DIRECTV unlikely to keep NFL Sunday Ticket

[cosmo_kramer]

I hear they quadrupled ESPNs hot dog eating contest too

What an idiotic post. You’ve really outdone yourself Juan.

 

[Juan]

What an idiotic post. You’ve really outdone yourself Juan.

How many watched Joey Chestnut gobble hot dogs and headlock a guy? Sports on TV

The July 4 tradition was back at its usual venue and saw another Joey Chestnut win. Plus, more TV notes from around sports.

theathletic.com

 

[Ronnie-]

The games haven’t been the best, but the more I watch these prime video football feeds the more I like them.

I hope the traditional providers are taking notice.

 

[glrush]

NFL Sunday Ticket still up for grabs as Apple pushes for flexibility with game rights

Apple's negotiations for Sunday Ticket have gotten complicated because of existing restrictions around the package, sources say.

www.cnbc.com

 

[SamCdbs]

- When you are getting 60% ish of what the previous delivery method got, that is bad. That the NFL beats MLB, or hot dog eating, is not a newsflash. That 2 out of 5 people who watched last year, either do not, or cannot, watch this year, that is the issue. Especially considering that the purpose of this package is not to make money in the traditional TV sense, but to drive people who did not have Prime to get Prime. That doesn’t seem to be happening.

- The MSNBC article is interesting, if you know how to read behind the lines. The NFL has a deal with Fox and CBS. ST is to be a niche package, something like $300/year, and simply be a pass-through of the network content. Apple is now balking at the amount of money it would lose and is trying to think outside the box with different packages, delivery methods and such. Which would require the NFL to go back to the networks. It also wants international rights, which are over-rated by a factor of 1000.

Which is unlikely. It looks like Amazon will be the “winner” and get to lose money on this deal.

 

[Jimbo]

And, as expected, nowhere in that response did he say he has Prime only for streaming.

Can't we all just get along for a change and quit with the "I know better attitude", that seems to be going on around here for quite awhile now ....

So tired of it that I am not getting into threads much anymore, except with those that want to talk the subject at hand with.

 

[Jimbo]

NFL Sunday Ticket still up for grabs as Apple pushes for flexibility with game rights

Apple's negotiations for Sunday Ticket have gotten complicated because of existing restrictions around the package, sources say.

www.cnbc.com

I like the last paragraph :

The satellite provider would be interested in maintaining its commercial agreement to carry games in bars and restaurants or act as a pass-through for the Sunday Ticket winner, where existing DirecTV customers could continue to get the package through its pay-TV service, CNBC reported in June.

This would be nice !

 

[Yespage]

NFL Sunday Ticket still up for grabs as Apple pushes for flexibility with game rights

Apple's negotiations for Sunday Ticket have gotten complicated because of existing restrictions around the package, sources say.

www.cnbc.com

Interesting article. Kind of reads like there is one bidder at this point.

The league is also looking for a company to purchase a minority stake in NFL Media, which includes linear cable networks RedZone and NFL Network, as well as NFL.com. The NFL has been packing the minority stake with Sunday Ticket, though it could decide to sell each separately, Goodell said.

I'm not certain whether that is to entice higher bid value... or the NFL is forcing the absorption of additional content to lead to a higher bid value.

So much of this thread has been whining about linear v streaming, but I think the underlying issue is the price and the restrictions imposed on the buyer despite that price. I think it'd be funny if Apple pulls back and Amazon decides to "no thank you" as well... leaving the NFL with only AOL and their 56 Kbps streams.

Sports killed linear TV. And it appears that even the largest corps are saying 'enough is enough' on the inflated bids.

 

[SamCdbs]

I like the last paragraph :

The satellite provider would be interested in maintaining its commercial agreement to carry games in bars and restaurants or act as a pass-through for the Sunday Ticket winner, where existing DirecTV customers could continue to get the package through its pay-TV service, CNBC reported in June.

This would be nice !

Yep. The only real winner in all of this seems to be DirecTV. As with TNF, Amazon is going to need it to serve the commercial side. Adding in “grandfathered” home customers would just be a grand slam. DirecTV sheds other costs and keeps what makes it the only choice for commercial customers, probably for little or nothing. Keeping a home side would be just a master stroke.

 

[Jimbo]

Interesting article. Kind of reads like there is one bidder at this point.
I'm not certain whether that is to entice higher bid value... or the NFL is forcing the absorption of additional content to lead to a higher bid value.

So much of this thread has been whining about linear v streaming, but I think the underlying issue is the price and the restrictions imposed on the buyer despite that price. I think it'd be funny if Apple pulls back and Amazon decides to "no thank you" as well... leaving the NFL with only AOL and their 56 Kbps streams.

Sports killed linear TV. And it appears that even the largest corps are saying 'enough is enough' on the inflated bids.

But ... but, but, what would the POOR NFL do then ????

 

[Bruce]

I like the last paragraph :

The satellite provider would be interested in maintaining its commercial agreement to carry games in bars and restaurants or act as a pass-through for the Sunday Ticket winner, where existing DirecTV customers could continue to get the package through its pay-TV service, CNBC reported in June.

This would be nice !

Yep. The only real winner in all of this seems to be DirecTV. As with TNF, Amazon is going to need it to serve the commercial side. Adding in “grandfathered” home customers would just be a grand slam. DirecTV sheds other costs and keeps what makes it the only choice for commercial customers, probably for little or nothing. Keeping a home side would be just a master stroke.

Read that CNBC article that it referenced, it was very one sided based on what DirecTV wishes to do, not what Apple/Amazon/whoever wants to do.

I do not doubt the business part since they are just not ready for the switch over to internet only.

 

[Juan]

Read that CNBC article that it referenced, it was very one sided based on what DirecTV wishes to do, not what Apple/Amazon/whoever wants to do.

I do not doubt the business part since they are just not ready for the switch over to internet only.

NFL is not soccer

 

[Yespage]

But ... but, but, what would the POOR NFL do then ????

Well they are a non-profit... so it could be devastating.

 

[NashGuy]

Read that CNBC article that it referenced, it was very one sided based on what DirecTV wishes to do, not what Apple/Amazon/whoever wants to do.

I do not doubt the business part since they are just not ready for the switch over to internet only.

Yup. I have a hard time seeing Apple strike a sublicensing deal with DTV to let them provide ST to their residential sat subs. If Apple takes ST, they're going to want it to be as Apple-branded as possible in the minds of consumer, so I suspect that they'd be willing to forego the modest incremental revenue they could get via residential sat distribution in addition to broadband distribution directly from Apple.

Now, sports bars are another story, as Amazon has already shown us with TNF. That's more money and it's B2B rather than B2C.

 

[Bilbo1]

- The MSNBC article is interesting, if you know how to read behind the lines. The NFL has a deal with Fox and CBS. ST is to be a niche package, something like $300/year, and simply be a pass-through of the network content. Apple is now balking at the amount of money it would lose and is trying to think outside the box with different packages, delivery methods and such. Which would require the NFL to go back to the networks. It also wants international rights, which are over-rated by a factor of 1000.

Apple wants the deal it got with MLS. In that deal, they got global rights to all the content that MLS can provide. The NFL is that on steroids.

The unanswered question in the MLS deal is local rights and production of the game video feed. Last week, local MLS broadcast crews were saying their goodbyes as none have been renewed, and there are no contracts in place for local broadcasts of regular season games. The only thing anyone out in the public knows is that MLS is on the hook to provide the game fees to Apple for distribution. That should mean local cameras and producers. Current rumor is that MLS plans to have commentators in a studio in south Florida, which will probably only work out well for Ray Hudson.

My thoughts/observations on this…
1. I worry about the long term viability of the broadcast network/local affiliate model. With DVRs and associated streaming providers, the model moves to more on-demand. What is the role of the local affiliate in that world? This can’t be lost on NFL ownership. What does the future of traditional OTA broadcast network TV look like, and how fast does it come?

2. There is a large overlap between MLS and NFL ownership.

3. With the Apple deal, MLS makes a great testing ground for the future of sports broadcasting. There is little legacy contracts in place. They can build and test concepts and see what works. A big question is driving interest in the league. Soccer is quite popular in the US, most most of that popularity is European leagues. Can MLS/Apple drive interest in the local league? What happens here will be reflected in future NFL broadcasts.

4. Sunday Ticket and DirecTV partnership was the result of viewing habits, technology, and marketing needs aligning in a way that benefited everyone. Those factors are changing. Relevance of the old ST model is waning as the industry is changing.

5. What is the future of RSNs? We know sports are popular TV content. We know people who watch sports are willing to pay to do so. We also know people that don’t don’t like that sports are a major cost in traditional cable packages. What happens if (probably more like when) an RSN group decides to declare bankruptcy? What happens to the local rights? Is it bought up by Disney/ESPN, Apple, Amazon?

6. What is the future of national sports broadcasts? Is it what comes out of the a Apple/MLS deal with regard to a single global place to stream all games? Do home teams producing video feeds of the games that are commented on by a league-provided studio?

7. This issue isn’t just limited to sports, but sports are probably the most visible part as they are bigger money than the basic and expanded cable networks. What is happening to ESPN/Disney will eventually happen to Discovery, A&E, etc.

8. What happens to MVPDs as this world changes? Do they simply fade away as direct-to-consumer over-the-top streaming services take over?

Much here is yet to happen. The only thing I’m certain of is that the current environment is under a great deal of stress. All I know is I see changes in my viewing habits. Instead of watching prime time OTA networks every night, we are streaming shows like She Hulk, Andor, the current Star Trek show… soon it will be His Dark Materials.

Sports have been/are going to drive a lot of the change, but the NFL is stuck with the legacy style broadcast deals it just started. That’s going to limit their ability to innovate.

 

[Juan]

Yup. I have a hard time seeing Apple strike a sublicensing deal with DTV to let them provide ST to their residential sat subs. If Apple takes ST, they're going to want it to be as Apple-branded as possible in the minds of consumer, so I suspect that they'd be willing to forego the modest incremental revenue they could get via residential sat distribution in addition to broadband distribution directly from Apple.

Now, sports bars are another story, as Amazon has already shown us with TNF. That's more money and it's B2B rather than B2C.

But they need NFL fans to subscribe...and directv can reach more of them than just internet..you know restaraunts and rural folks ..they need a hybrid model

 

[Juan]

Apple wants the deal it got with MLS. In that deal, they got global rights to all the content that MLS can provide. The NFL is that on steroids.

The unanswered question in the MLS deal is local rights and production of the game video feed. Last week, local MLS broadcast crews were saying their goodbyes as none have been renewed, and there are no contracts in place for local broadcasts of regular season games. The only thing anyone out in the public knows is that MLS is on the hook to provide the game fees to Apple for distribution. That should mean local cameras and producers. Current rumor is that MLS plans to have commentators in a studio in south Florida, which will probably only work out well for Ray Hudson.

My thoughts/observations on this…
1. I worry about the long term viability of the broadcast network/local affiliate model. With DVRs and associated streaming providers, the model moves to more on-demand. What is the role of the local affiliate in that world? This can’t be lost on NFL ownership. What does the future of traditional OTA broadcast network TV look like, and how fast does it come?

2. There is a large overlap between MLS and NFL ownership.

3. With the Apple deal, MLS makes a great testing ground for the future of sports broadcasting. There is little legacy contracts in place. They can build and test concepts and see what works. A big question is driving interest in the league. Soccer is quite popular in the US, most most of that popularity is European leagues. Can MLS/Apple drive interest in the local league? What happens here will be reflected in future NFL broadcasts.

4. Sunday Ticket and DirecTV partnership was the result of viewing habits, technology, and marketing needs aligning in a way that benefited everyone. Those factors are changing. Relevance of the old ST model is waning as the industry is changing.

5. What is the future of RSNs? We know sports are popular TV content. We know people who watch sports are willing to pay to do so. We also know people that don’t don’t like that sports are a major cost in traditional cable packages. What happens if (probably more like when) an RSN group decides to declare bankruptcy? What happens to the local rights? Is it bought up by Disney/ESPN, Apple, Amazon?

6. What is the future of national sports broadcasts? Is it what comes out of the a Apple/MLS deal with regard to a single global place to stream all games? Do home teams producing video feeds of the games that are commented on by a league-provided studio?

7. This issue isn’t just limited to sports, but sports are probably the most visible part as they are bigger money than the basic and expanded cable networks. What is happening to ESPN/Disney will eventually happen to Discovery, A&E, etc.

8. What happens to MVPDs as this world changes? Do they simply fade away as direct-to-consumer over-the-top streaming services take over?

Much here is yet to happen. The only thing I’m certain of is that the current environment is under a great deal of stress. All I know is I see changes in my viewing habits. Instead of watching prime time OTA networks every night, we are streaming shows like She Hulk, Andor, the current Star Trek show… soon it will be His Dark Materials.

Sports have been/are going to drive a lot of the change, but the NFL is stuck with the legacy style broadcast deals it just started. That’s going to limit their ability to innovate.

The current system works fine..soccer was broken..The NFL is flush with cash..they don't need apple..apple needs them

 

[Yespage]

Apple wants the deal it got with MLS. In that deal, they got global rights to all the content that MLS can provide. The NFL is that on steroids.

The unanswered question in the MLS deal is local rights and production of the game video feed. Last week, local MLS broadcast crews were saying their goodbyes as none have been renewed, and there are no contracts in place for local broadcasts of regular season games. The only thing anyone out in the public knows is that MLS is on the hook to provide the game fees to Apple for distribution. That should mean local cameras and producers. Current rumor is that MLS plans to have commentators in a studio in south Florida, which will probably only work out well for Ray Hudson.

That'd be awful! There is nothing worse than a broadcast for sports that sounds like it is coming out of the bathroom stall. Thankfully Comcast (and ESPN) didn't do that with soccer abroad.

My thoughts/observations on this…
1. I worry about the long term viability of the broadcast network/local affiliate model. With DVRs and associated streaming providers, the model moves to more on-demand. What is the role of the local affiliate in that world? This can’t be lost on NFL ownership. What does the future of traditional OTA broadcast network TV look like, and how fast does it come?

2. There is a large overlap between MLS and NFL ownership.

You misspelled tax dodge. The MLS teams ain't making much (after the accountants are done) and help to become write-offs for the more profitable NFL teams.

3. With the Apple deal, MLS makes a great testing ground for the future of sports broadcasting. There is little legacy contracts in place. They can build and test concepts and see what works. A big question is driving interest in the league. Soccer is quite popular in the US, most most of that popularity is European leagues. Can MLS/Apple drive interest in the local league? What happens here will be reflected in future NFL broadcasts.

Interest in the local league is diminished by the product the MLS provides. While soccer has fans in the US, and in some areas, a lot of fans, and even the MLS teams have some good cores of fans, the MLS is very regional.

5. What is the future of RSNs? We know sports are popular TV content. We know people who watch sports are willing to pay to do so. We also know people that don’t don’t like that sports are a major cost in traditional cable packages. What happens if (probably more like when) an RSN group decides to declare bankruptcy? What happens to the local rights? Is it bought up by Disney/ESPN, Apple, Amazon?

I think the one thing that could impact this is OTA once we go 3.0. That provides a wireless method of getting local sports to people that are paying for it.

 

[Bilbo1]

The current system works fine..

Sure. We know technology changes have never eliminated entire industries

The NFL is flush with cash..they don't need apple..apple needs them

That is true now, and not the point.

The NFL should be worried about the future of OTA Fox and CBS. That is their cash cow. Of course, broadcast networks needs sports, that’s some of their most watched shows.

What will the broadcast networks look like in 10 years when the time comes to renew their current contracts?

2021 Broadcast TV Ratings See Huge Drop from 2015 Viewership

One of the most important demographics in entertainment viewership is the 18-49 age range. This is seen as the target audience for, well, just about

comicyears.com

 

[Bruce]

.The NFL is flush with cash..they don't need apple..apple needs them

Another incorrect statement from you.

I have no idea what cash they have on hand since the NFL is not a public company, but I found this-

With skyrocketing revenue and mouth-watering profitability, NFL teams are now worth $4.47 billion on average, 28% more than just a year ago.

So, roughly, $144 Billion, since all the money bought in is split among all the teams, to keep it simple, we will say it is worth $150-200 Billion Total.

Now Apple-The tech sector giant ended the three months ended in March 2021 with cash and investments of $204 billion.

The total of Apple is worth over $2 Trillion dollars.

NFL Team Values 2022: Dallas Cowboys Are The First Franchise Worth $8 Billion

With skyrocketing revenue and mouthwatering profitability, NFL teams are now worth $4.47 billion on average, 28% more than just a year ago.

www.forbes.com

Apple's Got A $204 Billion 'Problem' That's Costing It A Fortune

Not only did Apple smash first-quarter profit forecasts, it just broke past another S&P 500 threshold: Cash and investments.

www.investors.com