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I'm absolutely willing to admit when I'm wrong, folks. I had my doubts that even Google would be able to pull off something like NFL Sunday Ticket. But at least up until this point, it's gone off without a hitch. But, there's a dark side to success. It's true that NFL Sunday Ticket has worked, but what happens when an organization without Google's money and resources tries it?
For the last 30 years, sports in this country have been propped up by an increasing number of "regional sports networks." You know these channels. They're the ones that carry your local teams — for example MSG and YES in New York. That system worked for a long time, until the mid-2010s when the companies that owned them got greedy. Time Warner Cable (now known as Spectrum) had an exclusive right to air LA Dodgers games. The amount of money they asked was so far out of line that pay-TV companies balked. And once we all took a look at those fees, we realized the whole system was skewed.
What followed was several years of watching the whole thing begin to crumble. That's where we are now. Companies like Bally Sports and Fox Sports are moving quickly to get out of that business. Some cities are taking control of the broadcast end of things, and some teams are doing it for themselves. It's going to take a while before things really shake out.
It's pretty easy to imagine that at least some of these companies are going to abandon traditional broadcasting and move completely to streaming. There's this perception that everyone wants streaming, and I guess that's true. It's certainly cheaper to do streaming-only, but it's not necessarily easier. It takes a really robust content delivery network or things will collapse quickly. It's pretty clear that Google's big enough and strong enough to handle a big surge in traffic, but what about the company that ends up handling Minnesota Twins games?
I'm a little concerned that it's going to make it very hard for these companies to deliver the sports programming that people want. And remember that the big apps like MLB.TV rely on these smaller providers in order to supply that programming. So if the small companies fail, the big companies aren't going to be far behind. if that happens, there's a good chance that we'll all have trouble watching the sports we want.
Right now, most people with pay-TV will get charged about $3 per sports network per month, give or take. That's a tough one if you're in a big city with three sports networks. But it's also pretty small potatoes. At least, it seems like it when you compare it with what you pay for streaming apps like Netflix. What happens when a company like NESN (whose stock and trade is Red Sox games) decides to go streaming-only? How much will they charge each customer? I could see it getting to the point where you pay $15 a month just to watch the sports that used to be included in your cable package.
There's one thing that ties this all together, and it's the comparison between greed and value. For years, companies like Netflix didn't have to worry about greed. People saw the value of them, and you got a good value for the price. The money kept rolling in. And then… it didn't. If we've seen anything this year it's that even the most popular streaming app can claim poverty and try to raise rates by 25% or more. What's worse, we're seeing apps like Max which are simultaneously raising prices and cutting the amount of content that's there.
They want to tell us it's because they're losing money. I don't buy that. I think it's all an accounting trick. I think realistically these companies are actually making money but it's in their best interest to say they aren't. That way they can charge more.
If history is any indication, streaming sports will start out cheap and get ridiculously expensive. Then people will try to find ways around that, and it will all turn into a mess.
And really, all I want to do is watch baseball. I don't want to get into a weird grudge match with a big company? I also don't want them to blame the local internet provider if they aren't able to serve their customers. When I think of the many ways in which this cal all fall apart, it really begins to concern me.
What about you? Do you think I'm just being overly dramatic? Or do I have a point there?
The post STREAMING SATURDAY: What happens if all sports go to streaming? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
It's a very valid question.
For the last 30 years, sports in this country have been propped up by an increasing number of "regional sports networks." You know these channels. They're the ones that carry your local teams — for example MSG and YES in New York. That system worked for a long time, until the mid-2010s when the companies that owned them got greedy. Time Warner Cable (now known as Spectrum) had an exclusive right to air LA Dodgers games. The amount of money they asked was so far out of line that pay-TV companies balked. And once we all took a look at those fees, we realized the whole system was skewed.
What followed was several years of watching the whole thing begin to crumble. That's where we are now. Companies like Bally Sports and Fox Sports are moving quickly to get out of that business. Some cities are taking control of the broadcast end of things, and some teams are doing it for themselves. It's going to take a while before things really shake out.
Where it's all really going
It's pretty easy to imagine that at least some of these companies are going to abandon traditional broadcasting and move completely to streaming. There's this perception that everyone wants streaming, and I guess that's true. It's certainly cheaper to do streaming-only, but it's not necessarily easier. It takes a really robust content delivery network or things will collapse quickly. It's pretty clear that Google's big enough and strong enough to handle a big surge in traffic, but what about the company that ends up handling Minnesota Twins games?
I'm a little concerned that it's going to make it very hard for these companies to deliver the sports programming that people want. And remember that the big apps like MLB.TV rely on these smaller providers in order to supply that programming. So if the small companies fail, the big companies aren't going to be far behind. if that happens, there's a good chance that we'll all have trouble watching the sports we want.
The bigger problem: cost
Right now, most people with pay-TV will get charged about $3 per sports network per month, give or take. That's a tough one if you're in a big city with three sports networks. But it's also pretty small potatoes. At least, it seems like it when you compare it with what you pay for streaming apps like Netflix. What happens when a company like NESN (whose stock and trade is Red Sox games) decides to go streaming-only? How much will they charge each customer? I could see it getting to the point where you pay $15 a month just to watch the sports that used to be included in your cable package.
There's one thing that ties this all together, and it's the comparison between greed and value. For years, companies like Netflix didn't have to worry about greed. People saw the value of them, and you got a good value for the price. The money kept rolling in. And then… it didn't. If we've seen anything this year it's that even the most popular streaming app can claim poverty and try to raise rates by 25% or more. What's worse, we're seeing apps like Max which are simultaneously raising prices and cutting the amount of content that's there.
They want to tell us it's because they're losing money. I don't buy that. I think it's all an accounting trick. I think realistically these companies are actually making money but it's in their best interest to say they aren't. That way they can charge more.
Will this all happen with streaming sports too?
If history is any indication, streaming sports will start out cheap and get ridiculously expensive. Then people will try to find ways around that, and it will all turn into a mess.
And really, all I want to do is watch baseball. I don't want to get into a weird grudge match with a big company? I also don't want them to blame the local internet provider if they aren't able to serve their customers. When I think of the many ways in which this cal all fall apart, it really begins to concern me.
What about you? Do you think I'm just being overly dramatic? Or do I have a point there?
The post STREAMING SATURDAY: What happens if all sports go to streaming? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
3 Replies
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453 views
Supporting Founder
Lifetime Supporter
Thanks to Fitch Ratings ( who gives the ratings on Credit and debt, as approved by the SEC, so they have accurate numbers) we have the totals.
DIRECTV's video subscriber base is the third-largest traditional multi-channel video programming distributor (MVPD) in the U.S. with about 8.2 million subscribers at the end of 1Q26.
The last time it was reported, it was 8.8M at the end of 2Q25, so only a 600,000 loss for 3 quarters, which is a major improvement, since for many years before that, it was losing 500,000 a quarter, 2 Million a year.
It is now losing less than Dish/Sling combined, I believe the Genre Packs are helping to retain and get subscribers.
DIRECTV's video subscriber base is the third-largest traditional multi-channel video programming distributor (MVPD) in the U.S. with about 8.2 million subscribers at the end of 1Q26.
The last time it was reported, it was 8.8M at the end of 2Q25, so only a 600,000 loss for 3 quarters, which is a major improvement, since for many years before that, it was losing 500,000 a quarter, 2 Million a year.
It is now losing less than Dish/Sling combined, I believe the Genre Packs are helping to retain and get subscribers.
6 Replies
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354 views
Recently came back to DirectTV Satellite service and have two boxes, Gemini and a main HR54.
DirecTV is charging me two "TV access fees" of $10 each, but can only watch TV on the one without the server. Is there anything I can do to fix this?
DirecTV is charging me two "TV access fees" of $10 each, but can only watch TV on the one without the server. Is there anything I can do to fix this?
24 Replies
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940 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
67110 Replies
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2662369 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
I feel like this was discussed in another thread, but I can't find it. I have T-Mobile and my last iPhone upgrade was in 2020. I want to get a new iPhone, but what is the best way to go about doing it? Should I order the iPhone from T-Mobile directly, or should I buy from the Apple Store? I feel like there are pros/cons to each option.
2 Replies
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33 views
I have a Hopper with Sling. (Don't know exact model.) A couple nights ago, I went into the DVR screen, and noted that it was recording three programs. Yet I was able to view live TV (that was not one of the channels being recorded.) Did something change? In the past, it would only let me watch one of the channels being recorded, or any recording in the DVR menu. Maybe it was streaming, although there was no indication of that?
Apologies if this has been covered; I searched and didn't find anything.
Thanks.
Apologies if this has been covered; I searched and didn't find anything.
Thanks.
9 Replies
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353 views
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YJjxjYvmQ8s
Direct YouTube Link - Good Bye, Tim! Last WWDC
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YJjxjYvmQ8s
Direct YouTube Link - Good Bye, Tim! Last WWDC
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
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10 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Cutting Edge
WANTED DirecTV LCC
Anyone have a DirecTV Local Channel Connector that you'd like to get rid of at a reasonable price? DirecTV is currently in a contract dispute with owner of my local ABC affiliate.
12 Replies
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302 views
I did that. The response was that the LCC is not available. Escalated the issue to a tech support person with the same results.
Could be out of them I guess ... I'd keep trying, every 3-4 days.I did that. The response was that the LCC is not available. Escalated the issue to a tech support person with the same results.
If they are not out of them as them WHY you can't get one, seeing Your in a Dispute. Thats what they are for.
I would make them give you a real answer, don't let them off the hook.
I had one, and it worked well, but I believe I gave it to another D* friend (also had a AM21), I know I gave them away ...
According to the tech support guy, they don't have any in stock. He said I should receive an email when and if they have them. I even told him I would accept a refurbished unit.
I'm not sure your going to find any Refurbished ones as D* doesn't ask for them back.According to the tech support guy, they don't have any in stock. He said I should receive an email when and if they have them. I even told him I would accept a refurbished unit.
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Did anyone have a price increase today on their equipment? I own my VIP211k's, and they have been $5.00. My bill that I received last week shows the "add-ons" as being $5.00. However, I just logged into my Dish account, and my "add-ons" are now $10.00. Did the additional receivers go up by $5.00 recently?
As I mentioned, my last bill shows $5.00 and under the notes, nothing is mentioned about a price increase.
As I mentioned, my last bill shows $5.00 and under the notes, nothing is mentioned about a price increase.
11 Replies
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200 views
Hello everyone, new guy here. I'm trying to solve problem I'm having with Dish bonus view channels. When I'm watching the bonus view channels then I switch back to regular dish channels, after few minutes the screen flips to black and after 30 seconds flips back to regular channels and continues to flip back and forth until I turn off TV. After I wait 30 minutes and turn back on , I can use regular channels again. So, its after I switch from bonus view channels to regular dish channels the problem starts. Been trying to fix this for a month, but no luck
Here what I've done.
i contacted Dish support and they sent me a new Joey3, but no help. Switched to a different HDMI input on TV, no help. Used different HDMI cable , no help. Used different electrical wall plug, no help.
Finally got a Dish tech to check it. He ran all systems check and was OK. Finally he brought in a small TV and plugged in the HDMI out from the Joey to the small TV. He could not get the problem to occur on his small TV, so the new Joey was working OK. So, then the problem must be myTV. He made some phone calls and came back with the answer that there must be a problem with the analog to digital switch in my TV. Has anyone ever heard of a problem like this, or is it time to be looking for a new TV? My tv LG OLED65C8PUA. TV has been trouble free til now. Thanks
Here what I've done.
i contacted Dish support and they sent me a new Joey3, but no help. Switched to a different HDMI input on TV, no help. Used different HDMI cable , no help. Used different electrical wall plug, no help.
Finally got a Dish tech to check it. He ran all systems check and was OK. Finally he brought in a small TV and plugged in the HDMI out from the Joey to the small TV. He could not get the problem to occur on his small TV, so the new Joey was working OK. So, then the problem must be myTV. He made some phone calls and came back with the answer that there must be a problem with the analog to digital switch in my TV. Has anyone ever heard of a problem like this, or is it time to be looking for a new TV? My tv LG OLED65C8PUA. TV has been trouble free til now. Thanks
6 Replies
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103 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, premieres on HBO Max on 8/21. I will be warching
www.syfy.com
View: https://youtu.be/fNwwt25mheo
S~
'Game of Thrones' spinoff 'House of the Dragon' fires up release date at HBO, drops new character pics
The wait’s felt a little like watching for a dragon egg to hatch, but HBO’s hugely anticipated Game of Thrones prequel series finally has a release date. House of the Dragon will debut the first of its initial 10-episode season this summer, the network revealed today in a series of tweets that...
View: https://youtu.be/fNwwt25mheo
S~
39 Replies
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5647 views
