They will probably complain even louder when they realize a dedicated sports subscription, even for a single team, will end up being similar to a cable subscription, but with much less overall value.Watch the same people who are rubbing their hands about rsn falling and crying about blackouts are going to be the same people complaining about Jersey sponsers so they make up the revenue. Be careful what you wish for.
Amazon eyes bankrupt Diamond Sports in push to stream MLB, NBA, NHL: report
If an agreement is reached, Amazon’s Prime Video platform would eventually become the streaming home for Diamond’s games, the Wall Street Journal reported.nypost.com
Could be streaming games on Amazon
NHL to keep 11 teams' local broadcasts on Bally
The NHL reached an agreement with Diamond Sports Group to keep local broadcasts for 11 teams on Bally Sports through the end of this season.www.espn.com
Were those three teams paid already?For clarity it's not guaranteed broadcast rights will return to the teams after this season. The deal still includes the possibility for a third party such as Amazon to purchase the assets out of bankruptcy.
Also the court document only lists 8 of the 11 teams. Meaning the other 3 teams (Blues, Kings, Panthers) might have a slightly different treatment.
Were those three teams paid already?
ESPN+ is unaffected by by this. They still have out of market rights (along with their exclusive slate).Wonder what will become of ESPN+ and NHL games streamed?
A postpoment on the next meeting between Bally and MLB for the 2024 season
I'm pretty sure Bally got that deal with NBA/NHL teams so it's relevant to see what they do with MLB if they can't reach a deal then we're looking at the same thing for the NHLDidn't Seravalli's website just put out an article that Bally's parent company agreed to pay the NHL markets for the rest of 23-24 and 24-25 TV rights go back to those teams to find new contracts?
Amazon, Diamond Sports, in negotiations on partnership
Amazon and Diamond Sports — operator of the Bally Sports RSNs — are reportedly in talks that would eventually result in games being distributed through Amazon’s Prime Video platform. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Amazon and Diamond are in active negotiations on a “multiyear streaming partnership” that would see Amazon purchase an as-yet-undetermined stake in the now-bankrupt company and “eventually become the streaming home” of its properties.
Amazon, which already owns a stake in YES Network, has previously been mentioned as a suitor for the NBA’s local rights in the league’s upcoming media rights negotiations. The NBA recently struck a deal with Diamond that will result in all of its existing deals with Bally Sports RSNs ending after this season. That arrangement was viewed as paving the way, at least partially, for the NBA to package local rights in a potential national deal with Amazon.
The aforementioned agreement between Diamond and the NBA is part of a plan by the company to exit all of its existing deals by the end of the 2024 Major League Baseball season. While that effort has been perceived — specifically by Diamond’s parent company Sinclair Broadcast Group — as a prelude to Diamond’s liquidation, an arrangement with Amazon would obviously change the calculus.
According to the ESPN article:So now we have to see first if MLB does make with Amazon and then what the NBA/NHL do
Cable companies need to adapt to the realities of the day. Diamond pays to produce the broadcast and their model is failing in the current cable market - advertisements alone can't pay the bills when you can't get eyeballs on them. The producers of the broadcast need to make money or the lights turn off, I was thinking Bally's would completely fail before Amazon or some other major streamer would swoop in and buy all that broadcasting infrastructure.According to the ESPN article:
Customers will be able to access their local team's content on Prime Video channels where Diamond has rights. Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date. Regional sports content will also remain available on cable and satellite providers.
This is awesome news. Though, this will be a blow to the cable companies. I have a number of friends who subscribe to Comcast just to be able to watch Braves games (after Bally's left YouTube TV).