Regional Sports Networks Going Bankrupt

[Cosmo]

The chief appeal for the teams is increasing their reach. Only 800,000 people in Arizona get Bally's, and I'm pretty confident that the demo of that 800k skewed a heck of a lot older than the NBA demographic. RSNs are built on a dying model.

The Suns can now reach 2.8 million people with their games over the air and are setting up their own streaming service. The rights fees aren't as high but that was an inevitability for the teams.

I'm torn on this. I'd love it if the Orioles went OTA and MASN went tits up, but at the same time, I'm three hours outside of Baltimore and not in the Baltimore TV market so my only option would be to stream games. Maybe that's seamless, but streaming services for sports have a shaky record at best. I've said this in the past, but the only reason I'm really holding onto cable is the ease of watching 162 Orioles games and 82 Capitals games each year.

 

[Readallover]

"The Padres become the first team that MLB will take over production of its broadcasts. MLB set up a local media department during the offseason to prepare for a bankruptcy filing by Diamond Sports, which took place in March."https://tvnewscheck.com/business/ar...adcasts-wednesday-after-bally-misses-payment/
https://tvnewscheck.com/business/ar...adcasts-wednesday-after-bally-misses-payment/

 

[wicked]

streaming services for sports have a shaky record at best

And this has been an issue for ... a while. Not as long as newspapers-can't-figure-out-how-to-make-money-off-web-ads a while, but it's getting there. It still takes forever to hop between streams, especially if you're on a TV. It still buffers regularly. And this for broadcasts involving BAM, which is supposed to be the best technology for this stuff. If I was told I couldn't watch sports on TV anymore and I had to watch streams only, it'd change my consumption and not for the better.

 

[Readallover]

From cnbc.com:
"MLB announced it would take over beginning with the Padres game against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. Fans in the Padres' market will be able to watch games on cable TV or through the league's MLB.TV streaming app for $19.99 a month or $74.99 for the rest of the season."

 

[The Big Ragu]

Diamond actually has the cash to keep making their broadcast rights payments, but they have been trying to get MLB to sell them streaming rights, too. They have absolutely no leverage to force MLB's hand, though, and it's just a delusional "bargaining" position. They must think it sounds good to try to pin it on MLB refusing to sell them online streaming rights now, but they signed the deal they are now reneging on willingly.

They had a 20-year contract with the Padres worth $1.2 billion through 2032, and they can't make it work economically. I suspect the economics of it would be fine (but I don't know that for sure) if it wasn't a company that is a product of a leveraged buyout that put $8 billion of debt on its balance sheet. That worked when they could roll over that debt in perpetuity at artificially low interest rates, but when rates rose the debt strangled them.

 

[wicked]

Baseball is probably the sport that'd do best from in-market streaming. So much of the summer involves everything on the go and/or outside, and so much of my baseball consumption, especially during the summer, involves listening to the audio broadcast on the back deck or while out for a drive. You'd assume a good streaming operation, in conjunction with a strong local streaming infrastructure, would draw in fans who normally wouldn't be watching, like those relaxing on the beach or in the boat, or sitting on the deck who don't have easy access to a TV.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Pay up:

Judge: DSG must fully pay MLB teams' contracts

 

[dixiehack]

I would think San Diego might possibly be the hardest market for a RSN to make the numbers work. You are blocked in by the Dodgers/Angels to the north, Mexico to the south and the ocean to the west. After a little bit of open desert to the east you hit the Arizona line and are blocked by the D'backs.

 

[Twirling Time]

I would think San Diego might possibly be the hardest market for a RSN to make the numbers work. You are blocked in by the Dodgers/Angels to the north, Mexico to the south and the ocean to the west. After a little bit of open desert to the east you hit the Arizona line and are blocked by the D'backs.

Philly is a little squeezed too with 2 NY teams to the east, Baltimore-Washington to the south and Pittsburgh to the west. The square mileage might even be a little tighter because it's the East Coast, although the population is likely larger.

 

[maumann]

I would think San Diego might possibly be the hardest market for a RSN to make the numbers work. You are blocked in by the Dodgers/Angels to the north, Mexico to the south and the ocean to the west. After a little bit of open desert to the east you hit the Arizona line and are blocked by the D'backs.

I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
And the touch of a world that is older
I turn the switch and check the number
I leave it on when in bed I slumber
I hear the rhythms of the music
I buy the product and never use it
I hear the talking of the DJ
Can't understand just what does he say?

I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio

I dial it in and tune the station
They talk about the U.S. inflation
I understand just a little
No comprende, it's a riddle

I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio

I wish I was in Tijuana
Eating barbequed iguana
I'd take requests on the telephone
I'm on a wavelength far from home
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
I dial it in from south of the border
I hear the talking of the DJ
Can't understand just what does he say?

I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio

Radio radio...
What does he say?

 

[I Should Coco]

The verse where they rhyme "Tijuana" with "barbecued iguana" always makes me laugh.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
And the touch of a world that is older
I turn the switch and check the number
I leave it on when in bed I slumber
I hear the rhythms of the music
I buy the product and never use it
I hear the talking of the DJ
Can't understand just what does he say?

I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio

I dial it in and tune the station
They talk about the U.S. inflation
I understand just a little
No comprende, it's a riddle

I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio

I wish I was in Tijuana
Eating barbequed iguana
I'd take requests on the telephone
I'm on a wavelength far from home
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
I dial it in from south of the border
I hear the talking of the DJ
Can't understand just what does he say?

I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio

Radio radio...
What does he say?

Wrong thread!!!