Watching the Lightning (Bally, Streaming, TV, etc.)

[Felonious Python]

 

[Felonious Python]

Black Friday deals

$1 Hulu/$3 Hulu & Disney+


$1 Starz add-on for Hulu


$3 HBO Max


$2 mo/$20 year Peacock


Bally Sports is also offering three months of Bally Sports+ for a discount. It's confusingly written. 'Save 45% - 3rd month free'.

So I'm figuring that means that the price is $16.50 for each of the first two months, and then the third month is free. $33 for three months would work out to about ESPN+ pricing.

 

[Felonious Python]

I've noticed the large number of games on NHLN as well.

The NHL needs to figure out what they're going to do with this channel. NHLN games don't appear on ESPN+. Major league events are streamed free on the NHL website (draft, trade deadline).

I could see NHLN trying to push its way into cable/streaming packages by taking all these out-of-market games, but that's what ESPN+ was supposed to be.

NHLN's best niche is actually for international hockey. WJC, WCs, etc. It's the only time it could be considered a must-have channel.

NBCUniversal owns 15.6% of the network, which would indicate that it should go to Peacock, despite NBC not having an NHL TV deal.

 

[Hoek]

Yeah that network is way too hard to get for all the exclusives they put on it. They need to let people pay a nominal fee to stream it direct at least or get on more providers premium sports packages, a lot of TV providers just don't have it no matter how much you throw at them.

 

[Felonious Python]

Yeah that network is way too hard to get for all the exclusives they put on it. They need to let people pay a nominal fee to stream it direct at least or get on more providers premium sports packages, a lot of TV providers just don't have it no matter how much you throw at them.

I always see NHLN as not being all that valuable, but having the potential to become extremely valuable.

In a post-Bally world, I could see NHLN taking the place of the RSNs. I could just as easily see it being absorbed into the NHL's media arm, or becoming an NFL Films style outfit.

Peacock would probably be a good home for it. NBC loves Team USA with the Olympics, and NHLN carries international hockey.

 

[Felonious Python]

If an agreement is reached, Amazon's (AMZN.O) Prime Video platform would eventually become the streaming home for Diamond's games, the Wall Street Journal reported.

I had figured that Diamond (Bally) would want to at least get onto the Prime platform, but getting actual investment from them would create a competitor to ESPN for the future of RSNs.

 

[Felonious Python]

This was reported as happening, but now we see it confirmed.

 

[Felonious Python]

WBD has the TNT deal with the NHL. Paramount is CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, etc.

WBD is quite a bit larger than Paramount, so it's probably easier to think of it as WBD absorbing Paramount.

edit: I lowkey wonder if that's why the new South Park special episode on Paramount+ didn't get any promotion. It came out today, but you'd never know it. The last one 'joining the panderverse' got a huge marketing push and moments from the show went viral. Nothing in this episode was directed towards WBD like panderverse was with Disney.

Warner Bros has a lawsuit against Paramount over South Park.

They might have not wanted to rock the boat.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[BoltSTH]

Last game was difficult to watch when the audio was 3 to 5 seconds ahead of the video. No issue with any other streaming sites, so defiantly their end.

 

[Night Shift]

I purchased fubo this year to watch the Lightning on Bally. I've been happy with it. It'll be interesting what happens next year.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[Felonious Python]

free sports are staying on Max for a little longer than expected.


The article speculates either technical issues (I haven't heard any complaints) or that Max aren't confident that the sports add-on can sustain itself yet. The latter seems more likely, IMO.

As I've written previously, the segment of the population who are big casual sports fans (enough to pay for it), and also have Max, is pretty small. The problem with casual fans is that, pretty much by definition, they'll watch anything. Linear ESPN and ESPN+ would make more sense for them.

TNT Sports has a wide but shallow inventory of games, which makes them competitive as a linear network, but very lacking as a streaming service.

 

[Felonious Python]

Under the terms of the RSA, Amazon also has committed to make a minority investment in Diamond and enter into a commercial arrangement to provide access to Diamond’s services via Prime Video. Under this arrangement, Prime Video will become Diamond’s primary partner through which customers will be able to purchase direct-to-consumer (DTC) access to stream local Diamond channels. Customers will be able to access all local DTC content, including live MLB, NBA and NHL games, and pre- and post-game programming, for the teams for which Diamond retains DTC rights, through Prime Video Channels. Additional details regarding pricing and availability will be announced at a later date. In addition, Diamond looks forward to continuing to partner with its existing MVPD distribution partners to broadcast its MLB, NBA and NHL content.

So Bally will be available as an add-on to Amazon Prime. It won't replace the Bally app.

 

[Night Shift]

In the yahoo article I read it says that as a Florida resident, there wouldn't be regional blackouts so I can still watch the Lightning and dump fubo next year. The only thing though is fubo atleast carries nhl network.

 

[Felonious Python]

In the yahoo article I read it says that as a Florida resident, there wouldn't be regional blackouts so I can still watch the Lightning and dump fubo next year. The only thing though is fubo atleast carries nhl network.

I'm not sure that being on Amazon Prime will reduce the price. It's just extra steps.

 

[Night Shift]

I'm not sure that being on Amazon Prime will reduce the price. It's just extra steps.

Probably a good point. They may just raise annual yearly membership

 

[Felonious Python]

In sports-themed entertainment.

Raw is leaving linear TV entirely. Smackdown will stay on the USA Network/Peacock for the time being it seems.

Getting WWE is a pretty big deal for Netflix. There isn't really an off-season, so it'll reduce churn (subbing and un-subbing).

Netflix has slowly been getting in the live sports business. First with stuff like celebrity golf, and now wrestling.

It also means that there will be a 3-hour block for the USA Network to fill on Monday nights (and it won't be NFL)...

 

[These Are The Days]

WWE has officially left the stratosphere. I have never seen a product lose touch so quickly as them. All they care about is making money. There is no respect for the business anymore

 

[Felonious Python]

WWE has officially left the stratosphere. I have never seen a product lose touch so quickly as them. All they care about is making money. There is no respect for the business anymore

I never got into wrestling, so take any opinions with a grain of salt.

I feel that with Marvel and Star Wars pushing away from their boy-skewed origins, WWE has the ability to step in and make some serious money over the next few decades.

 

[Felonious Python]

Comcast released their Q4 earnings today, but in summary, the trends continue.

 

[Felonious Python]

Before Amazon came in, Diamond was planning on winding down operations, laying the groundwork for a world in which 2024 was its last year. Diamond has now told the court that it can operate beyond this year with Amazon’s help and the cooperation of various creditors.

Diamond’s financial projections also face skepticism in baseball circles, the person continued, because Diamond has repeatedly “underestimated the decline on the revenue side, and wildly overestimated what they can do in direct-to-consumer.”

Diamond projects that its DTC subscriber numbers rise from 300,000 in 2023, to 1.7 million this year, 2.7 million the next and on to 3.6 million in 2026.

 

[Felonious Python]

The platform will include games from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, NASCAR and college sports, including the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament, as well as golf, tennis and the FIFA World Cup.

It will include offerings from 15 linear networks — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS, truTV — and ESPN+.

Subscribers would also have the ability to bundle the product with Disney+, Hulu and/or Max.

 

[Felonious Python]

It will be on the pricier side. It also won't have RSNs (Bally), NBC, or CBS.

 

[Felonious Python]

so the ESPN, WBD, and Fox bundle is coming Fall 2024, while standalone ESPN will be Fall 2025.

(Iger said 'probably August 2025')