Regional sports channels

[ttomni6]

Actually, the sports leagues should get rid of, or at least threaten to get rid of, the stupid blackout rules. Perhaps specifically target the markets where the RSN's are no longer available.

Then we can subscribe to a sports package (like the MLB and NHL packages) and see the games.

If confronted with that possibility, Sinclair might be more inclined to negotiate realistically.

 

[Tar Heel]

I'm lucky to be a Cubs fan in North Carolina. I can get Extra Innings or subscribe to mlb.tv to see all of the games. I'm not as fortunate as a Hurricanes fan in North Carolina.

 

[osu1991]

Sinclair Could Launch RSN Direct to Consumer Service

Sinclair Could Launch RSN Direct-to-Consumer Service

A week after Charlie Ergen lamented that Sinclair didn’t own the Fox RSNs when their contract expired with DISH, Sinclair offered further optimism.

www.cablefax.com

 

[zippyfrog]

So in the past 8 months, Dish, FuboTV, and now YouTube TV is going to drop the RSN's. If Sinclair does launch RSN Direct to Consumer, that is basically a-la-carte, and let the Cable/Satellite services sell them as an add-on for the same price as Sinclair's direct to RSN service.

 

[NashGuy]

So in the past 8 months, Dish, FuboTV, and now YouTube TV is going to drop the RSN's. If Sinclair does launch RSN Direct to Consumer, that is basically a-la-carte, and let the Cable/Satellite services sell them as an add-on for the same price as Sinclair's direct to RSN service.

I doubt that happens. I think the idea of launching their own DTC service is an empty threat. I don't think the economics would work out for Sinclair if they did this. Right now, they're trying to hold the line with cable operators to get the prices they need for Diamond Sports, their RSN subsidiary, to be profitable. If they can't end up striking enough carriage deals to make it work, they may just declare bankruptcy (Diamond, not Sinclair overall). Who knows what happens then.

 

[TKC1963]

I really have no option to get the Cubs Marquee Network because I’m in the middle of a two-year deal with DISH. My bad!


Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[dare2be]

Not necessarily. While sports fans represent a big chunk of viewers, they are not in the majority. Assuming they can’t come up with a deal, possibly they could shift a bit and make deals with some of those other channels they don’t have now.

RSNs are in trouble, they cost too much and the only way they’ve managed to do as well as they have so far is that the true cost of having them was not exposed and was subsidized by the majority that don’t care about them. Going forward the RSNs will have to figure out how to survive without cable/sat/streamers willing to pony up the money. And in the end we pay for it.

He was joking, using Sinclair's statement about Dish becoming irrelevant.

 

[TomD]

RSN model is taking $5 a person across 90% of the company's customers. This is the model that DISH does not like. And if DISH gets a different deal, then competitors are entitled to that deal and the model breaks down.

This is the standstill.

Do an RSN fee on all? Then ALL customers are paying for it, like before. Not everyone watches the RSNs (in fact, most don't) and that is the issue in the first place.

Sorry, it was a play on what the chairman of Sinclair said when Dish dropped them.

 

[TomD]

Sinclair is in danger of getting checkmated. The only streaming service that carries them now is Hulu. With Comcast negotiation coming up soon, they are going to be forced to make a reasonable deal. If not, what are they going to say? “Go to Direct TV or Hulu”? In other words, overpay or go to a streaming service that will probably drop FS as well due to the competition they face.

 

[Phil T]

I like what Dish is proposing to Altitude but they will never accept it.

Dish pitches a la carte option to Altitude TV | Light Reading

In open offer, Dish proposes to offer Altitude at a price set by the regional sports network, with 100% of revenues going to Altitude. Altitude reportedly called such an at-will deal 'a death knell' to the RSN biz.

www.lightreading.com

 

[dare2be]

I like what Dish is proposing to Altitude but they will never accept it.

Dish pitches a la carte option to Altitude TV | Light Reading

In open offer, Dish proposes to offer Altitude at a price set by the regional sports network, with 100% of revenues going to Altitude. Altitude reportedly called such an at-will deal 'a death knell' to the RSN biz.

www.lightreading.com

Sooo, RIP.

 

[zippyfrog]

https://seekingalpha.com/article/43...-on-q4-2019-results-earnings-call?part=single

If you read the Sinclair earnings transcript, there are a couple of interesting nuggets in there:

"We continue to have discussions with Dish for the carriage of the RSNs and remain confident that our two companies will eventually reach mutually acceptable carriage agreement."

That to me is shocking - from Sinclair's perspective, they feel they are going to come to an agreement for the RSN's. Then later on, they talk more about Dish and the RSN's as being a temporary issue:

Well I mean so far Diamond is outside of the DISH blackout. Diamond is on track for what we – we've indicated all along and so really the way we think of it because we don't believe DISH, RSNs and DISH is at a permanent state. You're really just looking at an elevated temporary elevated leverage until they come on.

Very interesting perspective Sinclair has of the RSN's.

 

[ChadT41]

For all those people who say they are not negotiating...

 

[dishrich]

Very interesting perspective Sinclair has of the RSN's.

Yea, kinda like how they report their "news"...

 

[TomD]

What else is Baghdad Bob” going to say on an earnings call? “Even though Dish, Sling, YouTube, and Fubu dropped us all is well and we expect to be back on soon”

 

[PortlandChris]

Youtube pulling back and changed the game. I guess Comcast's contract comes up in June.

I fully expect something to give here soon. Sinclair will either go to BK court or will cut a deal that will force it to BK court sooner than later. This model is not sustainable/

 

[PortlandChris]

Current DISH deal to Altitude - see Dish pitches a la carte option to Altitude TV | Light Reading

• Launch Altitude TV on Dish within 24 hours, and launch Altitude "shortly thereafter" on Sling TV, the Dish-owned streaming service.
• Enable Altitude to tell Dish what price to charge fans. Customers get to choose if they want to pay for and receive the games. Dish says it will cover the operational costs.
• Have 100% of the revenue go to Altitude.

Gotta believe Sinclair gets the same deal.

 

[TomD]

Some hope. Youtube will continue to carry Fox Regional while they work on a new contract.
YouTube puts RSN’s back on service while they negotiate extension

 

[NYDutch]

Current DISH deal to Altitude - see Dish pitches a la carte option to Altitude TV | Light Reading

• Launch Altitude TV on Dish within 24 hours, and launch Altitude "shortly thereafter" on Sling TV, the Dish-owned streaming service.
• Enable Altitude to tell Dish what price to charge fans. Customers get to choose if they want to pay for and receive the games. Dish says it will cover the operational costs.
• Have 100% of the revenue go to Altitude.

Gotta believe Sinclair gets the same deal.

"There's not a single regional sports network in the country that will take an at-will deal like that," Altitude spokesman Tom Philand told The Denver Post. "It's a death knell for the RSN [regional sports network] business."

 

[zippyfrog]

Some hope. Youtube will continue to carry Fox Regional while they work on a new contract.
YouTube puts RSN’s back on service while they negotiate extension

A little hope. Dish did the same thing back in July - had an extension for 4 days, maybe? And then they were dropped.