I subscribed to BallySports+ and canceled after one game

[Doggy]

I just need to get this off my chest, because if you thought the game was bad, it was far worse while trying to watch it on Bally Sports streaming service..

---I used to subscribe to ESPN+ with a VPN which worked the last two years but no longer works for me (so I canceled ESPN+ and my VPN).

---I considered switching away from YouTubeTV and back to Fubo which has a much better user interface anyway and offers Bally Sports Ohio (supposedly at no extra cost). But before I subscribed, I found the price bump deceivingly hidden. They say the package is $75/month which is just $3 more than YouTubeTV (which doesn't have Ballys) but then when you look at the fine print there is a $14 RSN special fee which every subscriber has to pay regardless of whether they want Ballys or not...totally not cool.

---So I decided I would keep my YouTubeTV and try subscribing to Bally Sports+ (just for the CBJ season). Thank goodness Bally's has a one week free trial so I won't be charged. My canceling had nothing to do with the CBJ play last night because as bad as the CBJ were, Bally's streaming service is far worse.

I have an AppleTV so I was using the AppleTV app. I wasn't going to be able to watch the game live because I wasn't getting home until almost 8PM. No worries, I would have my wife open up the app, start the game and then rewind it so I would not know the score before watching it. I was pleased that the app did not give the score when the app is opened but TBH, the app really should give you the option of starting the game from the beginning or live. They don't appear to offer that feature (I could not find it) so it means I closed my eyes while my wife hit rewind until it got to the beginning of the game. STRIKE ONE (my wife won't always be around).

But then the shit hits the fan.

---My wife rewound to the end of the pre-game so I decided I would forwarded it ten seconds at a time to get to face-off. I get to the opening face-off, the stream starts to play and then...crashes, I have to restart the app.

---My wife has to rewind the game and start all over again. This time I decide not to jump ahead and just watch. Until I get to a commercial break. I try jumping ahead in ten second intervals, stream starts to play, crash. I have to restart the app.

---My wife has to rewind the game and I have to start making note of the time every time I want to forward past commercials. But I learned a trick: when forwarding through commercials in ten second intervals, your last jump has to be ten seconds BACK to prevent a crash. OK, not the end of the world but STRIKE TWO.

---So I am watching the game and want to get up and grab a drink, so I hit pause. Get my drink, sit back down, unpause and...the stream jumps to live again. WTF!!! STRIKE THREE.

"!@#$%^" What a G-D F***in POS service they are offering and actually charging you real money for. So...I am canceled the service. Looks like I am either back to Fubo and paying the extra fee or simply listening to the games with Bobby Mac.

Click to read more...

 

[Viqsi]

Stream crashing on fast forward attempts has also been my experience with Fubo. You have to carefully time each jump forward because if you try to buffer multiple jumps it gets all flustered and just throws up its hands and goes "OMG you are asking TOO MUCH of me." Oh, and ABC and ESPN aren't able to be viewed that way on my Mac Pro because they require DRM-certified monitors. And then there was the time it simply refused to record last weekend's Buckeyes game because oh gosh I dunno reasons or something.

I'd have cancelled already but I paid for three months because it'd seemed reasonable enough at the time, so I'm stuck 'till December.

 

[Doggy]

Stream crashing on fast forward attempts has also been my experience with Fubo. You have to carefully time each jump forward because if you try to buffer multiple jumps it gets all flustered and just throws up its hands and goes "OMG you are asking TOO MUCH of me." Oh, and ABC and ESPN aren't able to be viewed that way on my Mac Pro because they require DRM-certified monitors. And then there was the time it simply refused to record last weekend's Buckeyes game because oh gosh I dunno reasons or something.

I'd have cancelled already but I paid for three months because it'd seemed reasonable enough at the time, so I'm stuck 'till December.

Viqsi, so you have Fubo but are canceling it? I thought I saw you rant about it recently. I will admit, I had Fubo for a couple years and really really liked it. I only switched away when they added Bally Sports and were going to charge so much for it. Had no technical issues with the AppleTV app and loved the user interface which is way better than Hulu or YouTubeTV.

So what will you try next? Seems like the NHL is just making it harder and harder to watch their product.

 

[Viqsi]

Viqsi, so you have Fubo but are canceling it? I thought I saw you rant about it recently. I will admit, I had Fubo for a couple years and really really liked it. I only switched away when they added Bally Sports and were going to charge so much for it. Had no technical issues with the AppleTV app and loved the user interface which is way better than Hulu or YouTubeTV.

So what will you try next? Seems like the NHL is just making it harder and harder to watch their product.

At this rate what I'll probably try next involves sailing the seven seas, although I'm hoping for the possibility that the landscape has changed before my FuboTV subscription runs out.

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

DirecTV Stream also has Bally's and I am generally pleased with it.

I think Spectrum also has a streaming option that includes Bally's, but I have no personal experience with it.

 

[MissADD]

Bally Sports is on its last legs. I think they only reason the CBJ haven't moved on from them in contract obligations. When the CBJ end up getting that Bally is no more, they will end up somewhere else rather quickly. I wouldn't be shocked if they already have a plan in place for when it happens. Sadly the NHL is stuck with ESPN until 2028. IDK the terms of the contract make removing blackouts possible, but that would be the best course of action. If they can't then when the contract is up, get a blackout free contract like the MLS has with Apple TV

 

[cbjthrowaway]

I think Spectrum also has a streaming option that includes Bally's, but I have no personal experience with it.

spectrum's streaming option is pretty bad.

i switched to fubo recently and only have good things to say about that so far.

 

[Doggy]

DirecTV Stream also has Bally's and I am generally pleased with it.

I think Spectrum also has a streaming option that includes Bally's, but I have no personal experience with it.

We have Armstrong where I live which charges $120 per month for their streaming service. I wonder if I can subscribe to Spectrum even though they are not my cable and internet provider.

 

[Doggy]

Bally Sports is on its last legs. I think they only reason the CBJ haven't moved on from them in contract obligations. When the CBJ end up getting that Bally is no more, they will end up somewhere else rather quickly. I wouldn't be shocked if they already have a plan in place for when it happens. Sadly the NHL is stuck with ESPN until 2028. IDK the terms of the contract make removing blackouts possible, but that would be the best course of action. If they can't then when the contract is up, get a blackout free contract like the MLS has with Apple TV

I would think ESPN would love to provide all the games without black outs but the RSNs are against it. I am a perfect example, I’d still be subscribed to ESPN+ if not for the blackouts. That’s a loss for them. What do they gain from black out?

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

We have Armstrong where I live which charges $120 per month for their streaming service. I wonder if I can subscribe to Spectrum even though they are not my cable and internet provider.

I don't know the answer to that. They don't have to provide the service via a cable to your house, so it seems to me you'd be able to get Spectrum App just as easy as the DirecTV app or YouTube TV app.

 

[Seedtype]

Hmm, I've been watching BallySports streams on my browser and it's overall been working well(Chrome). I've been only watching live mine you, not trying to seek through the stream or anything like that. Sorry you've been having a bad experience, companies need to work on their apps.

It'll be interesting to see if Ballysports last past this season.

 

[DEF]

I have Spectrum and use the app on roku. I like how you can skip back and go back to live with the stream.

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

We have Armstrong where I live which charges $120 per month for their streaming service. I wonder if I can subscribe to Spectrum even though they are not my cable and internet provider.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with Armstrong and assumed you lived somewhere in Ohio. If you download one of the apps, Fubo, DirecTV, YoutubeTV, Spectrum, etc. you will need to provide your address and the app will give you local channels. I assume it's not possible to get Bally Sports Ohio, if you don't live in Ohio.

 

[MissADD]

I would think ESPN would love to provide all the games without black outs but the RSNs are against it. I am a perfect example, I’d still be subscribed to ESPN+ if not for the blackouts. That’s a loss for them. What do they gain from black out?

Blackouts are because the RSN. When the RSN collapse blackouts should disappear.

 

[Doggy]

Sorry, I'm not familiar with Armstrong and assumed you lived somewhere in Ohio. If you download one of the apps, Fubo, DirecTV, YoutubeTV, Spectrum, etc. you will need to provide your address and the app will give you local channels. I assume it's not possible to get Bally Sports Ohio, if you don't live in Ohio.

I live fifty minutes north of Columbus a little south of Mansfield.

It'd be easier if I didn't live in the Columbus market, then I would just subscribe to ESPN+ and it'd give me the NHL Centre Ice package with no CBJ blackouts.

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

I live fifty minutes north of Columbus a little south of Mansfield.

It'd be easier if I didn't live in the Columbus market, then I would just subscribe to ESPN+ and it'd give me the NHL Centre Ice package with no CBJ blackouts.

OK, you'll have access to Bally Sports Ohio on DirecTV Stream (you don't need a satellite, just an internet connection), Fubo, or Spectrum Stream. You would also likely have access with a regular old school cable package, though that will likely be more expensive. I like DirecTV Stream, I have no experience with Fubo, and I used Spectrum Stream once at my buddy's house. I thought DirecTV Stream had a much better user interface than Spectrum, based on the 10 minutes that I played around with it.

 

[Viqsi]

DirecTV Stream also has Bally's and I am generally pleased with it.

I think Spectrum also has a streaming option that includes Bally's, but I have no personal experience with it.

I've resisted trying DirecTV Stream mostly because we have AT&T fiber here, and when I looked into their "bundle internet and streaming" prices they turned out to be slightly higher than just getting the two services separately.

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

I've resisted trying DirecTV Stream mostly because we have AT&T fiber here, and when I looked into their "bundle internet and streaming" prices they turned out to be slightly higher than just getting the two services separately.

It is or at least was slightly higher, I haven't looked lately. I had YoutubeTV and subscribed to the Ballys app. I loved YoutubeTV, but absolutely hated the Ballys app. Plus I hated not being able to easily channel flip. I was willing to pay slightly more for the convenience of channel flipping and because the app was so awful. I have been very happy with my current setup. Well worth a couple extra bucks a month.