FSN/Sinclair/regional sports network streaming

[SomewhereInTime]

Luckily we live in a time when these streaming sites have as good of quality as anything, it used to be brutal trying to stream games 10+ years ago. Amazing world we live in where I can't pay money to attend a game, but the games are still played in front of no one and broadcast to few.

[mtrebs]

was looking into streaming options today. ATT TV is the only one that would offer FS WI. The issue is that they make you sign a 2 year contract. They also make you pay 9 extra dollars for their sports package and increase rates in year #2. The latter is no big deal, but the former is. What happens if they drop sinclair too and them I'm on the hook for 74 dollars a month for nothing? I think most on this thread are right, better to hold off for now.

 

If you are in Wisconsin, I’m pretty sure that for cable/satellite companies, if they change the terms in any way (including removing channels) that you have the right to cancel without penalty, even if you are mid-contract. Not sure if this works for the streaming “cable” providers or not.

[Oxy]

Luckily we live in a time when these streaming sites have as good of quality as anything, it used to be brutal trying to stream games 10+ years ago. Amazing world we live in where I can't pay money to attend a game, but the games are still played in front of no one and broadcast to few.

 

Well, many of the away games anyway used to be broadcast to many for free (other than the cost of a TV and electricity). It is absurd that If I lived anywhere in the world other than Wisconsin I would be able to watch Brewer games for what I consider an acceptable price.

[Brewers Numbers]

Rosenthal: MLB bracing for a reduction in TV rights fees in pending ESPN deal

Large-market teams such as the Yankees and Dodgers continue to benefit from long-term RSN deals or owning part of their networks. But the erosion of the cable-television model, exacerbated by the pandemic, is creating a more challenging environment for every major professional sport but the NFL, which does not rely on RSNs.

 

Cord-cutting, in which viewers cancel their cable or satellite subscriptions and watch programming in other ways, means fewer subscribers for RSNs. The networks in turn become less attractive to distributors, and the squeeze at both ends makes them less willing to pursue deals with teams as aggressively as they once did.

 

Baseball’s most recent RSN agreement, negotiated by the Royals with Fox Sports Kansas City in August 2019, increased the team’s average annual take from the $20 million range to more than $40 million. The Marlins and Brewers, seeking their new RSN deals in an economy damaged by the pandemic, seem unlikely to end up with the same type of increase.

[yoshii8]

I have the ATT streaming tv and so far I like it, I've also had Hulu and You tube, keep changing as they drop FSN WI. It's pretty expensive though

[RobDeer 45]

Does MLB have a contract or deal with the regional sports channels when it comes to blackouts? I'm assuming that's why they are still blacking people out. Do we know if there is an end date to that, or are they simply just doing the blackout? You'd think they could come to some agreement, maybe increase the cost to watch in market games and split that with Regionals, if needed. I don't know, seems messy and behind the times and really wish they'd figure it out. They came up with such a great product and I've been subscribing for many years. Now they are falling behind the times when they could get back out in front of this.

 

Does NBA blackout local?

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

NBA does blackout local games on League Pass. They also do it for games on NBA TV.

 

ESPN/TNT they still air normally.

[stoutdude04]

NBA does blackout local games on League Pass. They also do it for games on NBA TV.

 

ESPN/TNT they still air normally.

 

TNT was blacked out for me the other day when I wanted to watch the Bucks/Lakers.

[wildcat83]

This is what you get in response if you submit a question about regional sports networks to youtube tv. I simply asked if they had any idea if the networks would be returning to their lineup in the future:

 

We sincerely appreciate you considering YouTube TV as your online streaming service, and it's sad to hear that the recent removal of the Fox Sports Wisconsin has greatly impacted your overall YouTube TV viewing experience.

 

We want to deliver a channel line-up that meets your needs, however, we don't have any update as to when and if it will become available on YouTube TV in the future. Rest assured we'll share information with our members ahead of time should there be any changes with the service in the future, so you’ll have all the facts.

I want to be able to make the most of our interaction and make sure that your thoughts are given appropriate attention. I've passed along your feedback to our teams so they’d have a better understanding of our valued members’ situation and perspective.This was a difficult decision made after many months of negotiations.

 

We tried to offer FOX RSNs as an optional “add-on,” but could not reach an agreement with Sinclair to do so. As a result, we cannot justify the cost Sinclair proposed for all YouTube TV members. We hope we can bring FOX RSNs back to YouTube TV in the future, though we don't have any info to share about whether that’s possible.

[bjkrautk]

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2021/01/27/fox-sports-wisconsin-becomes-ballys-sports.html

 

I'll just quote from the Wikipedia entry, for anyone wondering why a pinball company became the name of the Brewers' TV station that isn't on most streaming options right now:

 

Many casinos and businesses worldwide took on the Bally name and logo in the maze of ownership, division spin-offs and licensing agreements.

 

Midway, and Williams (after buying Midway) continued to use the Bally name for its pinball games, until Williams's parent company WMS Industries ceased pinball production in 1999. In March, 2005, WMS Industries licensed the firm Mr. Pinball Australia Pty. Ltd. (formerly known as The Pinball Factory) to use the intellectual properties and the rights to remanufacture existing Bally/Williams Pinball machines. The Mr. Pinball firm also bought the right to manufacture new games using the company's new hardware system under the Bally brand. The license was transferred in October, 2010 to Planetary Pinball Supply (PPS) of San Jose, California.

 

Alliance Gaming, which bought Bally Gaming International in 1995, changed its name to Bally Technologies. Bally Total Fitness, gambling distributor Bally France, and arcade distributor Bally Pond still use the same 'Bally' logo, though any formal business relationships, as of June 2007, are coincidental. The rights to use the name for casinos were sold by Caesars in 2020 to Twin River Worldwide Holdings, which then changed its own name to Bally's Corporation and said that it would rename most of its properties under the Bally's brand.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Manufacturing

[wallus]

NBA does blackout local games on League Pass. They also do it for games on NBA TV.

 

ESPN/TNT they still air normally.

 

TNT was blacked out for me the other day when I wanted to watch the Bucks/Lakers.

 

Same thing happened to me but I was able to watch it by downloading the TNT app.

[nate82]

Wasn't sure where to put this but according to McCalvy the Brewers are still working on a local TV deal.

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-free-agent-targets-bounceback-players

[markedman5]

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2021/01/27/fox-sports-wisconsin-becomes-ballys-sports.html

 

I'll just quote from the Wikipedia entry, for anyone wondering why a pinball company became the name of the Brewers' TV station that isn't on most streaming options right now:

 

Many casinos and businesses worldwide took on the Bally name and logo in the maze of ownership, division spin-offs and licensing agreements.

 

Midway, and Williams (after buying Midway) continued to use the Bally name for its pinball games, until Williams's parent company WMS Industries ceased pinball production in 1999. In March, 2005, WMS Industries licensed the firm Mr. Pinball Australia Pty. Ltd. (formerly known as The Pinball Factory) to use the intellectual properties and the rights to remanufacture existing Bally/Williams Pinball machines. The Mr. Pinball firm also bought the right to manufacture new games using the company's new hardware system under the Bally brand. The license was transferred in October, 2010 to Planetary Pinball Supply (PPS) of San Jose, California.

 

Alliance Gaming, which bought Bally Gaming International in 1995, changed its name to Bally Technologies. Bally Total Fitness, gambling distributor Bally France, and arcade distributor Bally Pond still use the same 'Bally' logo, though any formal business relationships, as of June 2007, are coincidental. The rights to use the name for casinos were sold by Caesars in 2020 to Twin River Worldwide Holdings, which then changed its own name to Bally's Corporation and said that it would rename most of its properties under the Bally's brand.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bally_Manufacturing

 

Takes me back to my youth when I worked at Bally’s Tom Foolery on 76th street....they bought the old Barnaby’s restaurant chain so they could combine dining with video arcade game rooms.

[Oxy]

I wonder if the Brewers will just skip the RSN altogether and broadcast the games "themselves" thru some online streaming site? Whether that be YouTube or Facebook or their own independent app. This would stink for anybody without high speed internet or a smart TV but it would be pretty cutting edge for the industry I would think. There probably isn't enough time to get the sponsors necessary to make it work, but I'd imagine that is the future anyway.

[owbc]

I wonder if the Brewers will just skip the RSN altogether and broadcast the games "themselves" thru some online streaming site? Whether that be YouTube or Facebook or their own independent app. This would stink for anybody without high speed internet or a smart TV but it would be pretty cutting edge for the industry I would think. There probably isn't enough time to get the sponsors necessary to make it work, but I'd imagine that is the future anyway.

 

I was hoping that the Seattle Kraken NHL team would go this route, but instead they announced that they have partnered with the RSN owned by the Seattle Mariners (ROOT sports). Which really just shows how big of a cash cow these RSNs are, since the Kraken have been acting like one of the more forward-thinking pro sports franchises out there. No such luck, they would rather shut out their younger audience to get a slice of that cable TV pie.

[jerichoholicninja]

I have suggested that in the past but others said it would be cost prohibitive for a team to do it.

[Baldkin]

I wonder if the Brewers will just skip the RSN altogether and broadcast the games "themselves" thru some online streaming site? Whether that be YouTube or Facebook or their own independent app. This would stink for anybody without high speed internet or a smart TV but it would be pretty cutting edge for the industry I would think. There probably isn't enough time to get the sponsors necessary to make it work, but I'd imagine that is the future anyway.

 

They don't care, they have a contract with FSWI to broadcast exclusively locally. The Brewers cannot stream anything anywhere else, and get paid the same amount from FSWI regardless if people can watch the games or not.

[MrTPlush]

I wonder if the Brewers will just skip the RSN altogether and broadcast the games "themselves" thru some online streaming site? Whether that be YouTube or Facebook or their own independent app. This would stink for anybody without high speed internet or a smart TV but it would be pretty cutting edge for the industry I would think. There probably isn't enough time to get the sponsors necessary to make it work, but I'd imagine that is the future anyway.

 

They don't care, they have a contract with FSWI to broadcast exclusively locally. The Brewers cannot stream anything anywhere else, and get paid the same amount from FSWI regardless if people can watch the games or not.

 

The Brewers don’t have a TV contract currently...though it does sounds like they are moving toward an agreement. Presumably with FSWI or whatever it is called now.

[Baldkin]

I wonder if the Brewers will just skip the RSN altogether and broadcast the games "themselves" thru some online streaming site? Whether that be YouTube or Facebook or their own independent app. This would stink for anybody without high speed internet or a smart TV but it would be pretty cutting edge for the industry I would think. There probably isn't enough time to get the sponsors necessary to make it work, but I'd imagine that is the future anyway.

 

They don't care, they have a contract with FSWI to broadcast exclusively locally. The Brewers cannot stream anything anywhere else, and get paid the same amount from FSWI regardless if people can watch the games or not.

 

The Brewers don’t have a TV contract currently...though it does sounds like they are moving toward an agreement. Presumably with FSWI or whatever it is called now.

 

Gah, crap. I thought it ran through 2022 for some reason.

[Brewers Numbers]

There are rumors (and I can't find the articles now) that BSN is developing a streaming service. If that comes to fruition remains to be seen.

[FVBrewerFan]

There are rumors (and I can't find the articles now) that BSN is developing a streaming service. If that comes to fruition remains to be seen.

 

What is BSN?

[sveumrules]

There are rumors (and I can't find the articles now) that BSN is developing a streaming service. If that comes to fruition remains to be seen.

 

What is BSN?

 

Bally Sports Network, formerly known as Fox Sports Wisconsin.

 

Kind of a bummer, I've always been a Vic Tanny guy.

[Axman59]

Wait, what? Fox Sports Wisconsin is now run by a casino? If the Brewers have their games carried on a casino channel I'm out no matter what platform they run on.

[JackNicholson1974]

Wait, what? Fox Sports Wisconsin is now run by a casino? If the Brewers have their games carried on a casino channel I'm out no matter what platform they run on.

 

Well do I have bad news for you. Sinclair has explicitly said that the purpose of rebranding as Bally’s Sports Network is for the sole purpose of allowing fans to bet on the game in real time right through the channel (somehow).

[Jimbo]

[

Bally Sports Network, formerly known as Fox Sports Wisconsin.

 

Kind of a bummer, I've always been a Vic Tanny guy.

 

Either was preferable to BLAST Fitness, which went downhill real quick.