NHL, MLB and NBA might buy Bally Sports RSNs

[5th Line Fanatic]

There is no free app as of two days ago. It's now $19.99.

 

[OWSH45]

There is no free app as of two days ago. It's now $19.99.

Damn. Frankly, I'm getting tired of companies giving senior citizens the shaft. Is this what I nearly died for when I was in the military back in the late 70's?

 

[Doggy]

Damn. Frankly, I'm getting tired of companies giving senior citizens the shaft. Is this what I nearly died for when I was in the military back in the late 70's?

I understand your frustration and agree the monthly fee they are charging seems very expensive. That said, I also understand they can't give the product away for free. Sinclair (which owns the RSNs) pays the CBJ for the right to broadcast the games plus they are in business to make money...so they have to charge for it

FTR, nothing is stopping you from contacting Sinclair and asking if they offer senior/veteran discounts. I was in the service industry for years and we offered specials.

 

[OWSH45]

Oh, I get why Sinclair has to charge. But more than I pay for my Disney+/ESPN+/Hulu bundle and Paramount+ combined? If it weren't for the fact that I'd miss out on She-Hulk and the Defenders saga, I'd get the minimal package from Breezeline until the end of the season.

 

[Crede777]

It's pretty clear that the NHL and perhaps the other leagues have hitched their horses to cable TV because of the money available from television deals and will go down with that ship.

The NHL isn't in the streaming business, granted. They're a sports league first and foremost. So it can't be expected that they'll in-house everything. But they could/should partner with another major sports league with relatively little overlap in the schedule (MLB or MLS) and a streaming platform (Disney/ESPN/Hulu or Amazon) to basically head off the inevitable shift in television and capture markets they're currently losing due to fragmentation and blackouts. The problem is, aside from the obvious ones stemming from their current contractual commitments, that this means significantly less money today but more in the future than they'll get by clinging to regional sports networks and national cable companies like Sinclair and Comcast.

 

[DougKnowsBest]

Last night on YouTube a bunch of preseason games popped up with what seemed like in house production and streamed under a official looking nhl account.

 

[NotWendell]

Last night on YouTube a bunch of preseason games popped up with what seemed like in house production and streamed under a official looking nhl account.

Interesting. Could you post a link? Having trouble finding it.

 

[DougKnowsBest]

Interesting. Could you post a link? Having trouble finding it.

 

[NotWendell]

Thanks for the link! If the NHL were to test streaming their own games, this is how I would expect them to do it. This looks like an Asian YouTube channel streaming games from Root Sports, Sportsnet and MSG though.

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

Thanks for the link! If the NHL were to test streaming their own games, this is how I would expect them to do it. This looks like an Asian YouTube channel streaming games from Root Sports, Sportsnet and MSG though.

Exactly! I don't trust the NHL to pull this off at all. That's why I'd love for MLB to pickup the ball and put together a service for the MLB, NBA, and NHL. They have experience and talent in this area.

 

[Doggy]

Exactly! I don't trust the NHL to pull this off at all. That's why I'd love for MLB to pickup the ball and put together a service for the MLB, NBA, and NHL. They have experience and talent in this area.

I could be wrong but I think the NHL already contracted MLB for sports production. I thought NHL Network was being produced by MLB (but I could be wrong).

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

I could be wrong but I think the NHL already contracted MLB for sports production. I thought NHL Network was being produced by MLB (but I could be wrong).

You are correct. The MLB and NHL have a fairly long history of working together on this stuff.

MLB Advanced Media's Long, Strange Trip

In August 2002, MLB streamed its first-ever game online. Two decades later, MLB Advanced Media and its offshoots, including the titanic Disney Streaming Services, touches every corner of sports and entertainment.

boardroom.tv

I would love to see the day that the Leagues own their local media rights. This would be great for small markets like Columbus, Cleveland, or Cincinnati. Which is why New York and LA owners would hate it and why it will never happen. It would even the playing field.

 

[NotWendell]

I think the MLS deal with Apple starting next year could be the blueprint.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Before Ballys took over there was Fox Sports Ohio and Sports Time Ohio. The Indians and some Monsters games were on STO, while Jackets and Cavs were FSO. Not sure where the Reds were. When it changed over, FSO became Bally Sports Ohio, and STO became Ballys Great Lakes. They are sister channels, basically the same except for the names.

There are actually 3 Bally Sports channels. I have all of them on Directv. FS Great Lakes was Cleveland, FSO was Cincinnati. Sportstime Ohio was also Cleveland based stuff until Fox acquired them. FS Great Lakes really only had the Cavs on there as I recall because the Indians were on Sportstime before the acquisition.

Both FS channels had the CBJ games and if there was a conflict between a Reds/Cavs/Crew game the CBJ would be aired here in Columbus on one of them.

 

[Monstershockey]

There are actually 3 Bally Sports channels. I have all of them on Directv. FS Great Lakes was Cleveland, FSO was Cincinnati. Sportstime Ohio was also Cleveland based stuff until Fox acquired them. FS Great Lakes really only had the Cavs on there as I recall because the Indians were on Sportstime before the acquisition.

Both FS channels had the CBJ games and if there was a conflict between a Reds/Cavs/Crew game the CBJ would be aired here in Columbus on one of them.

I believe one of those is the BSO alternate. It shows the same programming unless it has to show a Cavs and Jackets game on the same night, then it splits them. At least here it does.

 

[tunnelvision]

Probably a trivial thing to worry about but I'll ask anyway: why hasn't nhl.com marked all broadcasting networks to each game on the Blue Jackets regular season schedule? I see BSSO/NBC/ESPN acronyms only in some of them, but Bally promises on their site they will air all games except the national ones. I assume the schedule pages just haven't been updated?

 

[Viqsi]

I would love to see the day that the Leagues own their local media rights. This would be great for small markets like Columbus, Cleveland, or Cincinnati. Which is why New York and LA owners would hate it and why it will never happen. It would even the playing field.

Media rights are where a gigantic portion of the revenue comes from, so this is less of an easy win for small markets than you might imagine.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Media rights are where a gigantic portion of the revenue comes from, so this is less of an easy win for small markets than you might imagine.

The difference being a known, up-front payment(s) vs. unknown number of subscribers for an unknown number of dollars.

 

[Viqsi]

The difference being a known, up-front payment(s) vs. unknown number of subscribers for an unknown number of dollars.

True. Running their own subscription system for all media strikes me as being a way to make the league even more "gate-driven" than it already is.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I believe one of those is the BSO alternate. It shows the same programming unless it has to show a Cavs and Jackets game on the same night, then it splits them. At least here it does.

yeah, here in Columbus, the old Sportstime Ohio and the Bally Sports Cleveland basically show the same thing. Sportstime really had nothing except that Bruce Drennan call in show and Jimmy Hanlin's golf shows outside of the Indians and Crew. At this point outside of the regional sports each channel shows all 3 seem to show the same national programming.

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

Media rights are where a gigantic portion of the revenue comes from, so this is less of an easy win for small markets than you might imagine.

Oh, I'm aware of how gigantic it is. If all local rights dollars were pooled and split evenly by the leagues (like the national rights), it would be a huge windfall for the small market teams. This is a bigger issue in Baseball than it is in Hockey because of the hard cap and hard floor in Hockey.

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

My ultimate sports TV paradise, would be one app that includes every game from the NHL, MLB, and NBA regardless of market. If a game in one of those leagues is on, I can watch it no matter where I am. The app would also allow me to bet on the games from within the app while I'm watching the game (if legal in my state). Finally, because I have a connected "wallet" for betting payments, it means the app knows who I am and I can't steal access to it and I can't give away my password. That also means I can watch an ad and engage with the company running the ad and they can pay me for doing so.

 

[Jackets Woodchuck]

My main concern is that watching a broadcast may require placing a bet (aren't some soccer leagues like that?), which would restrict me to radio and in-person attendance due to strcit religious beliefs against gambling (church body I belong to doesn't even allow gambling for fundraisers and pastors questioning the source of unusually large donations isn't unheard of).

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

My main concern is that watching a broadcast may require placing a bet (aren't some soccer leagues like that?), which would restrict me to radio and in-person attendance due to strcit religious beliefs against gambling (church body I belong to doesn't even allow gambling for fundraisers and pastors questioning the source of unusually large donations isn't unheard of).

I can't imagine the blowback in the United States if an app forced you to bet to watch it. I just can't see that ever happening here in our lifetimes.

 

[JacketsDavid]

yeah, here in Columbus, the old Sportstime Ohio and the Bally Sports Cleveland basically show the same thing. Sportstime really had nothing except that Bruce Drennan call in show and Jimmy Hanlin's golf shows outside of the Indians and Crew. At this point outside of the regional sports each channel shows all 3 seem to show the same national programming.

I was in Orlando last week (pre Ian) and they has similar thing with both Rays and Marlins games on channels. AS you said all the talk shows (besides pre and post game and the game) was the same as back home.