The impending death of Bally Sports

[chasfh]

On 7/3/2024 at 10:09 AM, RedRamage said:

Sometime I've gotta re-watch some of these super old sitcoms and just laugh at how the changing slang terms make certain phrases have very, very different meanings.

So you know how they introduce the actors during the Leave It To Beaver opening credits, right? "Leave it to Beaver! Starring Barbara Billingsley ... Hugh Beaumont ... Tony Dow ... and Jerry Mathers ... as The Beaver."

Well, the old **** Van Dyke Show, which I still watch on occasion, has the practically the same type of introduction: "The **** Van Dyke Show! Starring **** Van Dyke ... Rose Marie ... Morey Amsterdam ... Larry Matthews ... and Mary Tyler Moore." And I just can't help but add at the end: "... as the beaver."

Which ... oh, hell, yeah ...

[IdahoBert]

Come on Chuck don’t be a ****. 

[Tigermojo]

The blackout remains in place even if there is no service in the blackout area?

[chasfh]

1 minute ago, IdahoBert said:

Come on Chuck don’t be a ****. 

See **** be hard on the beaver ... hard, hard, hard ...

[Tigeraholic1]

10 minutes ago, Tigermojo said:

The blackout remains in place even if there is no service in the blackout area?

Yes, the network has to pay for the market they air. 

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, Toddwert said:

Bally could be done before the end of the season

https://x.com/detroitjoechapp/status/1809989208095789172?s=46

 

I have no idea who the heck Joe Chapp is or how he knows anything about this other than what's being publicly reported, but personally, I'm rooting for MLB to take over the broadcasts the way they have for the Padres or Diamondbacks. Clean screen, watermarked MLB logo only, smallish score box tucked in the corner. I'd prefer it to be in the top right corner rather than the bottom right corner, but even as is, it's way better than the constant 24/7 Bally crawl giving me scores from other sports, program promotions, and (ick) betting lines.

In fact, that's what I fear from a new network the Tigers might start themselves, whether alone or with the Pistons or Red Wings: it would have gambling feces smeared all over it, nonstop, on the order of Apple TV+.

[Longgone]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

I have no idea who the heck Joe Chapp is or how he knows anything about this other than what's being publicly reported, but personally, I'm rooting for MLB to take over the broadcasts the way they have for the Padres or Diamondbacks. Clean screen, watermarked MLB logo only, smallish score box tucked in the corner. I'd prefer it to be in the top right corner rather than the bottom right corner, but even as is, it's way better than the constant 24/7 Bally crawl giving me scores from other sports, program promotions, and (ick) betting lines.

In fact, that's what I fear from a new network the Tigers might start themselves, whether alone or with the Pistons or Red Wings: it would have gambling feces smeared all over it, nonstop, on the order of Apple TV+.

The best thing that could happen to MLB would be for them to take over all the broadcasting rights.

[oblong]

I don’t think the teams can do anything until  Ballys ceases doing them.  But as I said earlier I do have a friend in the industry, a contractor, who said there is buzz. 

[Hongbit]

The team has found their own streaming partner and will create their own streaming app.   Nice part is it will be available for people in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.    
 

Framework is there for our local teams.  

Edited July 8, 2024 by Hongbit

[chasfh]

Hockey is a growth market in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.  Giving them free games is good business. Baseball is a mature-to-declining market in Michigan. It makes less sense to give it away for free. 

[Hongbit]

51 minutes ago, chasfh said:

Hockey is a growth market in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.  Giving them free games is good business. Baseball is a mature-to-declining market in Michigan. It makes less sense to give it away for free. 

It’s free for this season.   There’s no word on whether it’ll be free forever.    

I do wonder how many people are paying the $19.99/month for Ballys app right now especially with the Tigers as the only live content this summer.   I’m not sure we’ll ever know these numbers but I know of many more that just stopped watching rather than keep paying the money.   

[MotownWebGuy]

3 hours ago, Hongbit said:

It’s free for this season.   There’s no word on whether it’ll be free forever.    

I do wonder how many people are paying the $19.99/month for Ballys app right now especially with the Tigers as the only live content this summer.   I’m not sure we’ll ever know these numbers but I know of many more that just stopped watching rather than keep paying the money.   

Sadly, I'm one of the suckers paying for the Bally's app right now.  As much as I despise paying $20 a month (minus my Xfinity credit) for their crappy app that crashes (often), I enjoy watching the Tigers in the summer and was not willing to go without.  That said, once the baseball season ends that will be it for me.  I also enjoy watching the Pistons, but not enough (right now) to pay to additional for it.  They should be paying me...

[oblong]

I also pay. Not sure I will keep it for the Wings. But I think we will have another solution by then. 

[Shinzaki]

Im on the app...primarily for the Wings and Tigers.  It doesnt crash too often for me...butvits by far the most expensive service i have.  I pay less for the ESPN+/Disney/Hulu bundle than I do Ballys

[Tenacious D]

Some of us have become pirates, though in truth…

 

[Sports_Freak]

50 minutes ago, oblong said:

I also pay. Not sure I will keep it for the Wings. But I think we will have another solution by then. 

I also pay for the app. It works really good on my PC. I have a Roku and it doesn't work very well on that. And there isn't an app for Ballys for my Amazon Fire tablet.

[Shinzaki]

Just now, Sports_Freak said:

I also pay for the app. It works really good on my PC. I have a Roku and it doesn't work very well on that. And there isn't an app for Ballys for my Amazon Fire tablet.

I hate that my firestick in my office lets me watch Bally...but my Kindle fire doesn't . Makes no sense to me

[Sports_Freak]

2 minutes ago, Shinzaki said:

I hate that my firestick in my office lets me watch Bally...but my Kindle fire doesn't . Makes no sense to me

I bought my Fire Tablet just to read the e-edition of the Free Press in the morning. It was when I still had Commiecast and they had Fox Sports Detroit. I'm looking at a Samsung Galaxy tablet (Android). They have the Bally app. It would be cheaper that firing up my tower PC every game...

[holygoat]

1 hour ago, Tenacious D said:

Some of us have become pirates, though in truth…

 

Arr, matey.

[chasfh]

I get the Tigers as part of my MLB package. Who'da thunk living outside of Michigan would be an advantage? 😏

[SkyBlue]

On 7/9/2024 at 12:14 PM, chasfh said:

I get the Tigers as part of my MLB package. Who'da thunk living outside of Michigan would be an advantage? 😏

As do I which means we also get all of the minor league teams which is great when you have three monitors and games on all of every non Monday night.

[HeyAbbott]

On 7/7/2024 at 5:16 PM, casimir said:

Living just outside of Toledo, I remember when YouTubeTV cut out all 3 previously available Fox/Bally Sports offerings, Detroit, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.  Depending upon what happens, since Toledo is easily within the MLB's Tiger blackout zone, it might be radio only for me as well.  I would think the Detroit sports teams would want to maintain their coverage outside of the Detroit metro area.  So would we be looking at short term pain (ie, end of this baseball season) in order to build something up for viewers like you and me in time for Opening Day 2025?

MLB will have to have some solution to this mess, As it looks to me that Bally Sports might be trending towards liquidation.

[Tigermojo]

https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/mlb-network-launches-direct-to-consumer-streaming-option

[casimir]

26 minutes ago, Tigermojo said:

https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/mlb-network-launches-direct-to-consumer-streaming-option

I think I understand this, but I'm going to have to run it by a kid when I get home just to make sure.

[Tigeraholic1]

1 hour ago, Tigermojo said:

https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/mlb-network-launches-direct-to-consumer-streaming-option

I saw *Local blackout restrictions apply* 3 or 4 times.......