Watching the Lightning (FanDuel Sun, Streaming, TV, etc.)

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Will FD televise the Rays next season from Steinbrenner Field?

I don't think there's been an announcement, but FD Sun still claims the Rays as one of their teams.

I'd figure that playing at Steinbrenner could be good business for FanDuelSN. There'd be a novelty to it, at least at first, and the lower stadium capacity should result in more people watching from home.

 

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Ratings are down with both fall sports, so I don't think there's necessarily a product problem with either.

I think we can all agree that TV ratings in general are down due to things like cord cutting and streaming, but franchise valuations and HRR calculations are partly tied into the large TV deals.


edit: The NHL is kind of in a tough spot right now as teams like NYR, PHI, PIT, CHI, DET, & BOS (the only teams in the league according to NBCSN) are all pretty mediocre or bad, although NYR in particular might be able to turn it around.

Buffalo has been a good TV market as well, and Sabres fans anger seems to be finally boiling over.

NBCSN would be playing every single Caps game right now on Ovi watch if they still had the rights.

 

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It's interesting to look at the hot takes on NBA ratings. It's like the complete opposite of what NHL fans say.

Too much marketing of stars over teams, too much player personality, too much offense.

I don't know why people are worrying about TV ratings in the year 2024, but they are.


The NHL wants to be the NBA, and the NBA wants to be the NFL.

 

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It's a rational move, but will likely be bad for customers. Fewer companies out there competing for our cheddar.

At least paid streaming TV isn't that big of a thing. We're talking, what, 14 million customers split between the big two? Cord cutters generally aren't going to a TV streamer, but to Netflix.

It could be a reasonable conclusion that the later cord cutters are more resistant to change, and would prefer live TV. But how many of them are under 50?

 

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Initially, MySports will include national channels ACC Network, Big Ten Network, DIRECTV 4K Live, DIRECTV 4K Live 2, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, TruTV and USA Network. It will also include local affiliates owned and operated by ABC, Fox, and NBC. Their release notes that “Additional networks, local stations, and ESPN+, will be included in MySports at no extra cost in the near future.”

The package costs $70 and is currently available for the TB market.

It does not include FanDuel channels, or ABC (currently), so you'd still be paying extra for that.

I'm not really sure who the current package is for. Without network stations, you can't see much NFL. Without the RSNs, you can't see much pro hockey, basketball, or baseball. If you just sort of watch "sports" in a kind of non-specific, non-regional, whatever the biggest thing is on right now, golf shirt and khakis type of way, then I guess it'd make sense. Maybe college sports degens would go for it.

 

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Super Bowl for free on Tubi.


Fox, which doesn't really have a Hulu, Peacock, Paramount Plus to call home does own Tubi.

 

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In addition to digital posts, the layoffs include associate producers, producers/editors, VPs of production and VPs of content. That likely means a significant cutback on non-game content.

“Distributors are never going to pay you one penny for anything other than the games,” said sports media consultant Patrick Crakes, explaining his take on the layoffs. “Not paying for pre. They’re not paying you for post. They’re not paying you for the fishing show. Those were all-time buys. I mean, you will see more time buys. You’ll see more, you know, fishing, golf…adventure shows.”

People losing jobs flat out sucks, but it unfortunately makes some sense. A lot of RSN online content is redundant with team produced material. FD Sun can clip a highlight for Twitter, but the team does that, viewers will do that, etc.

 

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The Q4 Charter (Spectrum) investor call is today (right now as I type this, actually).

They've lost 8.7% of their cable TV subscribers in the past year.

However, if you're still a cable subscriber, some benefits are coming.

Spectrum TV Select video customers will soon receive up to approximately $80 per month of programmers' streaming application retail value at no extra cost, including the ad supported versions of Max, Disney+, Peacock, Paramount+, ESPN+, AMC+, Discovery+, BET+, ViX, and Tennis Channel Plus. This programmer streaming application inclusion is part of Charter's broader video evolution strategy to provide flexible packages with enhanced value, whether through full packages with seamless entertainment, smaller video packages, or a suite of a-la-carte programmer application options for broadband-only customers.

This would allow Spectrum TV customers to get the ESPN+ exclusive games.

Max will have Four Nations Faceoff games in February.

That last sentence caught my attention. "...a suite of a-la-carte programmer application options for broadband-only customers." I'm reading that to mean internet only subs get some sort of discount to streamers. It'd be a logical addition. Mobile phone companies will include Disney+ or Apple TV+ or whatever.

 

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