2025 Prediction thread

[mnradiofan]

Report: Peacock to stream local games from NBC Sports RSNs

NBCUniversal will reportedly offer its NBC Sports regional networks to Peacock customers in those local markets.

awfulannouncing.com

NBC will air their remaining Regional Sports channels on Peacock in 2025. This comes after NBC Sports cut Chicago, Washington DC, Portland off the regional sports network roster prior to the spinoff as a response to declining audiences and expenses. Some of this was to avoid a situation Bally/Fanduel Sports is facing today.

Bally Sports rebrand to FanDuel started Monday

Minnesota sports fans will see the latest development in the Diamond Sports bankruptcy on Tuesday when FanDuel Sports Network broadcasts the Wild’s game against the Florida Panthers. Bally Sports North, which has been broadcasting Timberwolves, Twins and Wild games since 2021, was officially...

sports.yahoo.com

Cable TV is dying, to the tune of almost 10% subscriber reductions per year. That reality finally hit the RSN's as numbers dwindle while sports rights fees were just increasing. If the current trend continues, the only companies that will be able to afford sports will be the streaming companies, which is why NFL is starting to branch out to Amazon, Netflix, etc.

Of course, another side effect of that is that broadcast TV revenue is going down due to fewer retransmission fees. Another elephant in the room is that people aren't cutting cable to go back to OTA, for the most part they are moving to streaming. And streaming is much less profitable than cable, because you really only pay for what you want and churn is high.

My predictions are that we will continue to see budgets cut across TV in 2025, and we'll see major media companies continue to try to distance themselves from their profitable, but slowly becoming less profitable networks. We probably won't see a ton of movement on mergers in that space in 2025, but I expect "SpinCo" (whatever it's called when done) will likely acquire some smaller networks (AMC Networks). We may also see consolidation in streaming providers. I also think we'll see a FAST service shut down or sold due to declining ad revenue.

Disney will likely shut down the networks that Spectrum dropped, as other cable operators will want the same deal that Spectrum got. I don't think we'll see the shut down of other cable networks unless they cannot get carriage deals for them.

Edited to add - we will also likely see fewer scripted programs on both broadcast and streaming in 2025.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-introduces-peacock-netflix-and-apple-tv-streaming-bundle

Streaming bundles will be the most common way people subcribe to TV from their providers like this like the Peacock/Netflix/Apple+ bundle by Xfinity.

Also this the Disney/Max Bundle

Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle | Disney+

Get the ultimate bundle for one unbeatable price. Save over 30% with the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle. Plans start at $16.99/month. U.S. residents only.

www.disneyplus.com

Disney/ESPN Bundles.

Disney Bundle - Stream Hulu on Disney+

Get Hulu on Disney+. The Disney Bundle includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Stream series, movies, Originals, live sports, and more. U.S. residents only

www.disneyplus.com

https://www.directv.com/premium-channels/paramountplus-with-showtime/

Paramount+

Paramount+

www.amazon.com

Then there's the Paramount+/Directly bundle and the Paramount+/Amazon Bundle. Yes these are some of the most common streaming packages setup for 2025. The channel retrans package will phase out from 2025 and beyond based on where we are today.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Maybe both the Boston - Providence RI and Washington DC - Baltimore MD TV merges into one:

Not going to happen because the borders that were drawn out for DMA's was from the 1950's. Also when the lines were made some of the places were considered sparsely populated at the time of the designation. There are places around the country that are in a similar situation as Fairfield, California where they were sparsely populated in the 1950's and the borders happen to cross inside their area. In the 2020's it's one of a few places where the city population of 100k and above happens to land in two different TV markets Sacramento and San Francisco. I don't know exactly how many cities with a population of 100k and above happen to land on the border of two different TV markets in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington DC, and Maryland but it's not the 1950's anymore and we are entering streaming TV's.

This article partially explains how the DMA borders were made for San Francisco and Sacramento in the 1950's. It goes back to when KOVR Stockton/Sacramento had to move their transmitter due to them having their signal being seen in San Francisco. Part of this was to secure affiliation with ABC.

History of UHF Television

uhfhistory.com

 

[TVCOOL]

Which one of the Late Night TV hosts gets cancelled first between Stephen Colbert (CBS), Jimmy Fallon (NBC) or Jimmy Kimmel(ABC)?

I wouldn't be surprised if one of those networks just give back the 11:35 pm timeslot to their stations, reruns of old TV shows would get more viewers than those 3.

Several cable networks leave the air and go to streaming-only (probably mid-tier networks). In addition, the purge of legacy cable systems continues, I know that Spectrum isn't doing new cable boxes anymore for their subscribers. Cable companies will tout subscribing to streaming services over traditional cable TV.

At least one late-night talk show is canceled.

I'm on the page of Mediafrog+ regarding local news operations. It looks like KREM Spokane is one operation that is going to AI on some things, including production crews. Even the directors are getting canned for AI. Soon enough I believe there will be several TV stations (probably in mid-sized markets) that lay off their entire staff and either go to centralized 'pre-recorded' newscasts from another market, or WORSE...the "anchors" won't be real, all simulated and AI.

I believe there will be a months-long battle to try and 'yank' the broadcasting licenses of at least one major network due to bias.

Of course, who knows, other things could happen too.

 

[crainbebo]

Whoever has the lowest ratings at 11:35...probably Kimmel! Or, one of either After Midnight or Seth Meyers at 12:35. Television viewership is down big-time and so are the late-night hosts.

 

[radiofan2023]

I watch After Midnight on their Youtube channel.

 

[tall_guy1]

Whoever has the lowest ratings at 11:35...probably Kimmel! Or, one of either After Midnight or Seth Meyers at 12:35. Television viewership is down big-time and so are the late-night hosts.

Fallon has the lowest at that time slot.

 

[Jstnpspck]

🎶It's the most... unhinged thread... of the yeaaaar...🎶

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Which one of the Late Night TV hosts gets cancelled first between Stephen Colbert (CBS), Jimmy Fallon (NBC) or Jimmy Kimmel(ABC)?

None of the above

I wouldn't be surprised if one of those networks just give back the 11:35 pm timeslot to their stations,

Maybe in an alternate universe

reruns of old TV shows would get more viewers than those 3.

🤔 And yet the stations that show reruns rarely if ever top those big three. It’s almost like the data shows this statement is fiction.

 

[CurtisNEPA]

As for the 12:35 timeslot, I’m betting that ABC either moves “Nightline” to their ABC News Live streaming service or gets cancelled altogether and be replaced with another entertainment/variety show similar to what CBS is doing with Stephen Colbert-produced “After Midnight” game show.

Nightline has been around for 45+ years when Ted Koppel was their host, but in recent years has been buried and barely getting any ratings after Kimmel expanded his show to a full hour in par with other late night shows like Colbert and Fallon. The show has totally ran its course.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

As for the 12:35 timeslot, I’m betting that ABC either moves “Nightline” to their ABC News Live streaming service or gets cancelled altogether and be replaced with another entertainment/variety show similar to what CBS is doing with Stephen Colbert-produced “After Midnight” game show.

Nightline has been around for 45+ years when Ted Koppel was their host, but in recent years has been buried and barely getting any ratings after Kimmel expanded his show to a full hour in par with other late night shows like Colbert and Fallon. The show has totally ran its course.

True Nightline is not as important today as it was in the past. Here is a partial explanation ABC News Live puts more emphasis on their show ABC News Live Prime with Lindsey Davis as it's lead anchor. That show probably has more viewers than Nightline has today.

Video ABC News Live Prime: Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Lawyer of accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter says he plans to plead not guilty; what we know about Trump's "border czar" Thomas Homan; Keira Knightley on role in spy thriller series "Black Doves."

abcnews.go.com

 

[EricStein]

My predictions are that we will continue to see budgets cut across TV in 2025, and we'll see major media companies continue to try to distance themselves from their profitable, but slowly becoming less profitable networks. We probably won't see a ton of movement on mergers in that space in 2025, but I expect "SpinCo" (whatever it's called when done) will likely acquire some smaller networks (AMC Networks). We may also see consolidation in streaming providers. I also think we'll see a FAST service shut down or sold due to declining ad revenue.

Those sound like reasonable predictions. I also see Starz as a target of an acquisition and/or become integrated into a larger streamer.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More

Media layoffs have unfortunately become a trend as Hollywood continues to readjust after two strikes and Covid plus the advent of streaming and A.I.

deadline.com

Here are all the media companies that have done the layoffs so far to end 2024 and to start 2025. We mentioned Comcast cutting their Cable Networks except for Local Sports and Bravo as part of the move to protect Peacock app and Tegna layoffs around the nation. Here is more.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Now that Neil Cavuto exits Fox News it will be interesting to see who Fox News hires to take over Cavuto's spot in 2025 as soon as the inauguration takes place. Yes it's all about pleasing the core demos at Fox News and Fox Nation app.

Neil Cavuto, frequent Trump target, exits Fox News after 28 years

The “Your World” anchor had been with the cable network since its inception. The president-elect had often attacked him for his critical coverage.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

With Comcast's announcement (at least in our headend) that DTAs will no longer be offered to new or existing customers effective Jan. 28, 2025, maybe, just maybe 2025 is FINALLY the year that Xfinity could drop any and all "SD feeds" of channels already in HD. (or perhaps anything above LImited Basic and/or 2-99 Legacy channels). And finally go all-HD. I'll make that a prediction.

Also in 2025, can Xfinity please allow X1 boxes to autotune to the 4di National Channel Lineup channels rather than the older 3di HD channel (which is a mess in our headend as it is a former Insight lineup prior to 2008). For example, locally pushing in "2" would autotune to 908 (WICS-HD ABC)--can it instead autotune to NCL channel 1020? Similarly, "3" (WCIA-HD CBS) to 1003 instead of 912; 10 (WAND-HD NBC) to 1017 instead of 906; and 7 (WRSP Fox) to 1055 instead of 910.

 

[mnradiofan]

With Comcast's announcement (at least in our headend) that DTAs will no longer be offered to new or existing customers effective Jan. 28, 2025, maybe, just maybe 2025 is FINALLY the year that Xfinity could drop any and all "SD feeds" of channels already in HD. (or perhaps anything above LImited Basic and/or 2-99 Legacy channels). And finally go all-HD. I'll make that a prediction.

Also in 2025, can Xfinity please allow X1 boxes to autotune to the 4di National Channel Lineup channels rather than the older 3di HD channel (which is a mess in our headend as it is a former Insight lineup prior to 2008). For example, locally pushing in "2" would autotune to 908 (WICS-HD ABC)--can it instead autotune to NCL channel 1020? Similarly, "3" (WCIA-HD CBS) to 1003 instead of 912; 10 (WAND-HD NBC) to 1017 instead of 906; and 7 (WRSP Fox) to 1055 instead of 910.

Could this be the year that Comcast finally goes all IPTV? Probably not. But it'd be nice. (With them ending distribution for Cable Cards, it's only a matter of time before they make the switch to all-IPTV, but I don't think the DTA's support IPTV either).

 

[Don CT]

Could this be the year that Comcast finally goes all IPTV? Probably not. But it'd be nice. (With them ending distribution for Cable Cards, it's only a matter of time before they make the switch to all-IPTV, but I don't think the DTA's support IPTV either).

The head ends would need to fully drop coax to do that. They don’t have the fiber infrastructure yet.

 

[mnradiofan]

The head ends would need to fully drop coax to do that. They don’t have the fiber infrastructure yet.

This confuses me, because Xfinity is ALREADY capable of all-IPTV in most markets. They still simulcast most of the channels (not all) on traditional QAM carriers, but all the X1 boxes are fully capable of IPTV, and they already have several channels ONLY available in IPTV. The "last mile" in most cases is coax, but as I understand it everything up to the last mile is already Fiber?

 

[Don CT]

This confuses me, because Xfinity is ALREADY capable of all-IPTV in most markets. They still simulcast most of the channels (not all) on traditional QAM carriers, but all the X1 boxes are fully capable of IPTV, and they already have several channels ONLY available in IPTV. The "last mile" in most cases is coax, but as I understand it everything up to the last mile is already Fiber?

Coax can only do so much. They need fiber to the home to be able to be able to get symmetric speeds. I want uncompressed video quality. Faster uploads. Until the copper is gone this can’t happen.

 

[Mgomrjsurf]

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