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

[Felonious Python]

Apologies if already answered, but is Sportsnet Now airing our games in Canada still?

I haven't seen any mention online of a change.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Apologies if already answered, but is Sportsnet Now airing our games in Canada still?

Unfortunately yes.

 

[Felonious Python]

 

[Felonious Python]

Something to keep track of.

ABC is supposed to be the American network for the SCF in alternating years, including 2024.

 

[Felonious Python]

I'll also point this out

Paramount+ comes with your local CBS station, so you can watch about half the Bucs schedule, playoffs, and Super Bowl on there. CBS doesn't do hockey, and the ad load for Paramount+ is on the high side (allegedly 8-10 minutes per hour). I'd probably go for the higher priced (still $5) Paramount+ with Showtime tier. Fewer ads and more stuff. JustWatch link

You also get a Paramount+ subscription included gratis with a Walmart+ subscription. That may be a better offer.

The $2 Disney+ deal also ends tomorrow.

I can't personally say that either deal is all that appealing to me, even at the discount prices. Paramount+ doesn't really have the exclusives of Netflix or Max, and most of their stuff overlaps with D+ or Prime Video.

The $15 Disney Trio bundle should be a suitable all around set-up for NHL season.

 

[Felonious Python]

B/R Sports is a new add-on available to all Max subscribers. Initially, the B/R Sports Add-On, on us for a limited time, will be included with any Max subscription. After the promotional period, you can add the B/R Sports Add-On starting at $9.99/month. Base subscription will be required.

$10/month, every month, probably isn't something many fans would do. Maybe they'll pick it up for March Madness, or the NHL, NBA, and MLB playoffs. There isn't really enough content to justify the price for the regular season.

It could suit casual sports fans, who will watch anything, but they'd probably be sticking with ESPN.

 

[Felonious Python]

Diamond Sports Renews RSN Deal With NHL’s L.A. Kings

With just nine days to go before the Los Angeles Kings are set to take the ice in their first preseason game of 2023-24, Diamond Sports has renewed its media rights deal with the NHL franchise. Financial terms of the deal, which is being characterized as a “multiyear” agreement, were not...

sports.yahoo.com

With the Kings deal sewn up, Diamond should be off the hook for any further NBA or NHL renewals, at least in the near term. A source with insight into the company’s contractual dealings said no other rights deals are set to expire between now and the end of either season.

Which isn’t to say that Diamond doesn’t have other business arrangements to close before the year is out. The company’s carriage deal with cable giant Comcast expires at the end of this month, or about 30 days before its contract with DirecTV runs out. Looking further down the road, Diamond’s carriage on Charter’s Spectrum-branded cable systems is binding through Feb. 29, 2024.

Rights deals don't expire mid-season, but the wording is unclear if everyone is actually signed.

The Spectrum renewal should be easy. Call retentions and say you intend to cancel. They'll start cutting you deals then.

 

[BoltSTH]

Anyone else getting a 3 second audio before picture on Bally Sports app coverage of the Rays?

 

[Felonious Python]

Bad news for Bally, who want to integrate merch and betting to their platform. There's not a lot of demand for it.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Bad news for Bally, who want to integrate merch and betting to their platform. There's not a lot of demand for it.

Not surprising. Who wants to deal with 5+ subscriptions and micromanaging them on a monthly basis. Like I have to cancel that one after a certain event or a series finale and to re-subscribe to that other one because of the thing next week but wait I have to get that voucher from that site or the one-time discount from that other service, oops I needed the other package, maybe my brother has it and he can upgrade to the family deal for a month… Oh my 3 months with lower rates on that service are running out, honey do we really need it? Ah it’s for the kids, but let’s talk about it after the summer, remind me will ya?

Just give me one platform that has it all, I pay $50 or whatever per month but I have my peace.

 

[Felonious Python]

Not surprising. Who wants to deal with 5+ subscriptions and micromanaging them on a monthly basis. Like I have to cancel that one after a certain event or a series finale and to re-subscribe to that other one because of the thing next week but wait I have to get that voucher from that site or the one-time discount from that other service, oops I needed the other package, maybe my brother has it and he can upgrade to the family deal for a month… Oh my 3 months with lower rates on that service are running out, honey do we really need it? Ah it’s for the kids, but let’s talk about it after the summer, remind me will ya?

Just give me one platform that has it all, I pay $50 or whatever per month but I have my peace.

The MLB are open about wanting to get rid of regional blackouts. That would be a major step in the streamlining of all these subscriptions.

Disney planned to buy the Fox Sports/Bally networks originally, but ran into issues with regulators. Direct to consumer ESPN that also has your local teams would be a very appealing value to fans. Out-of-market could then be sold as an add-on.

 

[These Are The Days]

Not surprising. Who wants to deal with 5+ subscriptions and micromanaging them on a monthly basis. Like I have to cancel that one after a certain event or a series finale and to re-subscribe to that other one because of the thing next week but wait I have to get that voucher from that site or the one-time discount from that other service, oops I needed the other package, maybe my brother has it and he can upgrade to the family deal for a month… Oh my 3 months with lower rates on that service are running out, honey do we really need it? Ah it’s for the kids, but let’s talk about it after the summer, remind me will ya?

Just give me one platform that has it all, I pay $50 or whatever per month but I have my peace.

It's almost like cable would be an ideal solution but they can't get their shit together either

 

[Felonious Python]

This makes sense with the rumor of Amazon being partners with Disney on ESPN. Either get them signing up for the ESPN app directly, or get it through Prime.

Amazon could bid on sports rights themselves, but that would probably require them to get into the cable TV business. Not a great idea. Buying part of ESPN addresses that.

 

[Felonious Python]

$70 for the season is reasonably priced.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

$70 for the season is reasonably priced.

I'd pay for this if the Lightning did this.

 

[Felonious Python]

I'd pay for this if the Lightning did this.

KnightTime+ is limited to the Golden Knights broadcast region.

ESPN & Sportsnet would prevent it. They want to sell their out-of-market packages.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

KnightTime+ is limited to the Golden Knights broadcast region.

ESPN & Sportsnet would prevent it. They want to sell their out-of-market packages.

Yeah, i read a different article about this. But there are ways around it. This is future of local broadcasts.

 

[Felonious Python]

Yeah, i read a different article about this. But there are ways around it. This is future of local broadcasts.

I'm not so sure that it's the future. It's a reasonably priced product. It doesn't add up. Monument Sports/Capitals are offering theirs for $50 per year.

Golden Knights' local broadcast package could set example for other teams

Vegas Golden Knights announced that they have a multiyear deal with ViewLift for a streaming service that will provide their games on all major devices.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

They have to be losing money at these prices, and pricing is pretty much everything.

 

[Felonious Python]

100 euros ($105 USD) per year is a pretty good value.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

I'm not so sure that it's the future. It's a reasonably priced product. It doesn't add up. Monument Sports/Capitals are offering theirs for $50 per year.

Golden Knights' local broadcast package could set example for other teams

Vegas Golden Knights announced that they have a multiyear deal with ViewLift for a streaming service that will provide their games on all major devices.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

They have to be losing money at these prices, and pricing is pretty much everything.

Is it going to be ad free?

 

[Felonious Python]

Is it going to be ad free?

They'd need to have an all-world ad sales team in order to make up the gap from what they were probably getting from cable TV subscriptions and ad revenue.

They're spending all this money to build out a streaming platform, and run the programming. Teams might as well put it on YouTube, where no special investment or backend staff are needed in order to get on a streaming platform more popular than Netflix.

 

[Felonious Python]

The NY Post doesn't have the best record, but here it is anyway.

Diamond will shut its doors but not until it makes some money from more profitable contracts so the creditors get some recovery, two sources said.

That also would help the NBA and NHL which are not well prepared for a liquidation, sources said.

Another possibility is Diamond would stop broadcasting games in markets where it is losing money if it cannot reach an overall deal with either the NBA or NHL, according to the first source.

 

[Felonious Python]

Will America’s Largest Local Sports Broadcaster Survive?

Diamond Sports is grappling with high-stakes carriage and rights negotiations ahead of the NBA and NHL seasons.

www.wsj.com

Diamond executives hope that forging new agreements with cable companies and leagues will result in the distribution and rights they need to continue airing games on cable while continuing to build its $19.99 a month streaming offering, BallySports+. The company also hopes to gain distribution on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV or other streaming bundles of channels.

 

[Felonious Python]

Well, well, well. How the turntables...


edit: over 9000 concurrent viewers at the end of the 1st period. Not bad for a little advertised FLA-OTT pre-season game during NFL Sunday that was also being aired on NHLN and the NHL website. 20k concurrent would be a clear success to me, but given the obstacles, it's doing pretty well.

NHL fans aren't used to using YouTube for legit streams. I only knew about this because the Sens tweeted it like an hour before.

The NHL are also running ads during the breaks, which is revenue they weren't getting from the NHL website stream.

View counters and chat rooms wouldn't make the cut if the NHL transitioned to doing this regularly (maybe NHLN exclusives). Google/YouTube would likely be game to accommodate a major sports league with a few tweaks.

The NHL also has its FAST NHL Channel on Roku and Freevee that it can utilize better.

edit: 10,500 viewers at end of 2nd period. 11,700 3rd period peak.

 

[Felonious Python]

Diamond talks with leagues, distributors, creditors will run into 2024

Diamond expects to find out this week if a U.S. Bankruptcy Court accepted its request for an extension to file its Chapter 11 plan.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

Everybody should have Feb. 29 circled on their calendars. That is the date when Diamond’s RSN deal with Charter ends. And that is setting up to be Diamond’s first significant renewal while in bankruptcy, since Comcast is working an extension with the RSN group and DirecTV didn’t use an out in its contract. Considering Charter’s public and rancorous carriage fight with Disney, this deal could be viewed as a bellwether for future agreements.