Author Topic: MASN 2019 streaming options? (Updated for 2020)  (Read 4414 times)

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Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #50: January 23, 2020, 08:47:56 AM »
None of this helps those of us who miss watching Nats Talk Live on Saturdays or the post game shows :(
I do miss the pre/post game stuff.   mlb.tv app does have the radio pre/post game feeds, so I do put those on sometimes.

Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #51: February 27, 2020, 01:18:04 PM »
Some interesting news in this area today.  YTTV dropped all the Sinclair Sports Nets.

https://twitter.com/YouTubeTV/status/1233086055525634048

This is after Dish/Sling dropped them several months ago and stated they will likely never return.

Only Hulu live is the only streaming service to carry them at the moment, and they may have the same fate.

I have to think MLB is considering some action now that the majority of teams will suddenly not be available to any streaming services.   I don't know what that looks like exactly, but I'm holding out slim hope that it will help Nats games find a streaming home.

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #52: February 27, 2020, 01:38:12 PM »
Some interesting news in this area today.  YTTV dropped all the Sinclair Sports Nets.

https://twitter.com/YouTubeTV/status/1233086055525634048

This is after Dish/Sling dropped them several months ago and stated they will likely never return.

Only Hulu live is the only streaming service to carry them at the moment, and they may have the same fate.

I have to think MLB is considering some action now that the majority of teams will suddenly not be available to any streaming services.   I don't know what that looks like exactly, but I'm holding out slim hope that it will help Nats games find a streaming home.

YTTV and the like walk a fine line- access to sports and networks is really their only value proposition

Offline 1995hoo

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #53: February 27, 2020, 02:24:28 PM »
So exactly which ones are the Sinclair networks? We just switched to YouTube TV last weekend after 19 years with DirecTV.

Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #54: February 27, 2020, 02:26:48 PM »
So exactly which ones are the Sinclair networks? We just switched to YouTube TV last weekend after 19 years with DirecTV.
Sinclair bought all the Fox Regional Sports Networks.   They cover local games for 15 teams.  It doesn't directly affect Nats fans since MASN has never been on a streaming service.

Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #55: February 27, 2020, 02:29:14 PM »
YTTV and the like walk a fine line- access to sports and networks is really their only value proposition
Content is so expensive for them though, that YTTV is not making much money anyway and has priced themselves about as high as price conscious cord cutters will pay.   Local sports teams average about 5-10% viewership of subscribers, so they are willing to take a hit of whatever percentage of those care enough to drop the service.


Online HalfSmokes

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #56: February 27, 2020, 02:41:45 PM »
Sinclair bought all the Fox Regional Sports Networks.   They cover local games for 15 teams.  It doesn't directly affect Nats fans since MASN has never been on a streaming service.

csn is also not part of this - a lot of hockey and basketball fans are getting hit by this. Sinclair paid a lot for the networks, but they're making themselves even more reliant on cable; much easier for the providers to but the screws to them is they can't advertise that you can drop cable and use a steaming service

Offline 1995hoo

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #57: February 27, 2020, 02:56:02 PM »
Sinclair bought all the Fox Regional Sports Networks.   They cover local games for 15 teams.  It doesn't directly affect Nats fans since MASN has never been on a streaming service.

I knew the bolded part. I just wasn't sure what other channels it affected. I didn't think it would affect Caps games because I figured we would have heard a lot more about it if that were the case. Guess I won't worry much about it for now. I do have to set up appropriate measures for this baseball season, though.

Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #58: February 28, 2020, 09:42:39 AM »
Comcast has stated today, they are not going to renew the Sinclair sports nets when they are up in September.    They also aren't picking up the Cubs new channel.

The RSN bubble is finally popping!    Dodgers and Cubs aren't going to be available for a big chunk of fans next year.   Half the other teams are losing coverage quickly.   

This could quickly turn into a pretty big story for MLB/NHL/NBA local revenue.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #59: February 28, 2020, 09:49:20 AM »
Comcast has stated today, they are not going to renew the Sinclair sports nets when they are up in September.    They also aren't picking up the Cubs new channel.

The RSN bubble is finally popping!    Dodgers and Cubs aren't going to be available for a big chunk of fans next year.   Half the other teams are losing coverage quickly.   

This could quickly turn into a pretty big story for MLB/NHL/NBA local revenue.
So if you have no local cable channel do you still get blacked out for local broadcasts on MLB TV?

Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #60: February 28, 2020, 09:50:37 AM »
So if you have no local cable channel do you still get blacked out for local broadcasts on MLB TV?
Yep

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #61: February 28, 2020, 09:50:38 AM »
So if you have no local cable channel do you still get blacked out for local broadcasts on MLB TV?

yes- they want angry fans to pressure cable providers to pick up the RSNs

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #62: February 28, 2020, 10:05:30 AM »

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #63: February 28, 2020, 10:06:15 AM »
yes- they want angry fans to pressure cable providers to pick up the RSNs
I’ll leave it up to Bloomberg. He has the dough they understand.

Offline DCFan

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #64: February 28, 2020, 10:10:15 AM »
Just a bit unfair.

Hasn’t worked in LA as the big cable company there hasn’t broadcast Dodgers games for a number of years because of a fee dispute.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #65: February 28, 2020, 10:11:35 AM »
Hasn’t worked in LA as the big cable company there hasn’t broadcast Dodgers games for a number of years because of a fee dispute.
I would assume the dedicated fans either listen to the radio or spoof their locations to get the broadcasts. People adapt.

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #66: February 28, 2020, 10:14:13 AM »
I would assume the dedicated fans either listen to the radio or spoof their locations to get the broadcasts. People adapt.

speaking of radio https://nypost.com/2020/02/22/oakland-athletics-radio-fiasco-is-mlb-slap-in-the-face/

Offline machpost

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #67: February 28, 2020, 11:42:46 AM »
If you're looking to watch the Nats on cable this season, don't become an RCN customer. They dropped MASN and MASN2 last year at the end of June and there's no sign that they'll ever return. I'm preparing to switch back to Comcast.

Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #68: February 28, 2020, 01:37:43 PM »
I'd say that Comcast could ditch them too soon, but I think they are still federally mandated to carry them since they own a competing RSN in the market.

While I somewhat support the reasoning that Comcast shouldn't be allowed to use their vertical integration in an anti-competitive way, it seems morally wrong that the federal government is essentially forcing the 95% of Comcast subscribers who don't watch the Nats and O's to contribute $30-40 a year to billionaire owners and millionaire athletes.   

This model needs to die and sports business needs a correction.

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #69: February 28, 2020, 02:26:26 PM »
I'd say that Comcast could ditch them too soon, but I think they are still federally mandated to carry them since they own a competing RSN in the market.

While I somewhat support the reasoning that Comcast shouldn't be allowed to use their vertical integration in an anti-competitive way, it seems morally wrong that the federal government is essentially forcing the 95% of Comcast subscribers who don't watch the Nats and O's to contribute $30-40 a year to billionaire owners and millionaire athletes.   

This model needs to die and sports business needs a correction.

I wonder if the rules are must carry on standard tier or must carry on same tier as the RSN you own? I could see Comcast moving CSN to a sports tier and doing the same to MASN next time around if they were able

Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #70: February 28, 2020, 05:13:52 PM »
I wonder if the rules are must carry on standard tier or must carry on same tier as the RSN you own? I could see Comcast moving CSN to a sports tier and doing the same to MASN next time around if they were able
That would be complicated for them too.  Can they convince Verizon and Directv, etc to keep CSN on the lowest tier if they put it on their own sports tier?   I'd imagine, if anything, they'd be looking to sell off CSNs, which would get them out of having to carry MASN, but I don't think anyone is looking to buy RSNs any more.


Online HalfSmokes

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #71: February 28, 2020, 06:50:55 PM »
Does CSN have high enough ratings that they shouldn’t expect other carriers to do that regardless?

Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #72: February 28, 2020, 07:36:37 PM »
Does CSN have high enough ratings that they shouldn’t expect other carriers to do that regardless?
Nope, but they play the "if you want USA, Bravo, MSNBC, NBC O&Os... you need to put CSN on your basic tier" card.   Fox used to the play the same game with their Sports Nets, but Sinclair doesn't have the leverage and everyone is telling them to pound sand.  Half the MLB's TV deals are in real risk right now. 

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #73: February 28, 2020, 07:39:21 PM »
Nope, but they play the "if you want USA, Bravo, MSNBC, NBC O&Os... you need to put CSN on your basic tier" card.   Fox used to the play the same game with their Sports Nets, but Sinclair doesn't have the leverage and everyone is telling them to pound sand.  Half the MLB's TV deals are in real risk right now. 

As a cord cutter, I hope so. The sooner the bubble implodes, the sooner mlb.tv airs games in market

Offline nfotiu

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Re: MASN 2019 streaming options?
« Reply #74: February 28, 2020, 08:30:14 PM »
As a cord cutter, I hope so. The sooner the bubble implodes, the sooner mlb.tv airs games in market
Yep, I agree.  I don't think that is the end game though.   My guess is someone like Amazon, Disney/ESPN+, Peacock, HBO Max.. buys up a package of local in market streaming to make a splash for their streaming service.