Warner, Fox, Disney to Launch Streaming Sports Joint Venture

[Bruce]

For a true HD stream (via Plex), thing can't Wi-Fi to save its life. *sigh*

That said, going between apps is not as easy as flipping channels (yet). I remember during the Olympics setting up a dedicated channel list. Going from Fox Sports streaming to Paramount+ is a hassle. Goodness help me if I'm switching inputs.

Yes, it is a First World Problem, but switching between games that means switching between apps isn't streamlined. No you don't have to go outside, turn the rotor on the antenna while beating away bears and rabid beavers all the while the other person in the room tells you when to stop... but it is a First World Hassle. Gawd help us all.

For those that do not want to go from app to app and waste those precious 5-7 seconds.

That is what YTTV is for, once you start the app, doubtful it takes anymore time then a traditional service, it is regular Live TV with a guide that you can even customize.

I prefer the app experience, when I go to P+ or Netflix for example, I know what I am going to watch, specially since I binge everything.

As of 2 days ago, I canceled YTTV, for the last 6 month, I would go up and down the guide, could not find anything to watch, the only things was Football and News.

With streaming services, I never have that issue, I can always find something.

 

[ncted]

As of 2 days ago, I canceled YTTV, for the last 6 month, I would go up and down the guide, could not find anything to watch, the only things was Football and News.

I'd like to cancel in favor of my Channels DVR/HD Homerun solution, but my wife is "sick of switching." All we really watch on it is one or two local channels and F1 races. I can get the former via the antenna and the latter via F1TV annually for the cost of 1 month of YTTV.

 

[savarese04]

This is why I, and many others have long recommended NOT using the built in streaming on the tv.

This. So much this.

Friends don't let friends use the built-in smart tv apps.

 

[dishdude]

This. So much this.

Friends don't let friends use the built-in smart tv apps.

I have a Sony and two Hisenses, all three are Android and no issues with any of them.

 

[klang]

I have a Sony and two Hisenses, all three are Android and no issues with any of them.

I have a 2020 year Sony. Apps still work perfectly. My ladyfriends Sony is a couple years older. It struggles with a couple apps. Pretty sure i will replace the TV before the apps stop working properly.

 

[Mike0616]

$50 or $60 a month?

Not likely, I only paid 65 or so for YTTV which includes all of the above.

 

[Bruce]

Not likely, I only paid 65 or so for YTTV which includes all of the above.

Since they announced a while ago that YTTV was profitable when they increased the price to $73 and it has a lot more channels.

And now that it went over 8 Million subs, that should help get discounts on those per sub fees since they have so many subscribers and still growing.

Margins are just not that high for paid Live TV.

This new service will only have 14 Channels, only 3 get bigger per sub fees, ABC, FOX and ESPN (1&2 get a combined $11).

For example, BTN gets $2 in BT Areas, but about .40 in non areas, Fox Sports 1 and 2 gets $2 for both, TBS and TNT get close to $1.50 each.

So that is why most are saying around $40 a month, also there will be some commercial revenue, both for the service and the broadcaster, who are the same companies.

 

[Yespage]

$2 for FS2?! What is even on FS2 these days?

 

[Bruce]

$2 for FS2?! What is even on FS2 these days?

$2 is both channels together and you are correct, channel is just a waste.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

$2 for FS2?! What is even on FS2 these days?

When a game on FS1 goes long the second one usually starts on FS2. That’s pretty much it.

 

[cpalmer2k]

For the time being I played customer service roulette with Spectrum today and switched to their "TV Choice" package. It gives me 15 channels of my choosing plus locals and I saved $54 a month. The really sad part is I had a hard time picking 15 channels I would watch on a regular basis. Hopefully I can replace that with this new service in the fall.

 

[Bruce]

For the time being I played customer service roulette with Spectrum today and switched to their "TV Choice" package. It gives me 15 channels of my choosing plus locals and I saved $54 a month. The really sad part is I had a hard time picking 15 channels I would watch on a regular basis. Hopefully I can replace that with this new service in the fall.

That is offered to me here in Florida, same issue with the 15 Channels, also not a big fan of their Broadcast Channel fees being added on to the advertised price, that, if you want a cloud DVR plus those other fees you do not know about until you get the bill, like franchise, FCC recovery, just because you are our customer fee , etc, it was more then YTTV.

They are working hard in the office. to do their part in having the new service ready by the first week of September, if not, I will just sub to YTTV from September to January for College/NFL Football one last time.

 

[NashGuy]

It's common for MVPDs to have a "most favored nation" clause in their carriage contracts with the network owners, meaning that if an MVPD negotiates more favorable terms with a network group, then they must allow those terms for the other MVPDs carrying their channels too.

This new sports JV will essentially be its own MVPD carrying just the sports and broadcast nets from Disney, WBD and Fox. So I think what we'll see is that those three companies will also allow Comcast, Charter, DirecTV, Dish, YouTube TV, etc. to carry this new sports-and-locals channel package (although in the case of non-streaming MVPDs, they may still have to negotiate directly with non-O&O locals to include them).

Let's say this new thing is called "SportStream". I think we'll see each of those MVPDs sell a new SportStream package of channels, available in the MVPD's own channel guide with DVR on their own cable box/app. If you sign up for it that way, you pay through the MVPD just like you do for any of their other channel packages, but you also get access to the SportStream app, which you would authenticate with your MVPD log-in (i.e. the same way the Max app works if you subscribe to HBO via your MVPD).

Of course, "SportStream" would also be available as a standalone app, with the ability to pay through their website or subscribe in-app and pay through the associated app store (Apple, Google, Roku or Amazon).

Going this route is how Disney, WBD and Fox will avoid lawsuits and pushback from the FCC or DOJ.

But this won't mean that MVPDs will suddenly be able to start putting together new channel packages that break the rules already in place from their existing carriage deals with Disney, WBD and Fox. For instance, just because Comcast is able to sell the new SportStream channel package won't give it the ability to also sell a channel package that caters to non-sports fans that would include local ABC stations, FX and Disney Channel but not ESPN. Or a package that includes local Fox stations and Fox News but not FS1 and Big10 Network.

The goal for these big media companies is to make sure that all cable TV customers still pony up for all of their most expensive channels. So they're going to let sports fans spend a little less to ditch their cheap non-sports channels but they're not going to let non-sports fans spend a lot less to ditch their expensive sports channels.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Adding value to the product for some, at least in the fall and early winter

View: https://x.com/andrewmarchand/status/1757485759412515086?s=46&t=SgVmKWgotnunXTHuBagFSA

 

[Bruce]

Adding value to the product for some, at least in the fall and early winter

View: https://x.com/andrewmarchand/status/1757485759412515086?s=46&t=SgVmKWgotnunXTHuBagFSA

From what I know from work, no one else was willing to pay what ESPN was willing to pay.

Fox made some noise, but their revenue was down another 20% last quarter.

This also guarantees that any Live TV Provider making noise about dropping ESPN will never do it, these games are getting monster ratings, you get rid of ESPN , you will lose a lot of subscribers.

The next deal up is the NBA.

 

[Joe The Dragon]

It's common for MVPDs to have a "most favored nation" clause in their carriage contracts with the network owners, meaning that if an MVPD negotiates more favorable terms with a network group, then they must allow those terms for the other MVPDs carrying their channels too.

This new sports JV will essentially be its own MVPD carrying just the sports and broadcast nets from Disney, WBD and Fox. So I think what we'll see is that those three companies will also allow Comcast, Charter, DirecTV, Dish, YouTube TV, etc. to carry this new sports-and-locals channel package (although in the case of non-streaming MVPDs, they may still have to negotiate directly with non-O&O locals to include them).

Let's say this new thing is called "SportStream". I think we'll see each of those MVPDs sell a new SportStream package of channels, available in the MVPD's own channel guide with DVR on their own cable box/app. If you sign up for it that way, you pay through the MVPD just like you do for any of their other channel packages, but you also get access to the SportStream app, which you would authenticate with your MVPD log-in (i.e. the same way the Max app works if you subscribe to HBO via your MVPD).

Of course, "SportStream" would also be available as a standalone app, with the ability to pay through their website or subscribe in-app and pay through the associated app store (Apple, Google, Roku or Amazon).

Going this route is how Disney, WBD and Fox will avoid lawsuits and pushback from the FCC or DOJ.

But this won't mean that MVPDs will suddenly be able to start putting together new channel packages that break the rules already in place from their existing carriage deals with Disney, WBD and Fox. For instance, just because Comcast is able to sell the new SportStream channel package won't give it the ability to also sell a channel package that caters to non-sports fans that would include local ABC stations, FX and Disney Channel but not ESPN. Or a package that includes local Fox stations and Fox News but not FS1 and Big10 Network.

The goal for these big media companies is to make sure that all cable TV customers still pony up for all of their most expensive channels. So they're going to let sports fans spend a little less to ditch their cheap non-sports channels but they're not going to let non-sports fans spend a lot less to ditch their expensive sports channels.

But what they can they really do block ALL ISP subs from the system that drops ESPN forming buying SportStream?
The cable co's can just say We don't have ESPN and if you want ESPN buy SportStream.

 

[Bruce]

The cable co's can just say We don't have ESPN and if you want ESPN buy SportStream.

As I posted, no Live TV Provider will drop ESPN, specially now that it resigned the (Expanded)College Football Playoffs, which gets increasingly massive ratings, MNF is supposed to only be on ESPN(and +) this upcoming season, now the strikes are over.

A provider getting rid of ESPN, risks losing a lot of subscribers.

When the contract comes up for ESPN and TV Providers, look for a increase in the per sub fees, just because of the ratings with Football.

Did providers get rid of CBS because of Paramount+, which includes a Live Feed, same for NBC/Peacock, a big nope and the per sub fee has increased for both Networks.

I can just imagine how much the next TV deal for the NFL will be.

 

[Yespage]

Adding value to the product for some, at least in the fall and early winter

View: https://x.com/andrewmarchand/status/1757485759412515086?s=46&t=SgVmKWgotnunXTHuBagFSA

That is near $200 million a game (assuming 7 games a playoff)!

 

[Bruce]

That is near $200 million a game (assuming 7 games a playoff)!

Advertising Rates are extremely high for these games-

From the Michigan Game-

A 30-second advertisement during the College Football Playoff National Championship on ESPN is estimated to cost between $1 million and $1.1 million, according to Navigate Research. This is a significant drop from last year's Super Bowl, where a similar ad slot cost $5 million.

Based on the ratings from the game, the rates for the Championship Game are expected to double, as are the rates for the other games.

In each game, there is at least 60 minutes of ads, at $2 million per 30 seconds, 120 ads, $240 Million, $1.5 Million per 30 seconds for the finals, then $750,000-$1 million for the other games, then per sub fees on top of that.

By the way, many thought the deal would be for more $$$$, but there were no other real bidders.

Cost of ads in College Football Playoff National Championship

The Michigan Wolverines are facing the Washington Huskies for the National Championship title on Monday night with adverts being much more prominent than in regular games.

www.the-express.com

 

[NashGuy]

As I posted, no Live TV Provider will drop ESPN

If an MVPD wanted to drop ESPN, Disney would force them to drop all their channels from all of their packages: their O&O ABC stations, FX, Freeform, Disney, NatGeo. As you say, no mainstream cable TV provider would want to ditch ESPN anyway. But losing major-market ABC stations makes it even more of an impossibility.

Folks who want a cable channel package where they don't have to pay for ESPN can choose from Philo, FrndlyTV, and Sling Blue. Those packages meet a certain market niche but they're not exactly setting the world on fire. I doubt we see any more ESPN-free channel packages pop up. Most of us who don't want to pay for ESPN are happy with a combination of SVODs (Netflix, Hulu, Max, etc.), FASTs and free locals via OTA.