OT: Cutting the Cord 2.0 - ESPN/Fox/Warner Launching Combined Sports Streamer

[MickeyDavis]

Saw some sports media guys on TV this morning. It sounds like every national sports content except CBS and NBC will be on the new streamer. For those you could watch OTA or via Paramount+ and Peacock. The guess is the new service will cost $40-$50 a month but no one knows for sure. You could get all that and more on YouTube TV and other streamers for not that much more.

This is designed for those who only want sports and no other channels. It will be interesting to see how it does. If I got this and Bucks/Brewers via Amazon I would be at around $75 a month (no word on Amazon cost for Bally's broadcast).

ETA, also no NFLN or Red Zone.

[Thunder Muscle]

With this mornings news that Bucks and Brewers games on Bally's may be available on Amazon (pending bankruptcy court approval) I am going to revisit dumping Spectrum. I'm in no hurry, I'm guessing they're targeting April for baseball and next season for basketball so I have some time to decide.

There have been a lot of good opinions on here but I'm looking for updated opinions on YouTubeTV, Fubo, DirecTV stream, Hulu with Live TV (I already have Hulu without Live TV) . What I want

Local Channels
ESPN channels
NFL Network AND Red Zone
NBATV
TNT
B10 Network

Good DVR service. I'm assuming all of them let you set recordings and start watching before the event is over. I often record a game and start watching a few minutes after it starts.

Price is a factor but I don't mind paying for what I want as long as it's less than Spectrum.

Based on some light Googling:

Hulu with Live TV - I'm already paying for the Hulu/ESPN+/Disney bundle at $26.95 and it looks like adding Live TV takes it to about $90 (no ads). But it looks like I'd need a sports package for another $10 to get Red Zone (and 6 other channels I'd never watch). But I can't live without Red Zone. They do not have NBATV though nor AMC. No NBATV sucks. So about a $75 increase in what I'm already paying for the Hulu/ESPN+/Disney bundle.

YouTube TV - Similar price, it looks like it's around $73 and also another $10 for a package that includes Red Zone.

DirecTV Stream, looks to be about $75. No NFL Network though and I don't see an option that has it. Additional charge for package with Red Zone.

Fubo - Doesn't look like it has TNT, so no go for me.

We have DirecTV Stream and really like it. However it is probably the most expensive of the options. We are now at $109/month plus tax. It was only $89/month a few years ago. We have the 2nd of the 3 tiers, which has all of the channels you listed. They added NFL Network in the past year at some point. We loved it because got all of the channels we had with satellite but no longer have to call each year to haggle with price.

We get 20 hours of DVR included. It is an extra $10/month for unlimited.

You can also get their box for $10/month which includes a remote. The appeal of this is you can punch in the number of the channel which is the same as satellite. This would be nice but don’t want to pay extra for it nor want a box.

Red Zone is available in an add-on tier. I get Red Zone through NFL+ though as get 50% off annual subscription being a NFL Season Ticket Holder.

I get ESPN+ for NHL games, almost is a league pass. DirecTV Stream gets me the TNT games. Also get tennis majors via ESPN+ or Tennis Channel via DTV Stream.

Local channels are on DTV Stream. They do change to your current location if watching on your phone I noticed. So if in LA, you get Los Angeles local channels if on phone watching.

Don’t really have any glitches with DTV Stream either. Pretty stable and we’re only getting like 50mb. Can have multiple viewers too. Forgot the exact amount.

[ReasonablySober]

Read on Twitter

Fall '25.

[Kerb Hohl]

Saw some sports media guys on TV this morning. It sounds like every national sports content except CBS and NBC will be on the new streamer. For those you could watch OTA or via Paramount+ and Peacock. The guess is the new service will cost $40-$50 a month but no one knows for sure. You could get all that and more on YouTube TV and other streamers for not that much more.

This is designed for those who only want sports and no other channels. It will be interesting to see how it does. If I got this and Bucks/Brewers via Amazon I would be at around $75 a month (no word on Amazon cost for Bally's broadcast).

ETA, also no NFLN or Red Zone.

Yeah, NFLN and RedZone seem like they may soon really push NFL+ as the main vehicle.

Let's say that big service is $40/month. So you throw Peacock and Paramount+ in there, you're at like $55. Throw local sports (Bally/Amazon) and then NFL+ in you're at ~$90/month. That's for sports-only.

A beefed up cable package with the majority of this (including local team RSN) currently is, what, $110-120/month?

Long story short, I feel like you "save" if you are strictly sports-only which is 90% of the reason most of us have had cable or streaming packages for the past few decades. But if you want anything else (i.e. TV shows to replace the old ABC Friday nights or whatever) you're now adding Netflix, Max, etc. etc. and you're at or over that old cost of a standard cable package.

But you do get a ton more content if you combine all of those services together vs. having Spectrum in 2004.

[MickeyDavis]

Read on Twitter

Fall '25.

I watched the interview live. Iger was all over the place on streaming. Said the stand alone product would differ from the partnership announced yesterday because there would be integrated betting, stats and shopping. None of that interests me in the least. In Wisconsin, and most other states, you don't have the option of making bets with whoever you want. And as much as I enjoy making bets I'm frankly sick of it's intrusion into everything sports related.

Companies are afraid of Amazon, Apple and Google dominating sports streaming and they're scrambling. National streaming rights are going to explode for the NBA and NFL in their next contracts. The NBA's current deal expires after next season.

[MickeyDavis]

Saw some sports media guys on TV this morning. It sounds like every national sports content except CBS and NBC will be on the new streamer. For those you could watch OTA or via Paramount+ and Peacock. The guess is the new service will cost $40-$50 a month but no one knows for sure. You could get all that and more on YouTube TV and other streamers for not that much more.

This is designed for those who only want sports and no other channels. It will be interesting to see how it does. If I got this and Bucks/Brewers via Amazon I would be at around $75 a month (no word on Amazon cost for Bally's broadcast).

ETA, also no NFLN or Red Zone.

Yeah, NFLN and RedZone seem like they may soon really push NFL+ as the main vehicle.

Let's say that big service is $40/month. So you throw Peacock and Paramount+ in there, you're at like $55. Throw local sports (Bally/Amazon) and then NFL+ in you're at ~$90/month. That's for sports-only.

A beefed up cable package with the majority of this (including local team RSN) currently is, what, $110-120/month?

Long story short, I feel like you "save" if you are strictly sports-only which is 90% of the reason most of us have had cable or streaming packages for the past few decades. But if you want anything else (i.e. TV shows to replace the old ABC Friday nights or whatever) you're now adding Netflix, Max, etc. etc. and you're at or over that old cost of a standard cable package.

But you do get a ton more content if you combine all of those services together vs. having Spectrum in 2004.

Agreed. Streaming is becoming so fragmented that if you are a big sports fan you aren't going to save much by ditching cable.

[Ryan5UW]

YouTube TV finally has a jump function? I’m more excited about that than I should be!

[MickeyDavis]

YouTube TV finally has a jump function? I’m more excited about that than I should be!

What is that

[Ryan5UW]

YouTube TV finally has a jump function? I’m more excited about that than I should be!

What is that

Previous channel?

[ReasonablySober]

I refuse to believe there isn't some way around LP's blackout rules, whether it's at the hardware or software level. I'm gonna find it out.

I'll be goddamned.

I used my Mullvad VPN and it was blocked, didn't matter the server. I signed up for a NordVPN trial and out of the box it didn't work. I changed the protocol in the settings to OpenVPN, cleared my cache in Chrome, and sure as **** I'm watching the game right now.

[ReasonablySober]

I refuse to believe there isn't some way around LP's blackout rules, whether it's at the hardware or software level. I'm gonna find it out.

I'll be goddamned.

I used my Mullvad VPN and it was blocked, didn't matter the server. I signed up for a NordVPN trial and out of the box it didn't work. I changed the protocol in the settings to OpenVPN, cleared my cache in Chrome, and sure as **** I'm watching the game right now.

I played around with settings in Mullvad to try and get it to work, seeing as that's the VPN I'm paid up on until November. No dice. That's a bummer but I'll keep researching and testing.

But yea, then I switched back to NordVPN, OpenVPN, a server in the south somewhere, and I'm watching the Bucks. Stunned. I'm anxious to see what it's like when I try a non-TNT broadcast later tonight.

[MickeyDavis]

TNT games are also on Max.

[GoldenAntlers]

Next year I want league pass to off an actual league pass. The ability to watch any game that is being broadcast live. The ability to rewatch any game. Including the Playoffs. We live in the future. This is possible.

If the only thing hindering this is TV deals, specifically local networks, then take out a % for regional rights, TNT, ESPN, etc., and carry the Hell on. I will never understand why this company doesn't want it's fan base to be able to consume it's content, but the only logical answer that I can come up with favors toward theories of propaganda.

Let me watch my team in HD you knobs.

[ReasonablySober]

If the Ballys product was better, and offered a **true88 HD experience, I would be more inclined to bend over backwards to pay for their service. Apple's broadcasts are incredible, for example. Games on ESPN are noticeably better.

I ordered a full year's worth of Ballys a couple weeks ago so I could watch the entire Brewers season and 90% of the Bucks. It glitched out and straight up wouldn't work after one day. I spent three hours with customer service before finally demanding my money back.

But as it stands now, Ballys quality isn't that much better than streams offered in less reputable ways.

[MickeyDavis]

I watch Bally's on cable and don't use the app. But I have watched games with 2 friends who have the app. Each have a 75" screen. On one the picture was fantastic, the other it was barely above SD. Weird. One used the app through his Apple TV box (great pic) and one through his Roku (bad pic). I imagine the difference wouldn't be as stark on a smaller screen. I never watch games on my phone or tablet unless I'm on a plane. Always a big screen.

[ejn1214]

I watch Bally's on cable and don't use the app. But I have watched games with 2 friends who have the app. Each have a 75" screen. On one the picture was fantastic, the other it was barely above SD. Weird. One used the app through his Apple TV box (great pic) and one through his Roku (bad pic). I imagine the difference wouldn't be as stark on a smaller screen. I never watch games on my phone or tablet unless I'm on a plane. Always a big screen.

Is the picture on from cable good? My dad just got a nice new TV and sports on spectrum look awful. Switch to the streaming app and they look great. I'm not sure if there is a solution.

[MickeyDavis]

I watch Bally's on cable and don't use the app. But I have watched games with 2 friends who have the app. Each have a 75" screen. On one the picture was fantastic, the other it was barely above SD. Weird. One used the app through his Apple TV box (great pic) and one through his Roku (bad pic). I imagine the difference wouldn't be as stark on a smaller screen. I never watch games on my phone or tablet unless I'm on a plane. Always a big screen.

Is the picture on from cable good? My dad just got a nice new TV and sports on spectrum look awful. Switch to the streaming app and they look great. I'm not sure if there is a solution.

Average at best on Spectrum. The best I've seen is baseball on Apple but I only watch the couple Brewers games a year there. I want 4K for all sports.