Free streaming is not OTA. And if free streaming is to happen, it'll be handled through the Commissioner's Office, not the teams.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Bally RSN owner Sinclair looking at bankruptcy
- Thread starter Ccook55
- Start date
My point is that there is little to no chance that the D-Backs will get anything close to a deal they had with Bally’s in such a short period of time, and no one is going to be able to wave a magic wand and create a replacement RSN out of thin air (let alone secure carriage contracts with the cable providers). Their options for this season are extremely limited and OTA is likely the only plausible one.
Maybe MLB is purely lucky and Apple+ or Amazon decide to shovel money in front of the teams and they create subscription streamers that are pure loss leaders with no chance at a profit now or ever, but that wouldn’t be possible until 2024 at the earliest.
Why would OTA broadcasting be set up more quickly than cable broadcasting or subscription-based streaming?
IMO, the premise doesn't make any sense.
Gray's merger with Raycom in 2019 included Raycom Sports but that was before ESPN took over the ACC Network name as part of their new contract.Here's an article concerning the Diamondbacks. Nowhere is OTA broadcasting mentioned, nor will it likely ever happen again, at least not in Phoenix.
Despite Gray setting up a sports channel (albeit one with a very small signal), the D'backs left OTA in 2007 (English) and 2008 (Spanish). The current ownership has had zero desire to offer their product for free. I'll be absolutely shocked if Gray, or Scripps for that matter, get OTA rights for the D'backs or Suns, and only a slim possible chance for the Coyotes.
MLB could offer free streaming if it takes TV rights from Bally Sports
MLB will aim for fans to stream games for free if Diamond Sports Group, which operates Bally Sports TV stations, loses its rights.arizonasports.com
Astros and Rockets negotiating to buy AT&T Sportsnet Southwest's Houston operation: Astros, Rockets negotiating to own local RSN
This article supposedly paywalled, but it came up for me: Astros, Rockets negotiating to take over AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Back to the future, as both teams were behind the failed Comcast SportsNet Houston, which only lasted a couple of years (2012-14) and was plagued by carriage problems brought on by stubborn and arrogant management: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT&T_SportsNet_Southwest
This article supposedly paywalled, but it came up for me: Astros, Rockets negotiating to take over AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Back to the future, as both teams were behind the failed Comcast SportsNet Houston, which only lasted a couple of years (2012-14) and was plagued by carriage problems brought on by stubborn and arrogant management: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT&T_SportsNet_Southwest
If the teams take over production of the game broadcasts, all they need is an outlet to broadcast off of. OTA doesn’t have to do much of anything, it’s there, and there’s already guaranteed cable penetration. As a Band-Aid solution for this season, it’s really that simple.
I’d like to know where this magic wand is that will have these teams be able to have either a subscription streaming platform or replacement RSNs set up with fully-negotiated contracts with cable providers in a matter of weeks. THAT premise is nonsensical.
Last edited:
The "RSN" that takes over for Bally will be Major League Baseball itself. The streaming infrastructure already exists, and has for many years. It's called MLB.TV, and every single game is streamed over it. The only changes that would have to be made are allowing, either separately or as a part of MLB.TV, the home market games to be unblocked. I would think that would be a fairly trivial matter for the IT Nerds to do.
As far as getting the feed from the ballpark to the streaming servers, it depends on who owns the cameras, trucks, pre/postgame studio facilities, and employment/union contracts of all personnel from the announcers in the booth/on the sidelines to the lowest-level truck technicians. If all that is currently owned by the Bally RSNs, I would think that those would be sold to another party, or temporarily to MLB itself, in Bankruptcy Court. The biggest problem is timing, and maybe a few games will be missed (read: on radio only) until the legal dust settles.
You have correctly identified the problem with OTA. The number of outlets is highly limited, and they all have existing programming commitments.
MLB runs a subscription service for distributing their product out of market, and has for almost 15 years. All they have to do is open that up to people in the Phoenix area (and other affected markets)
If they want to, that is. I have no evidence that is the route they would prefer to take. It might set a bad precedent to charge that little for baseball.
That doesn’t make sense. Bally’s Sports Great Lakes will effectively shut down once the Guardians contract is voided. Therefore, there will be no outlet, no RSN, no nothing. The team has to start from scratch with a bunch of parts and scraps.
I would bet you good money that WUAB, if it came down to it, would end their CW affiliation if it meant they could snatch up the Guardians and Cavaliers (especially as the CW is now going to be used to peddle low-cost, low-rated product). Gray would be bidding against themselves as no other plausible option exists for the Guardians this season.
MLB, at least for this season, will probably be the streaming service for Guardians games. It all depends on who buys the cameras-to-streaming server infrastructure in bankruptcy. Maybe (for example) WUAB will buy all that equipment and the contracts of the employees that run it. That's still no guarantee that the games will be broadcast over the air. They'll air only if the station can make money from the OTA broadcast. Baseball on broadcast TV has been failing for decades, with only a few markets being exceptions, such as New York, Chicago, and Boston. Even in those three, it eventually failed.
Mgomrjsurf
Banned
Bankruptcy. MLB Extra Innings on all providers. More Live Games on ESPN same with MLB Network with its own crews. NESN/Roger's Sportsnet and so on not effected. Bally Sports KC also shows OKC Thunder and St. Blues.
Sounds like Ballys will still have the games
MLB has pledged to produce its own broadcasts, using MLB Network and the MLB.TV app to show each team’s games, if needed, but Diamond indicates that won’t be neccessary.
“DSG will continue broadcasting games and connecting fans across the country with the sports and teams they love,” Preschlack said. “With the support of our creditors, we expect to execute a prompt and efficient reorganization and to emerge from the restructuring process as a stronger company.”
MLB has pledged to produce its own broadcasts, using MLB Network and the MLB.TV app to show each team’s games, if needed, but Diamond indicates that won’t be neccessary.
“DSG will continue broadcasting games and connecting fans across the country with the sports and teams they love,” Preschlack said. “With the support of our creditors, we expect to execute a prompt and efficient reorganization and to emerge from the restructuring process as a stronger company.”
"I did not take steroids." -- Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, and many others.
"I did not bet on baseball." -- Pete Rose
"Women? What other women?" -- Tiger Woods
In bankruptcy, any and all assets can be bid upon. Even the husk of Bally Sports Great Lakes.
There is a non-zero chance that the MLB clubs (or coalitions of MLB clubs with other relevant pro sports teams) will bid on any RSNs that would otherwise be sent out of business, in order to buy back their own rights and re-bid in a way they think will be beneficial.
ESPN is not involved in this, at least not yet. As for the rest of your post: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over. 🤔
🤯😵
The Penguins are said to be bailing out AT&T SportsNet in Pittsburgh (of course, that team has the same ownership interests tied to Fenway and NESN). It’s a best-case scenario as the Nuttings couldn’t afford that RSN on their own and can at least have the Pirates piggyback off of what the Penguins do.
It is NOT a guarantee this will happen anywhere else.
An RSN that has cancelled all its programming is worth very little. If you're a sports billionaire, you can definitely afford it.
The New York Times (The Athletic) article suggests that a number of MLB team games will appear on both linear tv and streaming.
“The RSN needs to be reinvented,” said sports media consultant Lee Berke. “And that means offering up their content on a range of screens at revamped pricing. You’re going to have games available on free broadcast TV games, available on streaming, you’re going to revamp your economics. Right now, your economics are based upon essentially exclusivity or near exclusivity for these games, on the traditional cable pay TV bundle.”
“The RSN needs to be reinvented,” said sports media consultant Lee Berke. “And that means offering up their content on a range of screens at revamped pricing. You’re going to have games available on free broadcast TV games, available on streaming, you’re going to revamp your economics. Right now, your economics are based upon essentially exclusivity or near exclusivity for these games, on the traditional cable pay TV bundle.”
It will be a real disappointment if the Diamond spokesman turns out to be speaking truth and the Bally teams' current season continues to its conclusion with no interruption, won't it?
- Status