FOX SPORTS and net streaming...

[Studio20]

at what point does Fox Sports develop an app like WatchESPN? It appears while the cable nets are starting to back off from the FSN monikers, I noticed that WatchESPN streamed a regional Fox College Football game the other night. Whats really strange is that SunSports, instead of producing their in house Florida State football game as they have for eons, aired the ESPN3 net exclusive broadcast....

awkward.

 

[ShawnHill1]

at what point does Fox Sports develop an app like WatchESPN? It appears while the cable nets are starting to back off from the FSN monikers, I noticed that WatchESPN streamed a regional Fox College Football game the other night. Whats really strange is that SunSports, instead of producing their in house Florida State football game as they have for eons, aired the ESPN3 net exclusive broadcast....

awkward.

Even more awkward is some FSN channels carrying ESPN Plus' syndicated package of SEC football games, at least the evening contests.

Since Comcast SportsNet ended their association with Fox Sports Net a few weeks ago, Fox has gone back to using the "FSN" name starting with this weekend's college football coverage. That, of course, corresponded with the re-branding of Fox Sports and its regional networks.

 

[radiojomo]

Since Comcast SportsNet ended their association with Fox Sports Net a few weeks ago, Fox has gone back to using the "FSN" name starting with this weekend's college football coverage. That, of course, corresponded with the re-branding of Fox Sports and its regional networks.

I noticed that the FSN network bugs on the top right had changed this weekend. I actually preferred the clean FS(name of sports team here) presentation in opposition to the Fox Sports logo with the team name underneath, which is what it is now.

I didn't know that CSN was affiliated with FSN.

 

[mgsports]

So no more of Comcast Sports Net Chicago and FSN KC.

 

[ShawnHill1]

So no more of Comcast Sports Net Chicago and FSN KC.

Fox Sports Kansas City is owned by Fox, so everything's fine there; CSN Chicago and its sister networks that carried FSN are pretty much on their own now. Supposedly, in those same markets where FSN isn't available on cable, the games that they produce would be syndicated to over-the-air stations.

 

[mgsports]

But does WGN want to carry all Cubs/White Sox's,Bull/Blackhawks,Sky/Fire Games?

 

[KeithE4]

But does WGN want to carry all Cubs/White Sox's,Bull/Blackhawks,Sky/Fire Games?

I don't think they can, even if they wanted to.

IIRC, league rules prohibit superstations carrying more than a certain number of games. The Blackhawks are only shown on Channel 9 in Chicago, not WGN America, as are some of the Bulls games. The days 140+ Cubs games on WGN-TV are long gone (They've never carried more than 60 Sox games a year since the team returned to WGN in 1990).

The NBA, NHL, and MLB want people to pay $100-120 a year for the online packages if they want to watch out-of-market games. The days of pro sports, other than the NFL, on broadcast TV are coming to an end - in some markets that day is already here.

 

[mgsports]

The who's going to carry the Cubs and White Sox's because they are also on CSN Chicago besides WGN? A Local Station? Chiacgo starting another local Sports Network?

 

[KeithE4]

The who's going to carry the Cubs and White Sox's because they are also on CSN Chicago besides WGN? A Local Station?

AFAIK, there's not going to be any changes in Chicago in the near-term. WGN/WCIU will still get around 60 Cubs and 30 Sox games, with the rest of the non-network games on CSN.

Chiacgo starting another local Sports Network?

??? Why would there be another local sports network? FSN Chicago shut down a few years ago when the teams went in with Comcast. Each team owns a small chunk of that network, plus Tribune still owns 5% of the Cubs.

 

[ShawnHill1]

The who's going to carry the Cubs and White Sox's because they are also on CSN Chicago besides WGN? A Local Station? Chiacgo starting another local Sports Network?

WGN shares the over-the-air rights with Cubs, White Sox, and Bulls games with WCIU; in fact, WGN handles production on all of those all WCIU telecasts. That arrangement has been in place for just over a decade now. The three teams usually have every single game televised locally, whether it be on WGN, WCIU, CSN Chicago, or their respective league's national broadcast partner.

Keith brings up an important point; the days are truly over of seeing your favorite local non-NFL team on broadcast TV, unless they're on one of the Big Four. Chicago (and Dallas-Fort Worth to an extent) remains a rarity among those markets where you could still see a significant number of over-the-air games featuring the local teams. The Yankees and Mets are the only two non-NFL teams in New York City appearing on local over-the-air TV regularly (and those are only weekly telecasts); the local NHL and NBA franchises there rarely, if ever, nowadays appear on a local OTA station unless there's a scheduling conflict, and they'll buy time on one of those stations. The Knicks and (New York) Rangers, usually once or twice a year, would put games on one of the local stations (recent years, it's been WNBC, WWOR, and WPIX); The YES Network would sometimes put late-season Nets games on WWOR if there's a Yankee conflict.

As of this upcoming season, as an example, there are only five NBA teams left that will have an over-the-air broadcast partner (the Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers [KGW], Dallas Mavericks [KXTA], San Antonio Spurs [KENS/KMYS], and Minnesota Timberwolves [WFTC]), and I believe that number is much smaller among the U.S.-based NHL teams (Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks immediately come to mind; please correct me if I'm wrong). That's no counting those last-minute scheduling conflicts where the regional rights holder has to farm out a game or two to one of the local stations.

 

[KeithE4]

The who's going to carry the Cubs and White Sox's because they are also on CSN Chicago besides WGN? A Local Station? Chiacgo starting another local Sports Network?

WGN shares the over-the-air rights with Cubs, White Sox, and Bulls games with WCIU; in fact, WGN handles production on all of those all WCIU telecasts. That arrangement has been in place for just over a decade now. The three teams usually have every single game televised locally, whether it be on WGN, WCIU, CSN Chicago, or their respective league's national broadcast partner.

Keith brings up an important point; the days are truly over of seeing your favorite local non-NFL team on broadcast TV, unless they're on one of the Big Four. Chicago (and Dallas-Fort Worth to an extent) remains a rarity among those markets where you could still see a significant number of over-the-air games featuring the local teams. The Yankees and Mets are the only two non-NFL teams in New York City appearing on local over-the-air TV regularly (and those are only weekly telecasts); the local NHL and NBA franchises there rarely, if ever, nowadays appear on a local OTA station unless there's a scheduling conflict, and they'll buy time on one of those stations. The Knicks and (New York) Rangers, usually once or twice a year, would put games on one of the local stations (recent years, it's been WNBC, WWOR, and WPIX); The YES Network would sometimes put late-season Nets games on WWOR if there's a Yankee conflict.

As of this upcoming season, as an example, there are only five NBA teams left that will have an over-the-air broadcast partner (the Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers [KGW], Dallas Mavericks [KXTA], San Antonio Spurs [KENS/KMYS], and Minnesota Timberwolves [WFTC]), and I believe that number is much smaller among the U.S.-based NHL teams (Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks immediately come to mind; please correct me if I'm wrong). That's no counting those last-minute scheduling conflicts where the regional rights holder has to farm out a game or two to one of the local stations.

There is no more local sports of any kind on broadcast TV in Phoenix, the Cardinals being the exception. All other teams, college and pro, are either on FSN Arizona or the new PAC-12 network that is only available on Cox Cable right now - no contract with DirecTV or Dish yet, last I heard. The Suns were the last holdout, and they moved from KUTP/45 to FSNAZ last season. No logic behind it that I can see since KUTP and FSN are both owned by Fox, and Fox already paid the rights fees. Robert Sarver must be getting more of that per-subscriber money than he could get when the home games were on FSN and the road games were on 45.

 

[mgsports]

Comcast might want to make Sports Net a National Channel then that might make Chicago want to start Chicago Sports TV Land just so their a places for some Cubs/White Sox's Games that wouldn't be shown on TV

New York has 3 Sports Channels YES,SNY and MSG

Bulls are only on some Saturday's on WGN. Theirs no Team on a National Channel 100 percent they are also on a local channel to.

Problem with NFL is they don't allow local Crews to call Games in Season like others do and they should.

Are if you get a National version of like lets say YES or TWC Lakers no Yankees or Lakers Games in your in Miami on those channels and that's not right but if the channel like Sun Sports or FSN Florida has more then one Team on it then I can see.

 

[KeithE4]

Comcast might want to make Sports Net a National Channel then that might make Chicago want to start Chicago Sports TV Land just so their a places for some Cubs/White Sox's Games that wouldn't be shown on TV

They already have one. It's called NBC Sports Network. Comcast runs NBC and owns 51% of it (the other 49% still being owned by General Electric).

New York has 3 Sports Channels YES,SNY and MSG

Owned, at least partially, by the Yankees/Nets, Mets, and Madison Square Garden, respectively. And why do you bring this up when you were talking about Chicago? The Chicago market is about half the size of New York and couldn't support 3 full-time sports cable channels.

Bulls are only on some Saturday's on WGN. Theirs no Team on a National Channel 100 percent they are also on a local channel to.

And your point is? That has already been addressed.

Problem with NFL is they don't allow local Crews to call Games in Season like others do and they should.

All NFL TV broadcasts, other than most preseason games, are controlled by the league. This has been the case for 50 years. The networks own the rights and get to pick the announcers. The individual teams still control non-network radio and preseason TV rights.

Are if you get a National version of like lets say YES or TWC Lakers no Yankees or Lakers Games in your in Miami on those channels and that's not right but if the channel like Sun Sports or FSN Florida has more then one Team on it then I can see.

Uh......what? :

 

[Nate Wesley]

Even more awkward is some FSN channels carrying ESPN Plus' syndicated package of SEC football games, at least the evening contests.

A lot of these are games that FSN had rights to before ESPN inked their billion dollar deal with the SEC; Many are low buzz matchups featuring Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vandy, and Kentucky.

It's an interesting compromise, though: ESPN Plus produces the games with ESPN graphics, but some of the broadcast talent is employed FSN & SportSouth. FSN does maintain its own in-house production of several SEC games that originally aired live on CBS and ESPN; there was an FSN-produced replay of South Carolina at Vandy on SportSouth on Sunday.

 

[ShawnHill1]

There is no more local sports of any kind on broadcast TV in Phoenix, the Cardinals being the exception. All other teams, college and pro, are either on FSN Arizona or the new PAC-12 network that is only available on Cox Cable right now - no contract with DirecTV or Dish yet, last I heard. The Suns were the last holdout, and they moved from KUTP/45 to FSNAZ last season. No logic behind it that I can see since KUTP and FSN are both owned by Fox, and Fox already paid the rights fees. Robert Sarver must be getting more of that per-subscriber money than he could get when the home games were on FSN and the road games were on 45.

It's nearly the same here in Los Angeles; the only team with significant over-the-air coverage is the Dodgers on KCAL (about a 50-game annual package). I guess if you want to count MLS (Chivas USA and Galaxy) and WNBA (Sparks), those teams also have over-the-air games, all on KDOC. The Galaxy and Sparks just signed contracts with Time Warner Cable, to be part of their Lakers networks, but are buying time on KDOC until the networks are up and running by October 1st. Of course, we're aware that the Lakers are cable-only starting next season, and the Angels just went cable-only starting this season after signing their new huge TV contract with Fox (similar to the Lakers-TWC deal, reportedly $3 billion over twenty years; the Texas Rangers also signed a similar deal with Fox at the same time). The L.A. Kings just re-upped with Fox recently, with a $25 million a year TV contract, at least for ten years, and the Clippers are currently locked with Fox until the 2015-16 season.

I want to touch on Studio20's original question regarding a Fox Sports app similar to WatchESPN's...I think it comes right down to rights issues, as it pertains to college sports. I know some of the college conferences have some sort of control as it comes to digital rights (i.e. internet/mobile); Fox has part-ownership of the Big Ten Network, but I think the conference controls its digital rights. The leagues also have a tight grip on their digital rights, although at least the NBA allow streaming of its ESPN/ABC and TNT telecasts online, as does as NHL and NBC.

 

[Danfm]

Comcast might want to make Sports Net a National Channel then that might make Chicago want to start Chicago Sports TV Land just so their a places for some Cubs/White Sox's Games that wouldn't be shown on TV

New York has 3 Sports Channels YES,SNY and MSG.

Technically 4 your forgetting MSG Plus hough now rebranded under the MSG banner it's was previously FSN New York and Before that SportsChannel New York.

 

[mgsports]

Chicago doesn't need another Sports Channel but know if Chicago TV Land wants to start it's own Sports Channel as like lets say a Digital Sub Channel it could.

For example if KSMOTV want to carry Chiefs Game in Season with like lets say Len Dawson and somebody else it should be allowed.

Fox just needs to get of the rid of Regional Sports Networks do like FSN 1 and 2 and Sporting News.

Miami Heat need their own channel with what ever Cable Company is in Miami.

St. Louis needs is own Channel not FSN Midwest so maybe FSN ST. Louis.

 

[ArkyinTN1]

The who's going to carry the Cubs and White Sox's because they are also on CSN Chicago besides WGN? A Local Station? Chiacgo starting another local Sports Network?

The Comcast Sports Nets still exist, but will no longer use programming from FOX Sports Group. It was filler programming around the local contracts the CSNs have and around programming they would receive from NBC Sports Group.

 

[Joe The Dragon]

WGN and WCIU have no room to fit all the CSN stuff.

And if WGN or WCIU where to go way then CSN may have a hard time fitting all the games as they only have 3 feeds CSN , CSN + and CSN + 2 only 2 of them are HD.

Now in the past they have shown Illinois, northern Illinois, Notre Dame and Northwestern Games.


Now CSN Chicago is not run 100% the same as all the other CSN's as the teams own 80% of it.

WGN can start there own RSN and maybe even use CLTV for it but then you may need up to 4-5 feeds to fit it all in.'

Yes the cubs, sox, bulls and hawks can all be playing at the same time and you may even have a college sport needs as well.

 

[mgsports]

Don't forget High School,Minor League,Fire MLS, Sky WNBA and other League Teams to in Chicago.

They can take on Comcast and just call it like in Chicago maybe Chicago Sports Net and if other Cable Systems in Illinios/other States want to add it could.

I would like to see Sports Net Florida on Comcast to complete with BHN Sports Channel or even News and Sportsscan like Weatherscan.