FSN/Sinclair/regional sports network streaming

[superfly]

I’ll just live without the Brewers I guess. Sorry to be the Debbie downer but the longer these networks pull this BS the less I (and imagine MANY others in the post Covid life) care about sports. It’s the same way with the Wild, can’t watch a freaking hockey team in the state of hockey. They can all screw off.

[patrickgpe]

By the way, I’m ok with signing a 2 year deal If know fs Wisconsin will be offered both years. The way Sinclair works, that’s can’t be guaranteed obviously. Got to think this one out

[JackNicholson1974]

I’ll just live without the Brewers I guess. Sorry to be the Debbie downer but the longer these networks pull this BS the less I (and imagine MANY others in the post Covid life) care about sports. It’s the same way with the Wild, can’t watch a freaking hockey team in the state of hockey. They can all screw off.

 

I agree with this take. I just won’t watch.

[JosephC]

Completely agree. I think YTTV/Hulu are essentially becoming the new cable companies. They can offer a cheaper price with no equipment to deal with. They will continue to raise prices as they beat out more cable companies, but they have a good product so many will pay for it.

 

That's been my speculation the last couple of years. When I first got a satellite dish (30 years ago), the cost was way, way better than cable, there were way more channels and when HD came along the dishes added more HD programing way, way, way faster than cable did. The dish was better in every way except for occasionally losing the signal in bad weather...it was so far ahead of cable in every other regard that it was impossible to think that cable would ever catch up. Through some unexpected turns I wound up back with cable, and when talking with people who have dishes, it almost sounds like cable is now better as the dish is just as expensive and they have the same programming issues that cable runs into (fighting with channels over rates).

 

So streaming is better now, but I think those rates are to draw people in and then when some of the smaller streaming companies start merging and get acquired by bigger companies, that those now favorable rates will vanish over the next decade or so. If there is anything I've learned over the 50+ years of my life, is that THE MAN will get his money out of you one way or another. The very last part of that quote...."they have a good product so many will pay for it"...well we will see if that product will stay a good product once it holds a majority of the marketplace. Experience tells me that the good product will become a lesser and lesser product over time. But we'll see about that.

[jerichoholicninja]

I have Spectrum cable. For some reason, my bill dropped $21 last month. I have no clue as to why, but I'm not going to call and ask them either.

 

Just hoping next months bill isn't $21 higher to make up for their "error."

 

Wouldn't it be $42 higher to make up for it?

[FVBrewerFan]

If you have family or friends willing to give you their Spectrum login, you can stream Foxsportsgo for free. That's been working perfectly for Bucks games. So I've heard.

[MadScientist]

I have Spectrum cable. For some reason, my bill dropped $21 last month. I have no clue as to why, but I'm not going to call and ask them either.

 

Just hoping next months bill isn't $21 higher to make up for their "error."

 

Wouldn't it be $42 higher to make up for it?

They gave a bit of a refund for there not being as much live sports last year. The reason was in the bill. It will be back to it's normal exorbitant levels next month.

[JackNicholson1974]

Re: YTTV - my only Gripe is after I switched they kept adding channels, thereby raising the price. It was $40 when I started. I wish they never added any channels. Every person who watches TV has 2-4 channels that they MUST have, and they are all different. I suppose companies like YTTV are trying to get more subscribers by adding those channels. But that just makes them cable. Find your niche and stay there. 20 popular channels with local sports and news? Perfect. $45 bucks a month? Fine. I don’t need discovery and TLC, if I did I’d have cable.

[patrickgpe]

in theory i like sling's idea of splitting up packages and cutting cost by 1/2. issue is that they have FS1 and ESPN on different packages and no FSWI. If they have a sports and news/entertainment package, then why all the sports stations together.?

[MrTPlush]

Problem with that is AT&T is a two-year contract, and the price rises significantly after the 12-month introductory price. So ... just like cable

 

You can do ATT TV on a monthly basis. The price is higher the first year, but then cheaper after that versus a contract as the second year of a contract is much higher. It is only a $8 or so increase to be on a monthly basis and it doesn't have an automatic increase after a year. Not sure why anyone would go with the contract to be honest.

 

That being said it really isn't any cheaper than cable. It is just the cable equivalent for ATT internet users because they can bundle it for slightly cheaper prices.

[TheEndless7]

By the way, I’m ok with signing a 2 year deal If know fs Wisconsin will be offered both years. The way Sinclair works, that’s can’t be guaranteed obviously. Got to think this one out

 

This is kind of the boat I'm in. I'm not thrilled with having to go from a service I like (YTTV) to one I'm not a huge fan on (AT&T is the only 'cable' provider I can get in my apartment building) to watch the Brewers. Ironically, it would end up saving me money assuming they don't tack on a million charges on the back end. But...I'm pretty convinced at this point that as soon as the contracts Sinclair has with the cable companies are up, they aren't going to renew. So go through the hassle of changing providers for the third time in a year just to watch baseball only for.....the contract with another provider to end? And that we'll be looking at The Sinclair Broadcast app for 14.99/Mo to watch Regional Networks. Which fine, you do you.

 

I feel like I've spent the last year or so running in circles trying to figure out which provider gets me the content I like. And, honestly, if 2020 taught me anything it's that I can live without baseball on TV.

 

I find it ironic that Baseball continues to lament that the younger demographic isn't watching their games, while they continue to not be available on the providers the younger demographic uses.

[Oxy]

in theory i like sling's idea of splitting up packages and cutting cost by 1/2. issue is that they have FS1 and ESPN on different packages and no FSWI. If they have a sports and news/entertainment package, then why all the sports stations together.?

 

YES! JUST give me a TRUE sports package (+TNT and TBS for NBA/baseball and NCAAs)...and local over the air networks. Why can't this be done for $50 or less?

 

It's like there is this huge gap between going cheap $25-$30 per month where you don't get what you want, and then there is going hyper-deluxe for $125-$200 per month where you get a ridiculous amount of channels and content that you don't want.

 

It shouldn't be that hard.

[Pugger]

My BIL in Green Bay dropped Spectrum and now has Hulu so we can't get the Brewers and Bucks down here using our Sling Box so we'll have to order MLB Extra Innings. It might cost us $120 or so but we'll get all the games.

[TURBO]

I have Spectrum cable. For some reason, my bill dropped $21 last month. I have no clue as to why, but I'm not going to call and ask them either.

 

Just hoping next months bill isn't $21 higher to make up for their "error."

 

Wouldn't it be $42 higher to make up for it?

 

I meant $21 higher than my normal bill...

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

in theory i like sling's idea of splitting up packages and cutting cost by 1/2. issue is that they have FS1 and ESPN on different packages and no FSWI. If they have a sports and news/entertainment package, then why all the sports stations together.?

 

YES! JUST give me a TRUE sports package (+TNT and TBS for NBA/baseball and NCAAs)...and local over the air networks. Why can't this be done for $50 or less?

 

It's like there is this huge gap between going cheap $25-$30 per month where you don't get what you want, and then there is going hyper-deluxe for $125-$200 per month where you get a ridiculous amount of channels and content that you don't want.

 

It shouldn't be that hard.

 

Yeah, this is a great observation. Especially since Discovery (who owns a good number of channels, I think) has just entered the streaming game too. It is coming to a point where there's just going to be too many individual streaming services, and then the money will be on packaging them or simply acquiring a lot of rights. Netflix having a robust production arm gives them a headstart.

 

Personally, I wonder how far we are from PayPerView sports.

[MrTPlush]

in theory i like sling's idea of splitting up packages and cutting cost by 1/2. issue is that they have FS1 and ESPN on different packages and no FSWI. If they have a sports and news/entertainment package, then why all the sports stations together.?

 

YES! JUST give me a TRUE sports package (+TNT and TBS for NBA/baseball and NCAAs)...and local over the air networks. Why can't this be done for $50 or less?

 

It's like there is this huge gap between going cheap $25-$30 per month where you don't get what you want, and then there is going hyper-deluxe for $125-$200 per month where you get a ridiculous amount of channels and content that you don't want.

 

It shouldn't be that hard.

 

Sir, you are missing the point. There is a very good reason why they don't just package all the sports together...because then you are spending just $50 and not $100+. Sports are the cash cow...they package it with junk because they know people will pay for all that junk just to watch the sports.

 

Why would they give you an option to spend less money? You are basically asking why they don't cut profits to save their customer money, that doesn't make any sense.

[DHonks]

My internet was getting too high so I went back to Charter and did the internet and what I guess you would call cable through their app. It is $107/month total after taxes and I can cancel anytime and just go back to just internet if I want. However, with all the streaming price increases I'm sticking with it for now and enjoying watching the Bucks again and eventually the Brewers.

thanks for this post. I have ATT internet and looked into getting ATT Tv bundled. It is cheaper than Hulu live and I can watch FS Wisconsin again. seems like a no brainer.

 

Problem with that is AT&T is a two-year contract, and the price rises significantly after the 12-month introductory price. So ... just like cable

 

Yes and no. With AT&T TV you don’t rent the boxes, you finance them or pay upfront. While my year 2 service is increasing in price, I’ll be paying no box fees anymore to offset some. In my case with boxes in two locations, I’m also saving on the cost by having one service subscription instead of 2.

[SomewhereInTime]

[MrTPlush]

 

Is what it is...just a prep for their gambling plans for the networks. Attanasio doesn't care, that vision is probably what lead Sinclair to dumping millions into his bank account ever year. I can't blame Attanasio, he does so well for the fan experience, but the TV contract is one of the biggest cash cows for the franchise. Sinclair is garbage for fans...but here we are, stuck with them.

[jerichoholicninja]

Some of you seem to really like to rag on the Brewers for this but did they have any other options? Were there any other networks out there making legitimate offers for broadcast rights?

[patrickgpe]

Is this app like fox sports go that you need a cable subscription or is it available for a monthly charge? It wasn’t clear, maybe that information isn’t out yet?

[MrTPlush]

Is this app like fox sports go that you need a cable subscription or is it available for a monthly charge? It wasn’t clear, maybe that information isn’t out yet?

 

I am sure it is for subscribers only. Rumor is they want a subscription type service eventually, but no way that is ready to launch yet. Sounded like next year, maybe.

 

As far as them having a choice, no, they most certainly did not. It is kinda like the whole stadium name thing...sucks, but not like there was much of an alternative. Any alternative would have meant less money coming in to the Brewers and the payroll is already to low for most.

[markedman5]

https://9to5google.com/2021/02/26/youtube-tv-mlb-tv-subscription/

[adambr2]

https://9to5google.com/2021/02/26/youtube-tv-mlb-tv-subscription/

 

It's never been easier to watch the Brewers now. Just as long as you don't live in the state of Wisconsin or anywhere else in regions where people actually like the Brewers.

[kestrel79]

I've noticed the past year or so there's extended highlights of every game on the Brewer's Facebook page a few hours after each game. On nights where I can't watch live on TV I'll just not check any scores until I get home, then fire up these extended highlight clips on Youtube and Facebook that are pretty in depth, anywhere from 6-10 minutes long and pretty much cover most major plays of the game.

 

If no YoutubeTV deal is reach guess I'll just be doing this to "watch" games...and gain a little more free time come summer I guess. Hope something can be worked out however.