NBCSN

[Heisenberg]

Something that results in fewer major college and pro sports being available on TV (or some other easily accessible platform) for me to watch.

As I sit here today, on 1/23/21, I am not concerned.

This will never happen with streaming.  Soon you'll be able to watch every high school game in the country too (if not now).

[Heisenberg]

This. I utilize a lot of streaming services but I refuse to watch Marquette games or Packers games on those services. It's far easier and I don't have to deal with the anxiety of a potential bad WiFi connection.

You have the same issue when you Zoom (or whatever service you use) with your office/employees/boss?

I used to have occasional outages or slowdowns when I had traditional cable-based internet, but I switched to fiber optic several months back and haven't had any problems. It's nice not having to worry about high demand by other users in my area.

This ... with 5G building out and fiber-optic widely available, this is a problem few have, and less have every day.

If this is really a problem, you should switch your service.

[Mr. Nielsen]

NBCUniversal's Peacock has struck a five-year deal worth more than $1 billion for exclusive streaming rights to World Wrestling Entertainment content. WWE Network now under Peacock

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Per local news, there will be no layoffs.  Personnel will rep do the sports work for all the NBC platforms. 
Did not realize in 2020, NBC closed Golf Channel operations in Florida and moved to Stamford.


Stamford-based NBC Sports to shut down NBCSN channel
by Paul Schott
Jan. 22, 2021 Updated: Jan. 22, 2021 7:51 p.m.
https://www.nhregister.com/business/article/Stamford-based-NBC-Sports-to-shut-down-NBCSN-15891103.php?src=nhrhpbusiness

[MU82]

This will never happen with streaming.  Soon you'll be able to watch every high school game in the country too (if not now).

Then I'm not concerned.

See the post above yours from ATL MU Warrior with the top primetime telecasts of 2020. So many sports. That's why the rights cost what they do. The networks have nowhere else to turn for compelling live entertainment that appeals to tens of millions of Americans.

I thought this was interesting, too. It talks about "streaming wars" being a battle of addition, not attrition. In other words, consumers are just signing up for more and more of them. It's kind of like cable of yesteryear, except consumers can make their own choices.

https://www.lightreading.com/cablevideo/streaming-wars-battle-of-addition-not-attrition---analyst-/d/d-id/766849

[MUBurrow]

Did not realize in 2020, NBC closed Golf Channel operations in Florida and moved to Stamford.

NBCUniversal's Peacock has struck a five-year deal worth more than $1 billion for exclusive streaming rights to World Wrestling Entertainment content. WWE Network now under Peacock

Man. Pour one out for everyone going from handling golf coverage in Florida to WWE coverage in Stamford in the years of our lord 2020-2021.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Man. Pour one out for everyone going from handling golf coverage in Florida to WWE coverage in Stamford in the years of our lord 2020-2021.

WWE is also based in Stamford.

[BM1090]

You have the same issue when you Zoom (or whatever service you use) with your office/employees/boss?

Nope. It happens very rarely, maybe one day per month. But I don't want that one day to begin halfway through a game I'm invested in.

[Billy Hoyle]

We already know that ESPN is hemorrhaging subscribers and laying off staff regularly.

https://www.primetimer.com/barnhart/mnf

But like so many other things happening in "these unprecedented times" (another nonsense phrase), COVID is merely accelerating a trend that was underway before the pandemic. Namely, the death of cable, or at least the death of ESPN as a premium cable brand.

That's been a common line from one side of the political spectrum but it's not accurate since viewers have to buy cable packages and cannot subscribe to and unsubscribe from individual channels (which John McCain proposed allowing in 2013 but went nowhere). ESPN may be losing subscribers but it's because of people cutting the cable cord.

As far as NBCSN, man, what will people do without being able to watch car shows now?

[MU82]

Just read this little snippet ...

CNN was the top-rated cable news network in prime time in 2020. It ranked 2nd among all cable networks behind ESPN with an average of 3.1 million viewers.

In other words, ESPN is the most-watched network of any kind.

[CTWarrior]

Just read this little snippet ...

CNN was the top-rated cable news network in prime time in 2020. It ranked 2nd among all cable networks behind ESPN with an average of 3.1 million viewers.

In other words, ESPN is the most-watched network of any kind.

I don't much about this stuff, but CBS, NBC and ABC don' average 3.1 million viewers?  Or is it because ESPN averages that 24 Hours/day and the big networks don't program that much?

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I don't much about this stuff, but CBS, NBC and ABC don' average 3.1 million viewers?  Or is it because ESPN averages that 24 Hours/day and the big networks don't program that much?

CBS, NBC and ABC aren't considered "cable" network. 
I think they are classified as "over-the-air broadcast" or something like that.

[shoothoops]

2020 TV rankings:

https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/network-ratings-2020-top-channels-fox-news-cnn-msnbc-cbs-1234866801/

[MU82]

Given the lack of live sports for months, and the growth of competition when there were live sports, I think the fact that ESPN's ratings slid only 16% was remarkable.

Showtime was down 19% and HBO down 38% even though people were trapped at home with nothing to do.

[CTWarrior]

CBS, NBC and ABC aren't considered "cable" network. 
I think they are classified as "over-the-air broadcast" or something like that.

I was responding to "network of any kind," but I figured it must have excluded broadcast networks.  Thanks for responding.

[MU82]

I was responding to "network of any kind," but I figured it must have excluded broadcast networks.  Thanks for responding.

Yes, the "network of any kind" line was mine, and I shouldn't have been so inclusive there. Management regrets the error!

[WarriorDentist]

Do "cable only" companies actually still exist? I have xfinity cable and outside of sports I use it to stream prob 90% of the time.

I just renewed for $130/month for internet and cable companies. The cheapest streaming alternative would have been $120/month (including internet). For $10 more I get the reliability of cable for sports and for non sports is essentially is a streaming service. Oh and I get an actual streaming service (Peacock) included as well.

[Knight Commission]

Not sure.