Bally Sports RSNs Are Reportedly Preparing For Bankruptcy

[lordodogg]

I was one of those 4 million viewers, by the way!

 

[Bruce]

The last one.. doomsday much?

It has been shrinking every year, just 6 years ago, average was more then double that, also aired on Football Nights, went up against Sunday, Monday, Thursday Night Football back then, but still averaged close to 10 Million Households.

I do wonder, since Fox does not have a streaming service, if that is affecting the audience size.

While for the NFL, you have options, do not get NBC, watch it on Peacock, NFL on CBS, watch on Paramount, MNF you can watch on ESPN+, etc.

 

[Bruce]

Alright some News, not good news at all, should put a stop to that Amazon malarkey, that I have since found out, the rumor came from Diamond themselves.

The National Hockey League’s TV contracts with Bally Sports are set to expire after the 2023-2024 season, according to Yahoo! Sports.

This comes as the NBA and MLB’s contracts with Bally Sports are also set to expire at the end of the season.

So the end of Ballys/Diamond will be, basically, the first week of October.

Now some logic, why would Amazon want to buy a company where all the deals have expired, when they can just make those deals themselves, properly at a reduced amount.

But since that rumor came from Diamond, Amazon might not even have any interest at all.

NHL and Bally Sports TV Contracts To End After This Season | Cord Cutters News

The National Hockey League’s TV contracts with Bally Sports are set to expire after the 2023-2024 season, according to Yahoo! Sports. Bally Sports is seeking approval to continue airing the NHL’s in-market games through the end of the season, according to a document filed with the U.S...

cordcuttersnews.com

 

[Phil T]

Any information on what is happening with the former AT&T SportsNets?
In Colorado AT&T SportsNet RockyMountain went off DirecTV a few months ago now but I have seen no information at all on plans for Colorado Rockies for 2024.

 

[Phil T]

Guess I will answer my own question.Still looks like nobody knows...

Tuesday Rockpile: What will happen with the Colorado Rockies television broadcasts?

Colorado Rockies news and links for Tuesday, December 12, 2023

www.purplerow.com

 

[Bruce]

Guess I will answer my own question.Still looks like nobody knows...

Tuesday Rockpile: What will happen with the Colorado Rockies television broadcasts?

Colorado Rockies news and links for Tuesday, December 12, 2023

www.purplerow.com

From that link-

According to the Forbes article Groke cites, about 15,000 watched each Rockies television broadcast in 2022. If my math is correct, the average television viewership of a Rockies game is less than half of those attending a game at Coors Field (32,467). In that past, those low numbers didn’t matter because regardless of who was (or wasn’t) watching, the Rockies got paid. That’s probably no longer the case

That is why RSN are failing, barely any ratings.

Here-Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area population in the U.S. 2010-2021. In 2021, the population of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metropolitan area in the United States was about 2.97 million people.

So only 15,000 watching out of almost 3 Million.

In household numbers, there are 1.14 Million in that area, so only 5,769 households are watching.

 

[savarese04]

15,000 watched each Rockies television broadcast in 2022.

That is figure households, not people. Rockies attendance is people. Average household size in CO is 2.60, so if you figure everyone in the house is watching the game, thats 39K people. Still not great by any means, but definitely not "half of attendance at the actual games"

 

[Bruce]

That is figure households, not people.

It does not say Households

Rockies attendance is people. Average household size in CO is 2.60, so if you figure everyone in the house is watching the game, thats 39K people.

I know that 2.6 is the average for all of the United States, but direct from the article-Groke cites, about 15,000 watched each Rockies television broadcast in 2022. If my math is correct, the average television viewership of a Rockies game is less than half of those attending a game at Coors Field (32,467).

Still not great by any means, but definitely not "half of attendance at the actual games"

Does not matter who’s number is correct, either is awful, shows why the RSN model of everyone paying should die, not fair for millions to pay for a channel that only a few thousand watch.

That RSN fee is a big part why I prefer streaming, if you want that content, you pay for it, not fair to make everyone else to do so.

I pay for the sports I want, I have NFL ST, ESPN+ ( for the Red Wings from back home), I have YTTV from September to January for College Football, I have no desire to watch Basketball and Baseball just bores me.

 

[Keith Brannen]

It does not say Households

Sure it does. From the Forbes article link chart: "AVG. HH VIEWERSHIP 2022 (000). Sloppy reporting in the purplerow.com story.

 

[Bruce]

Sure it does. From the Forbes article link chart: "AVG. HH VIEWERSHIP 2022 (000). Sloppy reporting in the purplerow.com story.

And still terrible, looking at that list, the Texas Rangers, only 21,000 Households out of Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area Population of 7,943,685, so divide by 2.6, is a Household population of 3 million, they have a RSN contract of $111 million.

Or the NY Yankees ,Metro Area Household Population of 7.5 Million, only 231,000 watch the games on Yes, that means over 7.2 million do not.

These channels get some of the highest per sub fees, average between $6-9 a month, yet only the extreme minority watch.

 

[Bruce]

Looks like the MLB has come to a agreement for the 2024 Season, the last on Ballys, except-

Three Bally Sports MLB teams are reported by SBJ not to be part of the agreement: The World Series Champion Texas Rangers, the Cleveland Guardians and the Minnesota Twins.

Tentative Deal Between Diamond Sports Group and MLB Reportedly Pays 9 Teams Their Full Bally Sports Bill, While the Twins, Guardians and Rangers Get Take-It-or-Leave-It Cut-Rate Offers

Major League Baseball has reportedly also floated a provision that would have it seize Diamond's 20% stake in the YES Network if the bankrupt RSN subsidiary reneged on the terms of the agreement

www.nexttv.com

 

[Bruce]

Court hearing today, looks like the Amazon deal was real, but a very low ball offer, $150 Million, which is only $40 Million more then what the Texas Rangers are supposed to receive this upcoming season.

From the Article-

“Diamond was trying to renegotiate with baseball to get digital rights on a long-term basis [for all the 11 teams] so they could bring in Amazon,” the source said

But it seems like MLB wants to cut out Diamond and strike its own streaming deals with Amazon or Apple starting in 2025.

Then this-

At the upcoming bankruptcy hearing in Houston, MLB will offer Diamond a deal that reduces the media rights fees it pays for three of the 11 teams in exchange for MLB gaining the digital rights for all Diamond teams in 2025, sources said.

Exclusive | Major League Baseball rejects Amazon’s $150M bid to bail out bankrupt Diamond Sports: sources

Major League Baseball rejected a proposed roughly $150 million lifeline extended by Amazon to the nation’s largest regional sports network as it languishes in bankruptcy, The Post has learned.

nypost.com

 

[comfortably_numb]

Exclusive | Major League Baseball rejects Amazon’s $150M bid to bail out bankrupt Diamond Sports: sources

Major League Baseball rejected a proposed roughly $150 million lifeline extended by Amazon to the nation’s largest regional sports network as it languishes in bankruptcy, The Post has learned.

nypost.com

Interesting comments on the NY Post article. Seems a lot of fans are souring on baseball. I, for one, stopped paying to stream Cardinals games after that stupid player salary strike a couple years ago. If it's not available to watch OTA, I won't be tuning in.

 

[Bruce]

Interesting comments on the NY Post article. Seems a lot of fans are souring on baseball. I, for one, stopped paying to stream Cardinals games after that stupid player salary strike a couple years ago. If it's not available to watch OTA, I won't be tuning in.

I have been posting the ratings, they are absolutely terrible, for example the LA Dodgers average 140,000 households watching per game in 2023.

But the LA Metro Area Household Population is 4.9 Million, that is roughly only 3% of the total area.

Or the World Series, just 7 years ago ( right before Cord Cutting started), had 12 Million Household Average, out of, at the time, 125 Million Households.

2023 World Series, 4 Million Households, out of 131 Million, roughly 3.1%

 

[comfortably_numb]

And Amazon thinks they'll get all these people to pay to watch their teams via streaming... not if you have to have Prime AND pay even more for your team's feed

 

[Bruce]

And Amazon thinks they'll get all these people to pay to watch their teams via streaming... not if you have to have Prime AND pay even more for your team's feed

Based on the amount they were offering, I do not believe they thought, that they would make a lot from the venture.

MLB is just going to have to get use to the fact, that only a extreme small minority watch, that they will never get the high contracts anymore for TV rights.

Just seven years ago, when Cable/Satellite had 100 Million subscribers, they had everyone paying that RSN per sub fee, now only 40-45 Million, shrinking everyday.

 

[comfortably_numb]

MLB is just going to have to get use to the fact, that only a extreme small minority watch, that that will never get the high contracts anymore for TV rights

Good! This is "right-sizing" in the truest sense.

 

[navychop]

MLB is just going to have to get use to the fact, that only a extreme small minority watch, that that will never get the high contracts anymore for TV rights.

QFT!

 

[Bruce]

10 day stay, Judge basically said this was the last chance for MLB/Diamond to come to a deal, my guess the Court is getting tired of this.

Diamond also wants another extension until………May, no ruling yet of course.

 

[Bruce]

Here is the link about the delay-

MLB's Court Hearing With Bally Sports is Delayed As 3 More MLB Teams Maybe Dropped | Cord Cutters News

Last month, during a court hearing, MLB lawyers said that a framework had been reached for a deal to have Bally Sports air the 2024 MLB season. The catch is three of the remaining MLB teams may be dropped by Bally Sports or have their contracts changed. Today was to be the court date to […]

cordcuttersnews.com