Warner+Fox+ESPN streaming service

[avid1010]

I think this new sports app will start at $35. I have You Tube TV and love it now with multiview.

Multiview was a thing of beauty with the 4 games last night.  I love Youtube TV...but as soon as the NBA wraps up I suspend it until NCAA BBall starts.  Sports are all we use it for...Netflix, Prime, etc... for everything else. 

[79Warrior]

I doubt they'll pull channels, but you can bet that big events will be only shown on that new service.

Why wouldn't they? They will not get that many subscribers if the if the other carriers continue to carry the same services. No one is going to pay for duplication.

[We R Final Four]

Multiview was a thing of beauty with the 4 games last night.  I love Youtube TV...but as soon as the NBA wraps up I suspend it until NCAA BBall starts.  Sports are all we use it for...Netflix, Prime, etc... for everything else.

We do the exact same. Works out great.

[Jockey]

Why wouldn't they? They will not get that many subscribers if the if the other carriers continue to carry the same services. No one is going to pay for duplication.

ESPN gets $12 for every cable subscriber. They ain't pullin' nothing.

[MU82]

Multiview was a thing of beauty with the 4 games last night.  I love Youtube TV...but as soon as the NBA wraps up I suspend it until NCAA BBall starts.  Sports are all we use it for...Netflix, Prime, etc... for everything else.

I'm a fairly recent YTTV subscriber. How does one suspend the service? And when one wants to return to it, is it as simple as a few clicks and it's back?

[Jockey]

I'm a fairly recent YTTV subscriber. How does one suspend the service? And when one wants to return to it, is it as simple as a few clicks and it's back?

Easy to do. Just logon to YTTV on your device and cancel. To get it back, use logon and add.

[21Jumpstreet]

I'm a fairly recent YTTV subscriber. How does one suspend the service? And when one wants to return to it, is it as simple as a few clicks and it's back?

I’m about to take the leap, enjoying it so far?

[MU82]

Easy to do. Just logon to YTTV on your device and cancel. To get it back, use logon and add.

Well that is easy. Looks like it's handled just like when I only want a month to catch up to shows on an app like Apple+, Peacock or Disney. Add it, watch stuff, cancel. Thanks for the answer.

I’m about to take the leap, enjoying it so far?

We've had it for about a month now. So far, no problems. I've found the DVR to be a little funky, but then again I haven't had one for awhile so I'm still getting used to it.

Right now they're offering $10 off each of the first 3 months, so that's a little beer money.

[THRILLHO]

Easy to do. Just logon to YTTV on your device and cancel. To get it back, use logon and add.

You will have no problem figuring out how to resubscribe because you will get constantly asked to almost every time you go to YouTube.

[Not A Serious Person]

This may be bearish long term for College Sports Media Rights . Depends on the fine print of the deal.

I agree with this, it will change the face of sports as we know it. Something has to give.

----

Is everyone here ready to spend $500+/year to watch sports?

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/06/espn-fox-and-warner-bros-discovery-to-launch-joint-sports-streaming-platform-this-year.html
While no price has been determined, a logical starting point could be $45 or $50 per month with introductory pricing lower to entice signups, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named because the discussions around the service have been private. A second person added that even with promotional pricing, the service will cost more than $30 per month.


They will have to cut sports off of cable/free TV to make this work, forcing you to buy this product to get sports and not "giving it away" anymore. Otherwise, what is the point of this effort?

And once you are done paying this for sports, you have to pay more for other streaming services. So take your YT price and add $500+/year.

Because sports have a business model where 80% of their revenue comes from people who do not watch their product. Now those who watch sports will have to pay a lot to get the same thing.

---

In December 2023, ESPN had 70.34 million cable subscribers, each paying $~9/month, or $620 million/month,
https://www.sportstvratings.com/p/nielsens-december-cable-coverage

This is down from over 110 million a decade ago. Currently, that is 125 million TV households. So, 55 million no longer have cable, and cord-cutting is accelerating. We are not going back.

This past season, ESPN averaged 17.36 million viewers for Monday Night Football (ESPN's NFL offering). Restated, 70 million people pay for ESPN, but only 17.36 million (~24%) watched the NFL on ESPN. Why? Again, they pay for cable and get ESPN even though they are not interested. And the cable company sends ESPN $9/month.

ESPN pays the NFL $2.7 billion/year for the MNF broadcast rights.

This works when the cable business model allows them to extract $9/month for 52 million households that do not watch MNF to pay these rights fees. But this business model is ending. So, $2.7 billion has to be paid by 17.26 million, or every football fan has to pay $155 to watch MNF. Is MNF that important to you?

Are they going to pay for it? See the post above on how they are trying to arbitrage YT by constantly subscribing and unsubscribing to save money.  Doesn't sound like they are ready to spend hundreds of dollars a year to watch sports.

If sports fans are not going to pay these rights fees, the business model will change (over the next few years).

This means sports are at a crossroads. Sports fans have to pay up to get what they get now for "free," or leagues and colleges are about to get much less.  Which will it be?

This story from yesterday answers this question.

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/streaming-venture-from-espn-fox-and-warner-blindsides-sports-leagues-e6c1fbcc

Streaming Venture From ESPN, Fox and Warner Blindsides Sports Leagues
NFL, NBA digest details of new platform looming over their businesses

Professional sports leagues including the National Football League and National Basketball Association were kept in the dark about the new sports-centric streaming service being launched by Walt Disney Co., Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, people familiar with the matter said.

--

Why were they not told? Becuase they are not going to like it!

[Uncle Rico]

I agree with this, it will change the face of sports as we know it. Something has to give.

----

Is everyone here ready to spend $500+/year to watch sports?

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/06/espn-fox-and-warner-bros-discovery-to-launch-joint-sports-streaming-platform-this-year.html
While no price has been determined, a logical starting point could be $45 or $50 per month with introductory pricing lower to entice signups, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named because the discussions around the service have been private. A second person added that even with promotional pricing, the service will cost more than $30 per month.


They will have to cut sports off of cable/free TV to make this work, forcing you to buy this product to get sports and not "giving it away" anymore. Otherwise, what is the point of this effort?

And once you are done paying this for sports, do you have to pay more for other streaming services? So take your YT price and add $500+/year.

Because sports have a business model where 80% of their revenue comes from people who do not watch their product. Now those who watch sports will have to pay a lot to get the same thing.

---

In December 2023, ESPN had 70.34 million cable subscribers, each paying $~9/month, or $620 million/month,
https://www.sportstvratings.com/p/nielsens-december-cable-coverage

This is down from over 110 million a decade ago. Currently, that is 125 million TV households. So, 55 million no longer have cable, and cord-cutting is accelerating. We are not going back.

This past season, ESPN averaged 17.36 million viewers for Monday Night Football (ESPN's NFL offering). Restated, 70 million people pay for ESPN, but only 17.36 million (~24%) watched the NFL on ESPN. Why? Again, they pay for cable and get ESPN even though they are not interested. And the cable company sends ESPN $9/month.

ESPN pays the NFL $2.7 billion/year for the MNF broadcast rights.

This works when the cable business model allows them to extract $9/month for 52 million households that do not watch for MNF to pay these rights fees. But this business model is ending. So, $2.7 billion has to be paid by 17.26 million, or every football fan has to pay $155 to watch MNF. Is MNF that important to you?

Are they going to pay for it? See the post above on how they are trying to arbitrage YT by constantly subscribing and unsubscribing to save money.  Doesn't sound like they are ready to spend hundreds of dollars a year to watch sports.

If sports fans are not going to pay these rights fees, the business model is going to change (over the next few years).

This means sports are at a crossroads. Either that has to get you to pay up, or leagues and colleges are about to get much less.  Which will it be?

I think this from yesterday answers the story.

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/streaming-venture-from-espn-fox-and-warner-blindsides-sports-leagues-e6c1fbcc

Streaming Venture From ESPN, Fox and Warner Blindsides Sports Leagues
NFL, NBA digest details of new platform looming over their businesses

Professional sports leagues including the National Football League and National Basketball Association were kept in the dark about the new sports-centric streaming service being launched by Walt Disney Co., Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, people familiar with the matter said.

--

Why were they not told? Becuase they are not going to like it!

NFL next rights deal might be $20 billion now

[Not A Serious Person]

NFL next rights deal might be $20 billion now

And who is paying for it? Will you spend $1,500/year to watch the NFL?

[Uncle Rico]

And who is paying for it? Will you spend $1,500/year to watch the NFL?

The networks

[MU82]

Doomed!

[Not A Serious Person]

NFL next rights deal might be $20 billion now

The face of sports is changing, and if Rico is correct (he usually is not), and the NFL will get $20 billion in broadcast rights fees, we (sports fans) will have to pay as much as ticket prices to watch it on TV. See the highlight part below, and Rico, get your credit card out!

(To be clear, sports popularity is not going away, but their business model was to get everyone in the country to pay for their broadcast rights, even though the vast majority did not watch it. This is changing with streaming. Now, only those who watch it pay for it. That means sports fans have to start paying and paying for things they got "for free.")

----

Super Bowl Broadcast Is a Crossroads for CBS Sports
https://dnyuz.com/2024/02/09/super-bowl-broadcast-is-a-crossroads-for-cbs-sports/

Still, nearly every media company is confronting soaring sports rights fees while trying to juggle challenges. Those include cord cutting, diminishing advertising revenue and streaming businesses that are bleeding cash. Three companies — Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox — announced on Tuesday that they would jointly begin a new sports streaming service this year, to better control their fate in a changing world. Paramount, however, will not be part of that service.

Like other media companies, Paramount, which also owns cable networks like Nickelodeon and MTV, has been hurt by cable television’s decline. According to financial filings, Paramount has committed to more than $30 billion in future payments, the vast majority for sports rights. That is more than what the stock market says Paramount is worth. The company’s streaming service, Paramount+, lost hundreds of millions of dollars last year, and several analysts are skeptical whether it will even exist in its present form in a few years.

[wadesworld]

The face of sports is changing, and if Rico is correct (he usually is not), and the NFL will get $20 billion in broadcast rights fees, we (sports fans) will have to pay as much as ticket prices to watch it on TV. See the highlight part above, and Rico, get your credit card out!

(To be clear, sports popularity is not going away, but their business model was to get everyone in the country to pay for their broadcast rights, even though the vast majority did not watch it. This is changing with streaming. Now, only those who watch it pay for it. That means sports fans have to start paying and paying for things they got "for free.")

----

Super Bowl Broadcast Is a Crossroads for CBS Sports
https://dnyuz.com/2024/02/09/super-bowl-broadcast-is-a-crossroads-for-cbs-sports/

Still, nearly every media company is confronting soaring sports rights fees while trying to juggle challenges. Those include cord cutting, diminishing advertising revenue and streaming businesses that are bleeding cash. Three companies — Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox — announced on Tuesday that they would jointly begin a new sports streaming service this year, to better control their fate in a changing world. Paramount, however, will not be part of that service.

Like other media companies, Paramount, which also owns cable networks like Nickelodeon and MTV, has been hurt by cable television’s decline. According to financial filings, Paramount has committed to more than $30 billion in future payments, the vast majority for sports rights. That is more than what the stock market says Paramount is worth. The company’s streaming service, Paramount+, lost hundreds of millions of dollars last year, and several analysts are skeptical whether it will even exist in its present form in a few years.

Every post you make the price a sports fan will pay per year is going up.

[Not A Serious Person]

Every post you make the price a sports fan will pay per year is going up.

Or the price to watch sports is not going up and up, and the leagues and conferences will have to deal with declining revenues. They are not built for this.

What happens if MU is a mainstay in the top 10 and the school cannot make money off it (because the BE TV rights deal crashes, along with all other TV rights deals)?

[Hards Alumni]

If I have to subscribe to a service for $10-$20 per month to see my games, I'll just abandon and find other stuff to do with my time, and I won't be alone.

[Uncle Rico]

The face of sports is changing, and if Rico is correct (he usually is not), and the NFL will get $20 billion in broadcast rights fees, we (sports fans) will have to pay as much as ticket prices to watch it on TV. See the highlight part below, and Rico, get your credit card out!

(To be clear, sports popularity is not going away, but their business model was to get everyone in the country to pay for their broadcast rights, even though the vast majority did not watch it. This is changing with streaming. Now, only those who watch it pay for it. That means sports fans have to start paying and paying for things they got "for free.")

----

Super Bowl Broadcast Is a Crossroads for CBS Sports
https://dnyuz.com/2024/02/09/super-bowl-broadcast-is-a-crossroads-for-cbs-sports/

Still, nearly every media company is confronting soaring sports rights fees while trying to juggle challenges. Those include cord cutting, diminishing advertising revenue and streaming businesses that are bleeding cash. Three companies — Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox — announced on Tuesday that they would jointly begin a new sports streaming service this year, to better control their fate in a changing world. Paramount, however, will not be part of that service.

Like other media companies, Paramount, which also owns cable networks like Nickelodeon and MTV, has been hurt by cable television’s decline. According to financial filings, Paramount has committed to more than $30 billion in future payments, the vast majority for sports rights. That is more than what the stock market says Paramount is worth. The company’s streaming service, Paramount+, lost hundreds of millions of dollars last year, and several analysts are skeptical whether it will even exist in its present form in a few years.

Imagine, in the year 2024, thinking the NFL won’t get what they want.  They could have 32 Colin Kaepernick’s making you cry and they’d still get what they want but sure, go ahead and tell us they won’t.  Your track record on these things is impeccable 

[TallTitan34]

They could have 32 Colin Kaepernick’s making you cry and they’d still get what they want but sure, go ahead and tell us they won’t.

I'd like to see a Venn diagram of the people who were never going to watch the NFL again after the kneeling and people who complain about Taylor being shown on TV for 24 seconds.

[Uncle Rico]

I'd like to see a Venn diagram of the people who were never going to watch the NFL again after the kneeling and people who complain about Taylor being shown on TV for 24 seconds.

One of them is here telling us sports viewership is doomed.

The Super Bowl halftime show could have a billion drag queens reading to kids and it’ll still be the most viewed event of the year

[79Warrior]

ESPN gets $12 for every cable subscriber. They ain't pullin' nothing.

Cable is done. It is a money losing business. The future is streaming.

[wadesworld]

Or the price to watch sports is not going up and up, and the leagues and conferences will have to deal with declining revenues. They are not built for this.

What happens if MU is a mainstay in the top 10 and the school cannot make money off it (because the BE TV rights deal crashes, along with all other TV rights deals)?

TV prices/streaming services are the only things going up in price in this world.  Everything else has stayed steady for decades.  I paid $300/semester from 2007-2011 at MU.  We just bought our house for $75K last year.  Think I'll buy a $5 foot long from Subway for dinner and then get 3 items off the dollar menu at McDonald's for dinner.  Everything is great, but I'll have to stop watching sports because that's going up.

[Sandstone]

As is always the case, prime will be of prime importance.

YouTube TV is $73/month and includes all the sports networks the new service does except ESPN+. It also includes a few sports networks the new service doesn't, such as CBS SportsNet, NBA Network, Golf Channel, etc. As well as numerous basic cable channels - AMC, FX, and so on.

If they charge $50 for the new service, would one rather pay $23 more and get all the other stuff? How about if they charge only $40?

YTTV is $82 a month.

The rexent critcism of YTTV is their price went from $35 in 2019, to $82 in 2023, while dropping several sports channels during that time.

They haven't had Sinclair/Ballys Sports Regionals in many years. They dropped MLB Network Tennis Channel etc...

There are several good things about YTTV but the above is not among them.

[MU82]

YTTV is $82 a month.

The rexent critcism of YTTV is their price went from $35 in 2019, to $82 in 2023, while dropping several sports channels during that time.

They haven't had Sinclair/Ballys Sports Regionals in many years. They dropped MLB Network Tennis Channel etc...

There are several good things about YTTV but the above is not among them.

I'm looking right at the add that says $72.99/month - discounted to $62.99 for the first 3 months for new customers.

https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/

The rest of the stuff doesn't apply to me because I wasn't a subscriber when it was dirt cheap and had those channels.