ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros and Discovery to launch streaming sports network

[rick64]

ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery Forming Joint Venture to Launch Streaming Sports Service in the U.S.

Warner Bros. Discovery, a premier global media and entertainment company, offers audiences the world's most differentiated and complete portfolio of content, brands and franchises across television, film, streaming and gaming. The new company combines WarnerMedia's premium entertainment, sports...

wbd.com

 

[AustinTXCat]

Good. Unfortunately, WBD failed to move positively or negatively thus far. Perhaps announcement came after market close.

There's always tomorrow.

 

[Glenn's take]

I could very easily see dropping YouTubeTV if it was much cheaper.

 

[hmt5000]

The whole benefit of streaming was that you could get stuff a la carte. They are going to get this so that you have to constantly get different streamers to watch different sports or teams. It's already worse than cable. LOL.

 

[roguemocha]

I could very easily see dropping YouTubeTV if it was much cheaper.

It won’t be, it’ll be about the same as everything else, but can they/will they pull their content from YouTube tv?

 

[AustinTXCat]

Meh, increased 3% in after-hours trading.

 

[AmericanDragon]

I could very easily see dropping YouTubeTV if it was much cheaper.

You'll be lucky if it's under $50 after the initial cheap offers to encourage sign up expire.

 

[H-D cat]

The whole benefit of streaming was that you could get stuff a la carte. They are going to get this so that you have to constantly get different streamers to watch different sports or teams. It's already worse than cable. LOL.

I agree in part with what you're saying, but to me, the absolute worst parts of cable or satellite were 1) the contract you had to sign, often 2-3 years, 2) the hardware requirement that tied you to the service, and 3) the difficulty in canceling. As long as streaming continues to solve those three things (no contracts, no hardware, online canceling or suspension at any time), I don't think the bundling model is necessarily a bad thing.

 

[roguemocha]

Yeah the ability to pause my YTTV account after the tourney and the Masters all summer until FBall season is great. Do it every year and my buddy gives me his MLB Network password and I have that all summer.

I barely watch tv in the summer anyway.

 

[hmt5000]

I agree in part with what you're saying, but to me, the absolute worst parts of cable or satellite were 1) the contract you had to sign, often 2-3 years, 2) the hardware requirement that tied you to the service, and 3) the difficulty in canceling. As long as streaming continues to solve those three things (no contracts, no hardware, online canceling or suspension at any time), I don't think the bundling model is necessarily a bad thing.

agreed... but it's just getting started. We are probably going to end up with 4 or 5 streamers when this all shakes out. Most streamers are losing money and that can't go on forever. I just fear we'll have to have D+ for espn, Amazon Prime for a couple SEC games, Youtube for a few BBall games... they need money and sports leagues are demanding more and more for rights. Ad revenue is down across the board, so it looks like they are going to have to raise rates a bunch.

 

[Col. Angus]

I’ll just keep my YouTubeTV. Only have it for the DVR and sports. Wife pays for HBO Max, Hulu, Disney +, Amazon Prime, and Netflix like a dumbass. That’s fine by me. Never watch em anyway.

 

[funKYcat75]

As long as I don't miss any UK games (ESPN) the Tourney (TNT, for some games) and the World Series (FOX) they can do whatever they want. I'd imagine the backlash from trying to put Tourney games on paid streaming would be very bad.

 

[roguemocha]

It’s the same as someone said they think the SB will be PPV one day and I said no way. You have 250 million people watching as it is now, you’d lose a TON of eyeballs if you did that, mine included.

I don’t give one flying touch about the SB unless the Pack is in it or it’s because I’m meeting up with friends. I could EASILY not watch it. Or you’ll just have more house parties which is still less money.

 

[vhcat70]

agreed... but it's just getting started. We are probably going to end up with 4 or 5 streamers when this all shakes out. Most streamers are losing money and that can't go on forever. I just fear we'll have to have D+ for espn, Amazon Prime for a couple SEC games, Youtube for a few BBall games... they need money and sports leagues are demanding more and more for rights. Ad revenue is down across the board, so it looks like they are going to have to raise rates a bunch.

I think Prime is in trouble.

 

[delk4three]

I would get this service for college football season and then cancel. The free ad supported services give me more than enough to watch the rest of the year.

 

[jameslee32]

Amazon acquired the broadcasting rights to 5 MLB teams in the Bally Sports bankruptcy. Should they bring the others into the fold including many NBA, NHL teams and keep the NFL rights, sports streamers may only need two subscriptions.

Amazon to help save bankrupt Diamond Sports with $100M deal to stream five MLB teams: sources

Amazon is poised to stream the games of five Major League Baseball teams this season after extending a roughly $100 million lifeline to bankrupt broadcaster Diamond Sports —…

nypost.com

 

[bbonds]

Weird that it’s TNT, TBS and likely TruTV, but not CBS. That’s gonna touch the tournament up quite a bit. (I know Disney owns ABC)

 

[hmt5000]

After listening to Disney quarterly call I think the people predicting that Disney would cannibalize Hulu in order to prop up D+ and ESPN were right. Bob basically admitted some of the changes they are making will negatively affect Hulu.

 

[WonderBraa]

It’s the same as someone said they think the SB will be PPV one day and I said no way. You have 250 million people watching as it is now, you’d lose a TON of eyeballs if you did that, mine included.

I don’t give one flying touch about the SB unless the Pack is in it or it’s because I’m meeting up with friends. I could EASILY not watch it. Or you’ll just have more house parties which is still less money.

Don’t agree with that. I think 123 million watched the Super Bowl. Cut that in half to be conservative and charge $80. They’ll make billions.

 

[hmt5000]

Don’t agree with that. I think 123 million watched the Super Bowl. Cut that in half to be conservative and charge $80. They’ll make billions.

What is going to hurt sports is highlights. NBA is losing live viewers because most games people want to see the insane plays and not each play.... Agree SB and NBA finals would be different but they still are going to want billions soon for broadcast right. NBA isn't much different from And1 now.

 

[WonderBraa]

What is going to hurt sports is highlights. NBA is losing live viewers because most games people want to see the insane plays and not each play.... Agree SB and NBA finals would be different but they still are going to want billions soon for broadcast right. NBA isn't much different from And1 now.

The television companies already pay like 2 billion for the superbowl. Lots of money made up from ads.

 

[hmt5000]

The television companies already pay like 2 billion for the superbowl. Lots of money made up from ads.

I know. Just saying... ad revenue is drying up because viewers have soooo many choices and return on investment isn't what it used to be. Like on the nba... Their YouTube channel get multi millions of hits on highlights. Live games only get a few million views. Why would a co advertise with the nba on a game for $20 million when they can advertise on YT clips for $2 million?

It's hard to say overall. TV isn't done changing and feel like none of us will recognize tv viewership in another 4 years. LOL

 

[UK-chulo]

I know. Just saying... ad revenue is drying up because viewers have soooo many choices and return on investment isn't what it used to be. Like on the nba... Their YouTube channel get multi millions of hits on highlights. Live games only get a few million views. Why would a co advertise with the nba on a game for $20 million when they can advertise on YT clips for $2 million?

It's hard to say overall. TV isn't done changing and feel like none of us will recognize tv viewership in another 4 years. LOL

Younger generations are consuming sports differently than we have.

 

[specialkd24]

ESPN+ by itself is $11 ... so this package would be at least $50 (maybe a cheaper intro offer).

YouTube Tv will probably go up in price, but it is more valuable to me (to get other channels, even if I don't watch them regularly) than to downsize to just this sports package.

 

[LowerLevelSeatA]

Maybe easy to say now but they split sports into streaming packages that cost more, I may just go without sports. Like a lot of America, my attitude/passion/dedication to sports has changed over the years. Put that along with inflation and may just be time to say yeah, it’s really not a necessity in my life.