FSN/Sinclair/regional sports network streaming

[Dresden files]

Well this is great but are we going to be able to watch them any way if we dont have Direct TV?

[JackNicholson1974]

Hooray! They signed a deal with a company that wont sign deals with streaming services! I am so relieved!

[MrTPlush]

There was literally no other option other than to re-up with Sinclair.

 

All this talk about them starting their own broadcast is complete fantasy (I fully realize the people talking about it probably realize that too). The team couldn't figure out how to sell jerseys in a team store themselves until the last year or two. Starting their own network is just not realistic. Reality is Sinclair is by far the best option for the Brewers and probably exponentially more money than any other option (if there even was one).

[DR28]

There was literally no other option other than to re-up with Sinclair.

 

All this talk about them starting their own broadcast is complete fantasy (I fully realize the people talking about it probably realize that too). The team couldn't figure out how to sell jerseys in a team store themselves until the last year or two. Starting their own network is just not realistic. Reality is Sinclair is by far the best option for the Brewers and probably exponentially more money than any other option (if there even was one).

 

Wait what?

[MrTPlush]

There was literally no other option other than to re-up with Sinclair.

 

All this talk about them starting their own broadcast is complete fantasy (I fully realize the people talking about it probably realize that too). The team couldn't figure out how to sell jerseys in a team store themselves until the last year or two. Starting their own network is just not realistic. Reality is Sinclair is by far the best option for the Brewers and probably exponentially more money than any other option (if there even was one).

 

Wait what?

 

There was an outside company running the team shops until 2019 I believe. It lead to crazy inflated prices and the Brewers finally took it over themselves. They claimed prices would be lower...not sure if that was the case in the end though.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The team store prices were definitely lower in 2019. It was substantial too. I got the '18 on-field hoodie for under $40 with the 25% SSH discount. It was priced at $50 and was $100 the year before. It was easy to find shirts for $25 and $30.

[Madhawk23]

Can these professional sports teams (i.e. Bucks and Brewers locally) not push Sinclair to get a deal done with the streaming services? I mean, they have to realize how many eyeballs they are missing out on by not having their games on these services, don't they? Also, isn't Dish currently not in agreement with Sinclair as well. So, are the only options the local cable company and DirecTV?

 

How is this OK for any of these teams? It's got to impact the ad dollars they can secure if viewership of their games are way down due to lack of distribution on some of these streaming services, right?

[wallus]

Great news! Looking forward to the season (and better weather)

[TURBO]

YES!

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Can these professional sports teams (i.e. Bucks and Brewers locally) not push Sinclair to get a deal done with the streaming services? I mean, they have to realize how many eyeballs they are missing out on by not having their games on these services, don't they? Also, isn't Dish currently not in agreement with Sinclair as well. So, are the only options the local cable company and DirecTV?

 

How is this OK for any of these teams? It's got to impact the ad dollars they can secure if viewership of their games are way down due to lack of distribution on some of these streaming services, right?

 

The Dish and Sinclair thing is underrated. It isn't just the streaming services. I don't want to sound like a paranoiac about this, but there's clearly a mutual benefit to both Sinclair and cable companies to make RSNs an exclusive property, especially in the Midwest (and since it owns broadcast rights to Cardinals, Royals, Bucks, Wolves, Wild, Blues, Brewers, Twins, and some MLS clubs as well, and I may be missing some teams there too). They know that. I'm sure they're discussing it. That's another way that the blackout rules stink. They give tons of power to the RSNs.

 

I hope the Brewers got a big bump financially. If Sinclair is getting a lot more carriage fees by keeping their product exclusively cable, then this makes sense to me, assuming they pass that along to the Brewers.

 

I don't like it, but I'm comforted by the fact that live sports viewing is going to change again before I can sneeze. Temporary issue.

[yfinn6]

I switched to Hulu Live TV about a year ago and am in the same boat. I’m not going back to Spectrum. My wife is a Twins fan, so we will just get MLB.TV for her and I can listen to the Brewers games on the radio. I hope they figure out something soon, but not counting on it.

 

Same, but girlfriend not a Twins fan. Hulu is awesome, even with other live sports delays. I won't justify paying more for CableTV that 90% sucks. I'll have to make adjustments or just listen and look at box scores.

[SerenityNow]

Does anyone here have TDSTV? I had heard they carried FSN, but don't know if that was true of if they still do.............

[Madhawk23]

According to Attanasio's press conference yesterday, it sounds like he's just now going to "look into" the issues with the streaming services. Nothing like doing this after the negotiations have been completed. I don't have a lot of confidence that any of this will get resolved anytime soon, and that's really frustrating!

[KeithStone53151]

According to Attanasio's press conference yesterday, it sounds like he's just now going to "look into" the issues with the streaming services. Nothing like doing this after the negotiations have been completed. I don't have a lot of confidence that any of this will get resolved anytime soon, and that's really frustrating!

 

Agreed, I think this is just something to appease fans. Oh, he's sorta kinda trying to do something. You can't sell your tv rights, especially to a group like Sinclair, and then expect to find a way to get streaming services to work if they are going to force a premium to watch.

[yoshii8]

According to Attanasio's press conference yesterday, it sounds like he's just now going to "look into" the issues with the streaming services. Nothing like doing this after the negotiations have been completed. I don't have a lot of confidence that any of this will get resolved anytime soon, and that's really frustrating!

 

 

If he's actually surprised by this, and only looking into it now, I don't know what to say. This whole FSN streaming debacle has made me so much less of a fan. I've been in love with the Brewers since the mid 80's, and the lack of compassion they have for the fans is killing sports, and making me apathetic towards the Brewers, and sports in general for the first time in my life. It really stinks.

[patrickgpe]

if ownership can't figure out its best to have your product out there to as many people as possible, then i don't know what to say. He could have used this in negotiating his contract. Especially this season when its not always possible to go to the park because you can't watch them on TV due to limited stadium capacity.

Frankly I don't know what there is to look into. They have the broadcasting rights for the foreseeable future and can transmit how they see fit.

[Sixtofan]

Has the contract been published somewhere? Why does everyone assume they know what is in it?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Has the contract been published somewhere? Why does everyone assume they know what is in it?

 

I think most are just assuming the worst because it's been proven time and time again that Sinclair is an absolutely horrible company. I have absolutely no faith that anyone who doesn't have a local cable contract will be able to watch the Brewers this year ... and it's probably just a matter of time before Sinclair pulls the station from the Spectrums and AT&Ts of the world too.

[KeithStone53151]

Has the contract been published somewhere? Why does everyone assume they know what is in it?

 

I think most are just assuming the worst because it's been proven time and time again that Sinclair is an absolutely horrible company. I have absolutely no faith that anyone who doesn't have a local cable contract will be able to watch the Brewers this year ... and it's probably just a matter of time before Sinclair pulls the station from the Spectrums and AT&Ts of the world too.

 

At some point, you'd think Sinclair is losing money big time if they posture with too high of a rate. If Spectrum and AT&T don't carry it, they have basically zero viewership and make no money off the rights. That doesn't make any business sense. What wouldn't surprise me, if there was some level of collusion between Sinclair and these cable providers. The Brewers are one thing that can keep people from cutting the cord if they only offer the product to cable providers. I'm probably wrong but who knows. It's all just gross.

[Madhawk23]

I guess I just don't understand why Sinclair can't offer some type of streaming service of their own, and just charge a monthly rate for it. Does that model not work for them? That would at least allow people without cable to watch the games. It just annoys me that my Mother who lives out of state will be able to watch the Brewers this year (on MLB TV), but I won't be able to - living here in WI. And no, I'm not willing to go back to cable TV. Just incredibly frustrating.

[brewerfan82]

Luckily I decided to get a job in Baltimore and move there 10 years ago, so I don't have problems getting them on MLB.TV, but if I was still in Wisconsin I would just get cable. The internet/cable package deals are probably less expensive than what I'm spending doing internet + YouTube TV + MLB.TV + NBA TV anyways. I'd miss being able to login wherever, although it sounds like that might be available with cable nowadays anyways.

[DR28]

On MLB TV, are we able to watch the visiting teams broadcast? So we can at least watch the Brewers that way.

 

Or does it not work like that?

[brewerfan82]

No you'll be blacked out completely. I do run into that still if the Brewers are playing the Orioles or Nationals.

[DR28]

Damn, how stupid.

[RobDeer 45]

I guess I just don't understand why Sinclair can't offer some type of streaming service of their own, and just charge a monthly rate for it. Does that model not work for them? That would at least allow people without cable to watch the games. It just annoys me that my Mother who lives out of state will be able to watch the Brewers this year (on MLB TV), but I won't be able to - living here in WI. And no, I'm not willing to go back to cable TV. Just incredibly frustrating.

 

I think if they do that they lose their leverage. Their model is to force the hand of cable and satellite to pay a premium and include their product in the base package or next tier up. If they offer a stream only, then they will lose the people hounding the provider for their product. They are holding on to the old way of doing things and are kicking and screaming until their death. The only way I see streaming happening is if they end up with nothing left and then my guess is that it would be a terrible product and overpriced. I highly doubt they’d ever get in front of the curve on this.