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CobbCountyHokie
Joined: 10/07/1999
Posts: 2,360
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These are very good questions

First, I do not want to give away my full resume but I did not work for Direct or AT&T. They have the market cornered on the sports bar with the NFL Sunday Ticket. In fact, they still have a commercial version of the Sunday Ticket even as it has gone over to Google/YouTube for individual consumers. I do not have the exact viewership numbers on RSNs and league networks. Those numbers vary based on market. For example, the best ratings for Bally Sports RSNs is in Atlanta because the Braves are so popular. ESPN and the ESPN family of networks (2, U, News, SECN, ACCN) used to be untouchable for cable programming and Disney knew it. That is why so much of your monthly video bill goes directly to them. The distributors, Comcast, Charter, Cox, Direct, Dish and others essentially pass through the programming fees to the subs. When ESPN charges $5 per month per sub to Comcast, you have that already baked into your Xfinity bill. Like it or not. There are a whole lot of folks out there that would be furious to know that they directly pay for Fox News or CNN or MSNBC just by being a cable/satellite subscriber. I see the point where someone had a challenge about the "10" networks that someone watches outside of sports. Charter/Spectrum now has a choice package that allows the subscriber to select the channels they want, which I think is up to 15 + local programming (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, etc). If I had the power, I would buy that package, select my channels (including Bravo so Mrs. CobbCounty can watch the Real Housewives and Below Deck) and then go with the sports streamer. My bet is that you come out ahead on cost.
Posted: 02/07/2024 at 08:26 AM ET
(In response to this post by PadrosWindup)

Thread Replies (40)

Full Thread →
ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery Forming Joint Streaming Venture
Will StewartAdmin 02/06/24 05:14 PM ET
Verizon et al has got to be shaking in their boots**
ombandit 02/07/24 11:19 AM ET
Why? Verizon will just charge more for Internet.**
dallasvt 02/08/24 01:17 AM ET
Yeah, and nobody’s buying**
ombandit 02/08/24 03:36 AM ET
All I mean is I think Internet providers will find a way to get
dallasvt 02/08/24 11:33 AM ET
Here's some stuff from The Athletic
mancunian 02/07/24 09:50 AM ET
Fascinating he thinks it’s about rebundling and not about a la cart. Bring
Stech 02/07/24 01:08 PM ET
The cable packages will be able to unbundle the sports channels.
tarheelblue 02/07/24 01:13 PM ET
ESPN and Fox...I see this as the P2 bundle**
EDGEMAN 02/07/24 08:27 AM ET
One thing guaranteed.... the content owners/distributors will make more $
Vienna_Hokie 02/07/24 08:11 AM ET
NBC Universal and CBS Paramount going to partner up next?
BUGGZY 02/06/24 10:47 PM ET
Really interested to see the monthly cost
MBHokie90 02/06/24 10:17 PM ET
I am hearing $50 per month**
CobbCountyHokie 02/07/24 05:27 PM ET
And they will price themselves right out of the market.
EDGEMAN 02/07/24 06:12 AM ET
Same thing that happened to cable TV and is currently happening to streamin
wwhokie1 02/07/24 09:24 AM ET
I think they would be much better off by offering individual sports...
EDGEMAN 02/07/24 09:48 AM ET
My biggest surprise was
Stech 02/06/24 09:08 PM ET
ESPN is under contract to distribute the ACCN until 2036
PadrosWindup 02/07/24 09:04 AM ET
Seems to me that they do not get carrier fees by putting the network on a
Big12 guy 02/07/24 09:28 AM ET
SlingTV must be seething, since "mostly sports" was their angle a long time**
Synaesthesia 02/06/24 07:52 PM ET
Looks like CBS will be out of March Madness.**
IB4TECH 02/06/24 06:06 PM ET
I have always wanted April Madness for tailgating, 🏀 starts a month early.
Stech 02/06/24 09:02 PM ET
26% of linear cable subs watch only live sports
CobbCountyHokie 02/06/24 05:59 PM ET
They'll just recoup it by raising their internet provider cost
Victor Tango 02/07/24 08:41 AM ET
Yep**
Stech 02/06/24 08:51 PM ET
I thought it was that only 26% of cable TV subs ever watch live sports**
tarheelblue 02/06/24 07:45 PM ET
I’ve created the viewer segmentation models so I know this area well
CobbCountyHokie 02/06/24 10:27 PM ET
What %% of thec 26% is RSNs and the league networks?
PadrosWindup 02/07/24 08:14 AM ET
These are very good questions
CobbCountyHokie 02/07/24 08:26 AM ET
Won't this streaming service be in addition to linear, though?
Will StewartAdmin 02/06/24 10:31 PM ET
I think they cancel the cable bundle
CobbCountyHokie 02/06/24 10:49 PM ET
Except for the 10 other channels you want to see that ...
Atlee Hokie 02/06/24 11:38 PM ET
Cable services will be able to unbundle the sports channels.
tarheelblue 02/07/24 01:05 PM ET
If it happens, it'll be expensive af...**
Brewing_Hokie 02/06/24 05:40 PM ET
I'm seeing estimates of $50/month.
tarheelblue 02/07/24 01:08 PM ET
Sure to start…. That won’t last **
Brewing_Hokie 02/07/24 01:10 PM ET
Maybe not if you don’t want the other 100+ channels you never watch.**
Stech 02/06/24 09:11 PM ET
Yeah corporate greed will take over…**
Brewing_Hokie 02/06/24 10:38 PM ET
If this survives antitrust scrutiny this is huge
VT ChemE 1986 02/06/24 05:28 PM ET
That was my first thought. Seems like an end around to avoid a "monopoly"
HokieAl 02/06/24 05:35 PM ET
We knew who was going to pay for these media deals. What surprises me,
Big12 guy 02/06/24 07:40 PM ET