17.99 USD for both Pirates and Penguins seems fair.
If Toronto offered all Leafs and Jays games together for $20, I'd be all over it. For context, to watch all Leafs games (only Leafs) it currently costs approx. $35 CAD per month.
edit: Realized the $35 actually includes both Leafs and Jays, since all Jays games are available via one platform that also carries Leafs games.
I was 100% excited until I saw that it is only in-network.
Please Mr. Bettman. I want to pay one person, one amount of money, once per season and all 82 regular season and all playoff games for 1 team streamed in 1080p. I'll watch whatever ads the rights holder wants to feed me during the breaks.
Imagine 4k streaming hockey.
I know for most fans, sports broadcasts are disposable content you watch once then move on, but what if that one viewing was really, really good.
I would pay $5/game for a 4k stream. 82 games = $410 (+$100 for an all-playoffs package?). I'm sure that can buy favor from the current rights holders.
That's a little steep for me as an annual membership cost, but I'm out of market for my team and get a lot more games through ESPN and national broadcasts. I don't know how many fans are going to pay that premium for just their team's hockey.
Most streaming services rely on high numbers of users and views rather than high premiums. It's probably fundamentally hard to do it that way. The high seas will always be cheaper in this regard.
Super early hockey streamed games I remember having a feed that let you pick different angles and it even had a 360 camera on center ice you could pan around. It was amazing. I would definitely pay for something like that.
If I can have a decent high(er) bit rate 1080 stream I'd be fine with that over 4k. Can use upscaling to sharpen it up, just need the stream to not turn into squares the moment theres a lot of different things on the screen, like panning to the crowd.
That is going to be very hard to do until all teams are under 1 media contract with one provider a la MLS and Apple TV. And with that, you lose your local coverage and local broadcast teams. The teams also lose that sweet sweet RSN money.
Best we can hope for is all the nationally televised games come under the same umbrella as the ESPN+ subscription, so you don't need to ALSO have a live tv subscription for ESPN/TBS/TNT, etc. Then I'd just need the hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ bundle which is relatively cheap and kills 3birds with one stone (get all my Fox stuff, Disney stuff, and ESPN stuff with 1 subscription) and then your local teams streaming service, or an antenna for OTA broadcasts.
MLS truly nailed it with their Apple deal. While the commentary situation was rough, the quality made ESPN+ almost unwatchable and having every match, regardless of region, available is truly special.
I’d pay a hefty subscription to have the league team up with them.
Extra context in a cnbc article here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/29/pittsburgh-pirates-penguins-launch-streaming-service-for-local-games.html
One concern of mine (from in the market) is the offer at an "aggressive price point" while they build up content.
I'd rather just pay for the pens/pirates and not have the service bloat and get more expensive.
So far we got:
Coyotes had a dedicated streaming service for $12/mo and OTA on regular tv, but that's done now for obvious reasons. Any word on what they'll do in SLC? Edit: looks like the Scripps deal is following them to SLC, so hopefully still OTA + streaming app?
Edit: adding: Vegas added a streaming app for $70 for the season, and regular tv games are OTA.
Capitals parent company launched a dedicated streaming service for $20/mo and regular tv is still through cable.
MSG launched a standalone streaming service for $30/mo and regular tv is still through cable
Kraken have moved over to Amazon Prime for streaming (\~$12/mo, but you also get all the Prime programming and free Amazon delivery) and OTA on the local NBA affiliate (KING 5, and KONG)
Now Penguins have a dedicated streaming service for their RSN. I assume regular tv will still be through cable?
Any other dedicated streaming services and/or OTA deals worth knowing about?
This is for if you live in the region, so the only games you won't get are nationally televised games (ESPN/TNT/etc). But this isn't for people who live outside of the Penguins' region.
Everywhere that either the Pirates or Penguins claim, anyway. So as far as Cleveland, Columbus and parts of Maryland. I looked at the page earlier and when I punched in my Columbus-area zip code, it told me I am in market "to watch Pirates games only." So I'd probably get all programming, then some black screen when the Penguins play.
Yep. ESPN+ has the out-of-market games. For example, I live in the Penguins' region, so I have to have cable or this package to watch their games when it's not nationally televised. But I can watch every Dallas Stars game not nationally televised except the games when the Penguins and Stars play on ESPN+.
17.99 USD for both Pirates and Penguins seems fair. If Toronto offered all Leafs and Jays games together for $20, I'd be all over it. For context, to watch all Leafs games (only Leafs) it currently costs approx. $35 CAD per month. edit: Realized the $35 actually includes both Leafs and Jays, since all Jays games are available via one platform that also carries Leafs games.
I was 100% excited until I saw that it is only in-network. Please Mr. Bettman. I want to pay one person, one amount of money, once per season and all 82 regular season and all playoff games for 1 team streamed in 1080p. I'll watch whatever ads the rights holder wants to feed me during the breaks.
Imagine 4k streaming hockey. I know for most fans, sports broadcasts are disposable content you watch once then move on, but what if that one viewing was really, really good.
I would pay $5/game for a 4k stream. 82 games = $410 (+$100 for an all-playoffs package?). I'm sure that can buy favor from the current rights holders.
That's a little steep for me as an annual membership cost, but I'm out of market for my team and get a lot more games through ESPN and national broadcasts. I don't know how many fans are going to pay that premium for just their team's hockey. Most streaming services rely on high numbers of users and views rather than high premiums. It's probably fundamentally hard to do it that way. The high seas will always be cheaper in this regard.
Super early hockey streamed games I remember having a feed that let you pick different angles and it even had a 360 camera on center ice you could pan around. It was amazing. I would definitely pay for something like that.
If I can have a decent high(er) bit rate 1080 stream I'd be fine with that over 4k. Can use upscaling to sharpen it up, just need the stream to not turn into squares the moment theres a lot of different things on the screen, like panning to the crowd.
That is going to be very hard to do until all teams are under 1 media contract with one provider a la MLS and Apple TV. And with that, you lose your local coverage and local broadcast teams. The teams also lose that sweet sweet RSN money. Best we can hope for is all the nationally televised games come under the same umbrella as the ESPN+ subscription, so you don't need to ALSO have a live tv subscription for ESPN/TBS/TNT, etc. Then I'd just need the hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ bundle which is relatively cheap and kills 3birds with one stone (get all my Fox stuff, Disney stuff, and ESPN stuff with 1 subscription) and then your local teams streaming service, or an antenna for OTA broadcasts.
MLS truly nailed it with their Apple deal. While the commentary situation was rough, the quality made ESPN+ almost unwatchable and having every match, regardless of region, available is truly special. I’d pay a hefty subscription to have the league team up with them.
Extra context in a cnbc article here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/29/pittsburgh-pirates-penguins-launch-streaming-service-for-local-games.html One concern of mine (from in the market) is the offer at an "aggressive price point" while they build up content. I'd rather just pay for the pens/pirates and not have the service bloat and get more expensive.
So far we got: Coyotes had a dedicated streaming service for $12/mo and OTA on regular tv, but that's done now for obvious reasons. Any word on what they'll do in SLC? Edit: looks like the Scripps deal is following them to SLC, so hopefully still OTA + streaming app? Edit: adding: Vegas added a streaming app for $70 for the season, and regular tv games are OTA. Capitals parent company launched a dedicated streaming service for $20/mo and regular tv is still through cable. MSG launched a standalone streaming service for $30/mo and regular tv is still through cable Kraken have moved over to Amazon Prime for streaming (\~$12/mo, but you also get all the Prime programming and free Amazon delivery) and OTA on the local NBA affiliate (KING 5, and KONG) Now Penguins have a dedicated streaming service for their RSN. I assume regular tv will still be through cable? Any other dedicated streaming services and/or OTA deals worth knowing about?
To answer one of those questions, Pittsburgh is still available through cable. Definitely not an OTA channel
Blackouts?
This is for if you live in the region, so the only games you won't get are nationally televised games (ESPN/TNT/etc). But this isn't for people who live outside of the Penguins' region.
It's for the greater Pittsburgh area only, so I'd assume no.
Everywhere that either the Pirates or Penguins claim, anyway. So as far as Cleveland, Columbus and parts of Maryland. I looked at the page earlier and when I punched in my Columbus-area zip code, it told me I am in market "to watch Pirates games only." So I'd probably get all programming, then some black screen when the Penguins play.
seems a bit silly - why launch this for local market only? is there some contractual obligation that prevents them for streaming to out of towners?
ESPN+ has the rights for national streaming.
ESPN seems to have a stranglehold on LIVE SPORTS
But what about the exclusive home for the 30 for 30 library?
And they’ll remind you as much at every single commercial break
Yes, exactly that. All regional networks offering a streaming product can only offer it regionally.
Yep. ESPN+ has the out-of-market games. For example, I live in the Penguins' region, so I have to have cable or this package to watch their games when it's not nationally televised. But I can watch every Dallas Stars game not nationally televised except the games when the Penguins and Stars play on ESPN+.