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Notre Dame home opener -- Peacock Premium only


No TV, OTA or cable, for Notre Dame's home opener vs. Toledo this fall. NBC has moved it to Peacock, and put it on the Premium tier, meaning anyone who wants to watch it will have to purchase a paid subscription. In all probability, this game will be a blowout, but it does raise questions about the future.
 
NBCU is trying to make Peacock a thing, and the American consumer just isn't having it. About 2/3 of people who have created Peacock accounts don't use them regularly, according to commentary from NBCU in the LA Times last month, and fewer than 10% have the paid accounts that would be able to access this ND game. NBCUniversal is banking on a big Olympics boost for Peacock. Will they get it?

Nielsen data says ND games on NBC have historically drawn about 2.5 million viewers for day games and more in prime time. But, since this will essentially be a pay-per-view event, I guess a much smaller number would be satisfactory to NBCU.
 
Get used to it. Traditional ratings are dropping, and costs for games are rising. As I was once told, "Your business model is not my problem." So it's up to these media companies to find new ways to pay for these kinds of things. Subscription TV is the hot new thing. I would venture that Notre Dame has approved this move, and the game will likely be available for free in South Bend.
 
I would venture that Notre Dame has approved this move, and the game will likely be available for free in South Bend.
nope
It will not air here on WNDU, or nationally on NBC.

This marks the first time a Fighting Irish game will be available to watch exclusively on a streaming service.
 
NBCU is trying to make Peacock a thing, and the American consumer just isn't having it. About 2/3 of people who have created Peacock accounts don't use them regularly, according to commentary from NBCU in the LA Times last month, and fewer than 10% have the paid accounts that would be able to access this ND game. NBCUniversal is banking on a big Olympics boost for Peacock. Will they get it?

Nielsen data says ND games on NBC have historically drawn about 2.5 million viewers for day games and more in prime time. But, since this will essentially be a pay-per-view event, I guess a much smaller number would be satisfactory to NBCU.
True I know NBC has been making some Olympic events via a direct IOC feed seen on Peacock like Boxing, Field Hockey, Handball and some select Basketball events be seen on Peacock and make it a destination. It would be interesting what the viewer size would be on Peacock after the Olympics are over. I knew NBC Sports Net was supposed to shut down as part of the move to boost attention to Peacock though.
 
I knew NBC Sports Net was supposed to shut down as part of the move to boost attention to Peacock though.

That shutdown is still in NBCU's plans at year's end, AFAIK. NBC lost its NHL rights to ESPN and TNT, so that's one problem solved, and Premier League soccer will now go to over-the-air NBC (on Saturday and/or Sunday mornings) and Peacock.
 
Get used to this. Pay services for sports are expected to greatly increase in coming years. Coming to a screen near you soon.
 
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True I know NBC has been making some Olympic events via a direct IOC feed seen on Peacock like Boxing, Field Hockey, Handball and some select Basketball events be seen on Peacock and make it a destination. It would be interesting what the viewer size would be on Peacock after the Olympics are over. I knew NBC Sports Net was supposed to shut down as part of the move to boost attention to Peacock though.
The Olympic games were/are available (along with on-demand replays of most all the events and matches) on Peacock Plus, which is one of their paid subscription tiers. However, if you have Comcast cable, you get that tier of Peacock programming for free. Anyone else could get a 'free trial' to the Peacock Plus tier which would give them access to that service throughout the entire course of the Olymics at no cost. My guess is that many of the free trial viewers who were onboard just for the Olympics will then let their subscriptions lapse.
 
Get used to this. Pay services for sports are expected to greatly increase in coming years. Coming to a screen near you soon.
Even if the ND game is only available on Peacock's premium tier, the cost is $5/month which is the same or less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks. The issue comes in when, as more and more networks and channels move their online programming to paid subscription services, and all the cord cutters who could at one time get access to tons of movies, shows, major sporting events and past seasons for free, now need to start paying for various subscription services like Hulu+, Discovery+, Peacock, Disney+, Apple, Amazon, Netfix, ESPN, Paramount+ and the list goes on. It's no longer as attractive to 'cord cut' if you now need to pay for a handful or more of those streaming services to get what you once could grab for free.

The other group to think about is all the bars and restaurants who once attracted patrons by showing games on their large screens. Some of them will now need to think about different technologies and delivery methods other than just subscribing to cable or Dish. Also, busineses like bars and restaurants couldn't get just a simple and basic cable or satellite subscription to show events and programming in a public venue like theirs - it was much more expensive than your home subscription, for instance. What about streaming in those types of businesses? What rules apply and what are the costs involved? Perhaps someone on this site my know?
 
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It's no longer as attractive to 'cord cut' if you now need to pay for a handful or more of those streaming services to get what you once could grab for free.

Exactly. The advantage to cable is it's one bill to pay, one provider to deal with, as opposed to dozens.

It's not just the $5 a month. It's all the personal information you give up to yet another company that has the potential to get hacked and allow your numbers to be seen and used by criminals. It's more user names and passwords to remember. It's another newsletter to receive. On and on.
 
Or......viewers like me might just figure it makes more sense to take the boat to the lake or the tent to the woods rather than spend Saturday afternoons on the couch watching college football. I realized several years ago I watch a lot fewer games each season and have become much more selective on the games I still watch. It isn't a case of money for me, I can easily afford the subscription costs, I just don't care any longer- especially those conferences who have but one or two dominate teams.

In fact, I spend a LOT less time watching anything on TV now days. IMHO most of it is just junk programming. Most of what interests me is available online and not broadcast TV (or radio for that matter).
 
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Get used to it. Traditional ratings are dropping, and costs for games are rising. As I was once told, "Your business model is not my problem." So it's up to these media companies to find new ways to pay for these kinds of things. Subscription TV is the hot new thing. I would venture that Notre Dame has approved this move, and the game will likely be available for free in South Bend.
This is a problem of the networks over paying for a product they can't afford.
 
This is a problem of the networks over paying for a product they can't afford.

Nobody can afford it. That's what happens when you pay athletes $20 million or more a year. For years, non sports fans subsidized sports on ESPN because of cable fees. Now that's drying up. So the next frontier is subscription channels. So that puts the ball in the court of the sports fans. How much is too much if you're a fan of a certain team? It's not the network's problem any more. It's not YOUR problem.
 
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