

THIS article (linked below) also went on to say THIS.

"Regional sports content will also remain available on cable and satellite providers."

Amazon will invest in Diamond Sports as part of a bankruptcy restructuring agreement

So, it sounds like we'll be able to see Braves games (as well as Nashville Predators and Carolina Hurricanes) games on two different Bally's stations on Comcast, at least for the time being.

 

[SirJW]

Athletic article about Amazon and Bally's (paywall).

Diamond Sports lands Amazon investment in restructuring plan

Amazon, which hopes to broadcast Diamond teams on Prime, is investing $115 million in a restructuring plan, sources said.

theathletic.com

 

[Ernie]

It's interesting that the NBA and NHL termination agreements that the leagues negotiated with Diamond are set to be wiped out.

Basically Diamond is now going to re-sell the streaming rights to Amazon. The leagues wanted to be able to do market these rights themselves as a package. Perhaps to Amazon, perhaps to ESPN+, etc. Diamond will now act as a middle man, but it has a hodgepodge of contracts that expire at different times and is still dropping the ones that are unprofitable. The NBA seems pissed, I expect the NHL is as well.

What's clear is that streaming rights are becoming more and more important, while the local TV rights have not stemmed cord cutting like the cable companies hoped for.

 

[KevFu]

Important to not that this is Bally's saying to the bankruptcy court "We've agreed to a plan internally" and now there's different options on the table. The leagues get to voice their opinions before the court decides the way forward. (Like, it's not official done the Amazon thing is happening).

Consider that MLB was talking with different streaming providers about a deal going forward for all the teams who's rights they'd be reacquiring -- the nine teams in the Amazon deal, plus SD, ARZ that Bally's dropped; plus COL who got dropped in the Warner/Discovery thing...

It sounds like Amazon merely did an end around that negotiating process and landed the 37 teams local streaming rights for a mere $115m... can't imagine the leagues will be like "Hey Judge, we like this!"

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

https://x.com/cclark_13/status/1750029034010874365?s=20

Gonna have to keep track of this during the offseason with the new Amazon deal. Will be fun.

 

[jkrdevil]

https://x.com/cclark_13/status/1750029034010874365?s=20

Gonna have to keep track of this during the offseason with the new Amazon deal. Will be fun.

This seems to include some national broadcasts that are on ABC (which this station is an affiliate of). It lists tonight’s game which is a national ABC game.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

This seems to include some national broadcasts that are on ABC (which this station is an affiliate of). It lists tonight’s game which is a national ABC game.

I think that's the only one, thought that was ending when normal scripted TV resumes next month.

 

[Reaser]

I think that's the only one, thought that was ending when normal scripted TV resumes next month.

Two more ABC national broadcasts.

That list has two of their national ABC Sunday games.

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

I think that's the only one, thought that was ending when normal scripted TV resumes next month.

Yeah the NBA used the five wednesdays from january to put a game on ABC altought non exclusive in both or one market depens on the game.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Two more ABC national broadcasts.

That list has two of their national ABC Sunday games.

Ah, my fault, meant Wednesday.

 

[Toodles1980]

The Bucks are taking 10 games and putting them OTA. First time since the 2006-07 season they've been OTA. Curious if any NHL teams will do something similar now that the Bally situation is getting a little more sorted.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

The Bucks are taking 10 games and putting them OTA. First time since the 2006-07 season they've been OTA. Curious if any NHL teams will do something similar now that the Bally situation is getting a little more sorted.

Vegas airs all of their allotted regional games on free TV I believe.

 

[TheLegend]

Vegas airs all of their allotted regional games on free TV I believe.

As does the Coyotes.

Both via Scripps Sports.

 

[mouser]

The Bucks are taking 10 games and putting them OTA. First time since the 2006-07 season they've been OTA. Curious if any NHL teams will do something similar now that the Bally situation is getting a little more sorted.

We could use more details on whether the OTA game option was a pre-existing clause in the Bucks and Diamond Sports broadcast rights contract? Or whether the OTA games are only happening now as a result of renegotiations to the original broadcast rights contract due to the.bankruptcy? My instinct is the later.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

 

[GKJ]

 

[Reaser]

Seattle is sort of unique here in that it isn't due to collapse of RSN, it's by choice.

Also fits the market. ROOT is owned by the Mariners, it's a Mariners channel -- though they had excellent Kraken coverage, still a Mariners channel.

Every other Seattle area based professional team was/is OTA. Sounders before the Apple deal. Storm. Reign, the select T-Birds games that are broadcast are OTA, also.

Seawolves are split OTA & ROOT.

So it was kind of weird from the start that Kraken went with ROOT/Mariners instead of local NBC/FOX affiliates where all the other area pro sports teams are.

For the NHL, the recent scorecard is essentially now this:

-Bought/renamed/created/moved to new RSN-

Capitals, Penguins, *Blackhawks (*details TBA)

-OTA because RSN was shutting/shut down-

Golden Knights, Coyotes (applies to Utah, also)

-Chose to move from available RSN to OTA-

Kraken

The rest of the league is RSN or RSN primarily (Kings/Ducks)

 

[Scomerica]

Seattle is sort of unique here in that it isn't due to collapse of RSN, it's by choice.

Also fits the market. ROOT is owned by the Mariners, it's a Mariners channel -- though they had excellent Kraken coverage, still a Mariners channel.

Every other Seattle area based professional team was/is OTA. Sounders before the Apple deal. Storm. Reign, the select T-Birds games that are broadcast are OTA, also.

Seawolves are split OTA & ROOT.

So it was kind of weird from the start that Kraken went with ROOT/Mariners instead of local NBC/FOX affiliates where all the other area pro sports teams are.

For the NHL, the recent scorecard is essentially now this:

-Bought/renamed/created/moved to new RSN-

Capitals, Penguins, *Blackhawks (*details TBA)

-OTA because RSN was shutting/shut down-

Golden Knights, Coyotes (applies to Utah, also)

-Chose to move from available RSN to OTA-

Kraken

The rest of the league is RSN or RSN primarily (Kings/Ducks)

Root got put on the premium tier by Comcast making it extremely expensive to get and not a lot of streaming options for it. When your trying to build fanship and ticket prices are also extremely expensive it's hard to build viewership. This makes a ton of sense.

 

[Reaser]

Root got put on the premium tier by Comcast making it extremely expensive to get and not a lot of streaming options for it. When your trying to build fanship and ticket prices are also extremely expensive it's hard to build viewership. This makes a ton of sense.

Correct, but viewership wasn't even great for Kraken games previous to the premium tier -- which Root upped their fees so Comcast responded by moving it to a higher tier.

Makes a ton of sense now, but I'd say it made sense originally, too. Hence, "kind of weird from the start that Kraken went with ROOT/Mariners."

And yup, for those that want to stream, I believe fubo is the only option for Root Sports NW.

 

[DoyleG]

Correct, but viewership wasn't even great for Kraken games previous to the premium tier -- which Root upped their fees so Comcast responded by moving it to a higher tier.

Makes a ton of sense now, but I'd say it made sense originally, too. Hence, "kind of weird from the start that Kraken went with ROOT/Mariners."

And yup, for those that want to stream, I believe fubo is the only option for Root Sports NW.

FOX was discussing about improving Seattle's OTA reach. Don't think they've carried it out yet.

 

[Spydey629]

SportsNet Pittsburgh officially announced its standalone service:

TV Talk: SportsNet Pittsburgh available as subscription streaming app; WPXI back on DISH

Pirates and Penguins fans frustrated with Comcast and Verizon moving the teams’ cable TV home, SportsNet Pittsburgh, to often more expensive tiers, take note: The cable channel is now available as a direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service app similar to Netflix or Disney+. The...

triblive.com

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

https://x.com/Ourand_Puck/status/1784986919459303756

 

[patnyrnyg]

The Bucks are taking 10 games and putting them OTA. First time since the 2006-07 season they've been OTA. Curious if any NHL teams will do something similar now that the Bally situation is getting a little more sorted.

I take this with a grain of salt. Simply because, how many people are actually accessing these channels through an antenna? Thinking most are getting through a cable/satellite/streaming provider and still paying for it.