Amazon to partner with Diamond/Bally
My main takeaways:
- The deal will help Diamond emerge from bankruptcy
- Amazon gets a minority stake in Diamond
- Pistons, Tigers and Red Wings could all appear on Prime in the future (likely for an addional fee)
- The deal still requires approval from the court
January 18th, 2024 at 7:53 PM ^
Do you really need an OT to know this is OT? And even still, does it matter?
January 18th, 2024 at 8:04 PM ^
Yes and yes
January 18th, 2024 at 7:29 PM ^
(likely for an addional fee)
Well there's the rub. I already could have gotten Bally's stupid app for $20/mo if I wanted it. I'd consider $5.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:36 PM ^
I'm a big fan of paying more for commercials.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:41 PM ^
sounds expensive and inconvenient
January 18th, 2024 at 7:46 PM ^
Content distribution is a a tough way to live.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:47 PM ^
Hate that anyone gave them a lifeline. Diamond/Bally deserved to die a bankruptcy death. $20/month for a terrible app and no worthwhile content outside of the games.
I live in Indy and we get Pacers, Fever, and the St Louis Blues with Bally(I have met one Blues fan in the Indy area in my lifetime). So $20/month for the Pacers. I'll sail the seas.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:50 PM ^
1000% agree. I've been super excited to watch the Pistons the last few seasons, but have not watched a single game on TV (been to quite a few live though). I wouldn't pay $20 a month to watch the Pistons though, and I sure as hell wouldn't give it to BSN.
They really need to die the "free market" death.
January 18th, 2024 at 7:56 PM ^
I'll sail the seas of cheese
January 19th, 2024 at 10:10 AM ^
This. Arizona and San Diego just said fuck it and cut ties with Bally's, let their deal expire. The next day MLB took over their broadcast and removed the blackout.
Nuts that you can't watch your team online in your city for the most part unless you have cable. And then, cable isn't streaming properly or the app doesn't work or there isn't even an app at all or you need to be subbed to your cable provider who may not even carry it (youtube tv doesn't carry most bally networks)
just a pain in the tucchus
January 18th, 2024 at 7:59 PM ^
Rant Warning: Remember when you could watch all local sports on regular over the air basic broadcast tv? We’ve essentially moved into the world of finding ways to monetize items that should be free by making it seem special and/or exclusive.
”Subscribe to the Peacock app to watch one game in hopes you’ll forget about your subscription and continue to pay us for years.”
How asinine is it that there’s literally apps to tell you that you have other apps you pay for that you don’t use? That’s like hiring a personal chef for the sole purpose of telling you that there’s food in your refrigerator that’s about to expire and you should cook it yourself before it goes bad.
January 18th, 2024 at 8:39 PM ^
So many people were just ok to pay for an app to football in between a commercial broadcast. If I had a dime for every post I saw of "I only had to pay x for a year and I get to watch beer league softball as well!"
Lame, and you are right the whole point of getting 1 million UM fans on is to get that "oops I forgot to cancel" crowd.
January 18th, 2024 at 9:30 PM ^
It’s an intended element of capitalism at its finest. It’s also why app subscriptions don’t charge you solely based on the programs you watch or the amount of time you watch them, right?
If I only use Netflix to watch an episode or two of Seinfeld for 45 minutes after work and I’m only charged on those parameters, by all means sign me up and take my money. Same with watching an NFL playoff game on Peacock one or two times in the post-season for 3 or 4 hours depending on the play of the game.
Netflix, Hulu, Prime, etc… are squeezing an extra $10 or so bucks out you by saying “Here’s some extra crap you’ll never watch but it’s always available should you ever turn into a mindless tv zombie. And if you want unsubscribe or cancel your membership, we’re going to make it really annoying and difficult in hopes you’re lazy enough to say fuck it.”
January 19th, 2024 at 10:07 AM ^
Especially when that Peacock throws games behind a paywall like one Michigan game or one NFL playoff game. Like, I can see why people would be upset about having to essentially PPV events like that. "But there's other shit on Peacock". Yes, sure there is.
ESPN+ is the worst IMO because if I didn't hypothetically pay 12 dollars a month to see one hockey game that's blacked out even locally, I wouldn't even watch anything else on it.
January 18th, 2024 at 8:01 PM ^
I was reading about this earlier. I’m more of a baseball fan but it’s still not clear to me how blackouts will work. I swear the MLB office is intent on having no eyeballs under the age of 82 on the sport in the next 10 years
January 18th, 2024 at 8:03 PM ^
Fuck Bally’s and Sinclair. I’ll continue to not watch.
January 18th, 2024 at 8:08 PM ^
i miss fox sports detroit. tigers and wings.
bally? i thought that was a fitness club.
January 18th, 2024 at 8:44 PM ^
I miss when sports were just on Ch 50, no cable necessary.
January 18th, 2024 at 9:36 PM ^
I miss HNIC on channel 9.
January 18th, 2024 at 8:44 PM ^
You really should change ur name to “imolderthanmgrowold”
FWIW Jill and I have spent the night with a couple of drinks and a warm fire thinking of all the ways we’re gonna spend your two dollars.
January 18th, 2024 at 9:02 PM ^
That $2 is mine until and unless harbaugh says otherwise. It better be held in an interest bearing account, FDIC insured.
sitting in front of the wood stove, watching Michigan hoops with mama and the 4 youngest kids.
January 18th, 2024 at 9:45 PM ^
I broke down and paid for the stupid Bally’s app and despite low expectations, was completely stunned with how terrible it was. Randomly getting kicked out and having to log back in during games, repeated errors when clicking the game links, the irritating way the pregame doesn’t just roll into the game and have to select a separate link after the pregame abruptly ends, the stupid slow ball bouncing during commercial breaks because Bally’s can’t sell all the adspace. At least the Prime app will work more than 50% of the time.
January 18th, 2024 at 9:53 PM ^
Can’t be any worse than it’s been since Bally took over.
January 19th, 2024 at 10:05 AM ^
I'm disappointed because I wanted the RSN's to die off. Arizona and SD bid adieu to Bally's and MLB simply took over their broadcasts, removing blackouts and charging a set price for everyone in market.
Ballys and RSN's further contribute to alienation as fans continue to be blacked out in market and held up by cumbersome rights deals.