The impending death of Bally Sports

[Shinzaki]

https://arizonasports.com/story/3514084/mlb-preps-take-over-tv-broadcast-bally-facing-financial-hurdles/

[gehringer_2]

It's not so much specific to how the Bally RSN's get replaced in the immediate future, but I still don't see how they make up the revenue that used to come from the cable systems once the audience is reduced just to people who actually watch baseball (or hockey or basketball) games. Maybe I'm overestimating what the cable system fees used to generate, but I'm seeing a pretty big gap between that and what reasonable subscriber fees can replace.

[Sports_Freak]

So would Bally Sports keep broadcasting as a streaming service? With the ability to record or pause games?

Edited March 3, 2023 by Sports_Freak

[Motor City Sonics]

MLB is negotiating directly with You Tube TV?     Nice. 

[casimir]

10 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

MLB is negotiating directly with You Tube TV?     Nice. 

There is one aspect of MLB on YTTV that was benefical.  They were adept at extending games automatically that fell outside of the scheduled broadcast window if the game was delayed by weather and/or the game went into extra innings.

But the way that YTTV just dumped FSD and kept the rates the same was very dissatisfying.  Actually, I wonder if the rates actually increased around that time?  I cannot recall that exactly, but I think that might have been the case.

[gehringer_2]

15 minutes ago, casimir said:

There is one aspect of MLB on YTTV that was benefical.  They were adept at extending games automatically that fell outside of the scheduled broadcast window if the game was delayed by weather and/or the game went into extra innings.

direct TV claims that capability - it's a pretty total failure.

[CMRivdogs]

46 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

MLB is negotiating directly with You Tube TV?     Nice. 

MLBTV was on You Tube TV until recently. They've been squabbling over fees. Hopefully they'll come back with a better package. Maybe one that includes local broadcasts.

[Motor City Sonics]

8 hours ago, CMRivdogs said:

MLBTV was on You Tube TV until recently. They've been squabbling over fees. Hopefully they'll come back with a better package. Maybe one that includes local broadcasts.

IF they're smart the wou...........oh,  nevermind.........Manfred'll fuck it up.  

[chasfh]

On 3/4/2023 at 8:47 AM, gehringer_2 said:

direct TV claims that capability - it's a pretty total failure.

How so?

[gehringer_2]

19 minutes ago, chasfh said:

How so?

Last season I never got a complete baseball game that ran over slot unless I had set the post game to record. Maybe it's something in the way Bally manages the source transmisison that defeats DirectTVs function, but if I didn't set to record the post game, the recording always ended on 'time' despite the 'extend' function supposedly being active. It's cut off Wings games that went to OT as well.

Edited March 5, 2023 by gehringer_2

[Tigeraholic1]

16 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

Last season I never got a complete baseball game that ran over slot unless I had set the post game to record. Maybe it's something in the way Bally manages the source transmisison that defeats DirectTVs function, but if I didn't set to record the post game, the recording always ended on 'time' despite the 'extend' function supposedly being active. It's cut off Wings games that went to OT as well.

I switched to Directv stream recently and they have the "Technology" I guess to record until the end of a live game. If you have a good internet provider I suggest giving it a try. Cheaper and you can have 5 boxes connected to one account no fees and no wires. 

[gehringer_2]

21 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

I switched to Directv stream recently and they have the "Technology" I guess to record until the end of a live game. If you have a good internet provider I suggest giving it a try. Cheaper and you can have 5 box connected to one account no fees and no wires. 

LOL- I DO have DirectTV stream , and my ISP is ATT,  which is still DirectTVs home essentially. The tech just doesn't work on my end! 😢

Otherwise the service does work pretty well. 

Of course if ballgames start ending on time it may be a while before I can test whether it now works this season or not.....

Edited March 6, 2023 by gehringer_2

[Tigeraholic1]

10 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

LOL- I DO have DirectTV stream , and my ISP is ATT,  which is still DirectTVs home essentially. The tech just doesn't work on my end! 😢

Otherwise the service does work pretty well. 

Of course if ballgames start ending on time it may be a while before I can test whether it now works this season or not.....

Oh sorry to hear that. Weird, I had some issues downloading a few apps like MLB. The tech had me factory reset and it searched for firmware updates and what not, might give it a try. Only drawback I don't like is you have to setup apps individually on each box. Putting login info etc...

[RedRamage]

On 3/2/2023 at 11:27 AM, Shinzaki said:

https://arizonasports.com/story/3514084/mlb-preps-take-over-tv-broadcast-bally-facing-financial-hurdles/

Definitely sounds like MLB is gonna try and take over.  Hope they're able to make it work for a reasonable price.

[chasfh]

I just hope the broadcasts don't look like MLB Network broadcasts, complete with MLB Network promotional and gambling odds detritus on the screen.

[RedRamage]

9 minutes ago, chasfh said:

I just hope the broadcasts don't look like MLB Network broadcasts, complete with MLB Network promotional and gambling odds detritus on the screen.

I hate to say it... but I'd be pretty surprised if they didn't.  And as much as I don't like that stuff if it means the price is more reasonable, I'd be willing to put up with it I guess.

[chasfh]

3 hours ago, RedRamage said:

I hate to say it... but I'd be pretty surprised if they didn't.  And as much as I don't like that stuff if it means the price is more reasonable, I'd be willing to put up with it I guess.

Are you thinking they will lower the price of your cable or streaming package if MLB takes over local broadcasts?

[Motor City Sonics]

What I think will eventually happen........maybe not this year, but at some point............is that MLB takes it all over (except for a few healthy regioinal networks) is that MLB will not pay broadcast teams to travel and one of two things will happen.  We'll get the home team's broadcast team (local graphics and promos are easy to overlay).   So when the Tigers are in, lets say, Seattle, we will just be watching the Mariners broadcast team OR they road team's announcers will be in a studio like the teams all did in 2020.    Teams will have to lay off the homerism (a little bit) and broadcast games like they are doing a national game.   That means when the Tigers are in New York, we'll be watching the YES feed.   Gross.      Has Hawk Harrelson retired yet?   I don't think I could handle him.    Maybe some teams will opt to have their radio team do the games.  I would love that.    Jim Price is better than any combination that Bally's currently have.  

[bobrob2004]

22 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

What I think will eventually happen........maybe not this year, but at some point............is that MLB takes it all over (except for a few healthy regioinal networks) is that MLB will not pay broadcast teams to travel and one of two things will happen.  We'll get the home team's broadcast team (local graphics and promos are easy to overlay).   So when the Tigers are in, lets say, Seattle, we will just be watching the Mariners broadcast team OR they road team's announcers will be in a studio like the teams all did in 2020.    Teams will have to lay off the homerism (a little bit) and broadcast games like they are doing a national game.   That means when the Tigers are in New York, we'll be watching the YES feed.   Gross.      Has Hawk Harrelson retired yet?   I don't think I could handle him.    Maybe some teams will opt to have their radio team do the games.  I would love that.    Jim Price is better than any combination that Bally's currently have.  

Not only has Hawk retired, but his replacement, Jason Benetti, is considered one of the best tv announcers right now. https://www.pitcherlist.com/ranking-all-30-mlb-broadcast-booths/

[Motor City Sonics]

1 hour ago, bobrob2004 said:

Not only has Hawk retired, but his replacement, Jason Benetti, is considered one of the best tv announcers right now. https://www.pitcherlist.com/ranking-all-30-mlb-broadcast-booths/

So it's not just us who dislikes our current crew.   

[Biff Mayhem]

I am in the minority but I didn't mind Hawk too much. He announced for a team of black sheep who were the fourth favorite sports franchise in Chicagoland and created a common bond with the fans by being that totally devoted homer. It was fan inclusive because it was "we" and "the good guys". He did a great job with that. 

Plus he was complimentary of players from other teams more often than he got credit for.

 

ETA: it did take me awhile to warm up to this idea but I finally was able to appreciate what he brought and eventually learned to love Ozzie and AJ Pierzynski.

[gehringer_2]

16 minutes ago, Biff Mayhem said:

I am in the minority but I didn't mind Hawk too much. He announced for a team of black sheep who were the fourth favorite sports franchise in Chicagoland and created a common bond with the fans by being that totally devoted homer. It was fan inclusive because it was "we" and "the good guys". He did a great job with that. 

Plus he was complimentary of players from other teams more often than he got credit for.

 

ETA: it did take me awhile to warm up to this idea but I finally was able to appreciate what he brought and eventually learned to love Ozzie and AJ Pierzynski.

If the Sox were losing, Hawk could be fine - there was nothing wrong with his game analysis. The problem was that when they were winning he was insufferable.

Bremer in Minny is good. But when we were living there was before Morneau and I don't remember whoever it was he was working with at the time being that great (maybe Gladden?)

Edited March 7, 2023 by gehringer_2

[chasfh]

13 hours ago, Motor City Sonics said:

What I think will eventually happen........maybe not this year, but at some point............is that MLB takes it all over (except for a few healthy regioinal networks) is that MLB will not pay broadcast teams to travel and one of two things will happen.  We'll get the home team's broadcast team (local graphics and promos are easy to overlay).   So when the Tigers are in, lets say, Seattle, we will just be watching the Mariners broadcast team OR they road team's announcers will be in a studio like the teams all did in 2020.    Teams will have to lay off the homerism (a little bit) and broadcast games like they are doing a national game.   That means when the Tigers are in New York, we'll be watching the YES feed.   Gross.      Has Hawk Harrelson retired yet?   I don't think I could handle him.    Maybe some teams will opt to have their radio team do the games.  I would love that.    Jim Price is better than any combination that Bally's currently have.  

I don’t think they are going to reduce local game broadcasts to only the home feed because viewership from the visiting team market would crater. People want to hear the game called from their team’s perspective, and they also want continuity of personalities they listen to from game to game—not, Tigers are in Kansas City, who’s calling the game now? If Baseball seriously wants to grow its base, limiting broadcasts to only the local team would be one of the worst things they could do.

[Toddwert]

14 minutes ago, chasfh said:

I don’t think they are going to reduce local game broadcasts to only the home feed because viewership from the visiting team market would crater. People want to hear the game called from their team’s perspective, and they also want continuity of personalities they listen to from game to game—not, Tigers are in Kansas City, who’s calling the game now? If Baseball seriously wants to grow its base, limiting broadcasts to only the local team would be one of the worst things they could do.

I think its more likely they do the broadcasts from the station then just do home team broadcast crews

[chasfh]

2 minutes ago, Toddwert said:

I think its more likely they do the broadcasts from the station then just do home team broadcast crews

I don't think that's likely, either. I mean, they can try it, and someone might, but I think it will cost them once viewers realize the broadcasters are just talking from the studio. It will seem very inauthentic. I could see them trying a Mannings-type thing as a secondary feed, but not as the main feed. This isn't Twitch we're talking about.