Magic/Bally Sports APP: $19.99/month/ League Pass $14.99+

[UCFJayBird]

Sounds like Bally is indeed getting ready to launch their 18.99 per month service. That’s going to be DOA just like CNN+

Read on Twitter

Preseason and regular season are 7 months long right, so that's $133 to watch the Magic locally on TV even though the arena is 13 miles from here...that's ridiculous....I have no doubt this Bally/Sinclair thing is going to fail massively and they will go into bankruptcy (they've delayed this app for 2 years now and took on massive debt to buy from Disney- at least $8B and the revenues aren't there to justify that) and who knows what happens after that, do the leagues buy it, IDK. Either way, the leagues are shooting themselves in the foot by putting obstacles for local fanbases to watch their teams, there are simply too many entertainment options that can easily replace them.

Yea it'll be interest to see how it plays out. I can afford it, but i won't buy it out of sheer spitefulness, lol.

[Optimus_Steel]

Sounds like Bally is indeed getting ready to launch their 18.99 per month service. That’s going to be DOA just like CNN+

Read on Twitter

Preseason and regular season are 7 months long right, so that's $133 to watch the Magic locally on TV even though the arena is 13 miles from here...that's ridiculous....I have no doubt this Bally/Sinclair thing is going to fail massively and they will go into bankruptcy (they've delayed this app for 2 years now and took on massive debt to buy from Disney- at least $8B and the revenues aren't there to justify that) and who knows what happens after that, do the leagues buy it, IDK. Either way, the leagues are shooting themselves in the foot by putting obstacles for local fanbases to watch their teams, there are simply too many entertainment options that can easily replace them.

Yea it'll be interest to see how it plays out. I can afford it, but i won't buy it out of sheer spitefulness, lol.

That's my point as well, I can afford it but I think what they are doing is so messed up it angers me and like you gives me spite. What Sinclair is doing is essentially price gouging and the NBA hides behind their contracts to avoid an alternate option for local fans.

[thelead]

Sounds like Bally is indeed getting ready to launch their 18.99 per month service. That’s going to be DOA just like CNN+

Read on Twitter

Preseason and regular season are 7 months long right, so that's $133 to watch the Magic locally on TV even though the arena is 13 miles from here...that's ridiculous....I have no doubt this Bally/Sinclair thing is going to fail massively and they will go into bankruptcy (they've delayed this app for 2 years now and took on massive debt to buy from Disney- at least $8B and the revenues aren't there to justify that) and who knows what happens after that, do the leagues buy it, IDK. Either way, the leagues are shooting themselves in the foot by putting obstacles for local fanbases to watch their teams, there are simply too many entertainment options that can easily replace them.

Yea it'll be interest to see how it plays out. I can afford it, but i won't buy it out of sheer spitefulness, lol.

Yeah, not gonna lie... I'm not going to sign up because I'm spiteful too

I know plenty of people who can't afford it and for that reason, I'm spiteful. I remember a time when I could visit a fixed-income elderly family member when I was a kid and still being able to watch games on local tv. All of these leagues are mortgaging their future. How many low income kids in central Florida (and around other cities) will grow to love their local teams if they can't watch the games?

[darthcheech2000]

How many low income kids in central Florida (and around other cities) will grow to love their local teams if they can't watch the games?

Thats how I became a fan.

Sunshine Network
Basic Cable
Tuned into a game whenever
Very fond memories

Great point!

[thelead]

How many low income kids in central Florida (and around other cities) will grow to love their local teams if they can't watch the games?

Thats how I became a fan.

Sunshine Network
Basic Cable
Tuned into a game whenever
Very fond memories

Great point!

Man... I remember magic games on WB18 way back when

[Ducklett]

I hope this dies faster than CNN+. What a ridiculous proposition to charge the local fanbase to watch their team play. And with all these families hurting from the economic downturn, what a horrible time to try to sell people on this. How many cheap seats does this buy to just go to the games?

Back to the old days of listening to the games on the radio. I loved doing that as a kid when I was supposed to be asleep for school so I couldn't watch them on TV. The games will still be on the radio, right?

[MagicTownBaller]

What I hate is I can't watch Memphis or Atlanta on League Pass or NBATV where I live but I can watch Charlotte which is closer then either team. Makes zero sense.

[richi_v25]

How many low income kids in central Florida (and around other cities) will grow to love their local teams if they can't watch the games?

Thats how I became a fan.

Sunshine Network
Basic Cable
Tuned into a game whenever
Very fond memories

Great point!

I was a low income kid with basic cable but I was able to watch/fall in love with the heart & hustle team and have been a Magic fan since. Yes they weren't milking me of money then but now I attend games and buy merch so their investment paid off.

[thelead]

How many low income kids in central Florida (and around other cities) will grow to love their local teams if they can't watch the games?

Thats how I became a fan.

Sunshine Network
Basic Cable
Tuned into a game whenever
Very fond memories

Great point!

I was a low income kid with basic cable but I was able to watch/fall in love with the heart & hustle team and have been a Magic fan since. Yes they weren't milking me of money then but now I attend games and buy merch so their investment paid off.

100%. That's why I said they're mortgaging their future. Who the hell will be attending NBA games in 50 years? Today's kids aren't watching the games.

[BDill012]

How many low income kids in central Florida (and around other cities) will grow to love their local teams if they can't watch the games?

Thats how I became a fan.

Sunshine Network
Basic Cable
Tuned into a game whenever
Very fond memories

Great point!

Same! I always had games on when I was growing up.

Sunshine network was always on.

[BDill012]

What I hate is I can't watch Memphis or Atlanta on League Pass or NBATV where I live but I can watch Charlotte which is closer then either team. Makes zero sense.

I live in the Charlotte area and have League Pass. I hate that I can't watch the games against the Hornets at home or on the road because of the archaic blackout policy.

[MagicTownBaller]

What I hate is I can't watch Memphis or Atlanta on League Pass or NBATV where I live but I can watch Charlotte which is closer then either team. Makes zero sense.

I live in the Charlotte area and have League Pass. I hate that I can't watch the games against the Hornets at home or on the road because of the archaic blackout policy.

Blackouts need to end. I would pay $50 more a year for no blackouts

[Howard Mass]

I am old enough to remember the days of half the games on TV18/WB18 and UPN/MyNetworkTV.

Now, all the games are pretty much on an RSN.

A lot of services have dropped them giving sports fans limited options.

We will see how Sinclair's new service works out but am not sure how much of a help it will be to this problem.

[thelead]

I am old enough to remember the days of half the games on TV18/WB18 and UPN/MyNetworkTV.

Now, all the games are pretty much on an RSN.

A lot of services have dropped them giving sports fans limited options.

We will see how Sinclair's new service works out but am not sure how much of a help it will be to this problem.

It won't be. $20 a month just to watch one channel? That only has a game on for 2 hours every 2 or 3 days? I just don't see many people forking over $20 a month for that when it's so easy to find a stream.

I honestly would like to know how the NBA expects to keep a growing fan base with this business model. I don't think it's a coincidence that the NFL has completely taken over national sports coverage while staying on local broadcast networks.

[The-Stallion70]

What I hate is I can't watch Memphis or Atlanta on League Pass or NBATV where I live but I can watch Charlotte which is closer then either team. Makes zero sense.

I live in the Charlotte area and have League Pass. I hate that I can't watch the games against the Hornets at home or on the road because of the archaic blackout policy.

Blackouts need to end. I would pay $50 more a year for no blackouts

I remember reading a while back that Silver was seeking a gargantuan new tv deal and people speculated that it was because he wanted to buy out all regional contracts and thus remove blackouts from NBA LP. I don't know if any new deal was consummated.

[Optimus_Steel]

I live in the Charlotte area and have League Pass. I hate that I can't watch the games against the Hornets at home or on the road because of the archaic blackout policy.

Blackouts need to end. I would pay $50 more a year for no blackouts

I remember reading a while back that Silver was seeking a gargantuan new tv deal and people speculated that it was because he wanted to buy out all regional contracts and thus remove blackouts from NBA LP. I don't know if any new deal was consummated.

Several months ago Silver talked about this same issue, local fans and blackouts, he said they are working on a solution but did not specify what kind of solutions and timeframe.

[BadMofoPimp]

[list=][/list]I can more than afford to pay for the games as I make good money, but refuse to do so being local sports should be for all fans, not just those who can pay. Thus, if I watch the Magic anymore, which isn't as often as the olden days, I watch illegal streams.

[Optimus_Steel]

Latest update, streaming service listed to launch in Sept:

Last month, Bally Sports+ launched its streaming service (direct-to-consumer in industry parlance) in five markets: Milwaukee, Miami, Tampa, Detroit and Kansas City. And the full launch is Sept. 26 with the start of the NBA and NHL seasons looming.

What appears clear is that subscribers have not signed up in droves for the five streamed RSNs. Asked on the earnings call what the streaming figures were for the five Bally Sports+ markets, Sinclair’s Ripley declined to answer. And he did not commit to disclosing subscriber figures when the full launch occurs next month.

“If they are not telling you something, that means something,” said Patrick Crakes, a sports media consultant and former Fox sports executive. “If they had something good to tell you, they would.”

On the earnings call, Sinclair executives said subscriptions had exceeded expectations, and 70 percent of fans who signed up for a free week trial had converted to paid.

Bally Sports+ is priced at $19.99 per month and $189.99 per year. That is far higher than rates that streaming customers are accustomed to, but it more reflects the true cost of the product. Streaming apps have long been underpriced in a rush to build a customer base, not unlike the early years of ride-hailing apps like Uber.

https://theathletic.com/3520156/2022/08/18/bally-sports-rsn-streaming-projections/



I'm still very skeptical it will launch in time. The price is still ridiculous to watch a team that plays 10 miles away.

[Def Swami]

It's an absolute rouse. My bet is Sinclair goes out of business within a couple years. You can live out of market and watch the Magic and the rest of the NBA on League Pass for a little more vs live in Orlando and pay $190 and watch just the Magic. It's ludicrous. The Denver market had a similarly awful problem with their cable providers and local sports network last season that has prevented a bunch of local fans from watching a 2x MVP and one of the cities most important sports figures since Elway. It's outrageous and at some point the NBA is going to have to step in and fix this once contracts run out. The way sports games are delivered to fans is so antiquated and dated. It limits our opportunities to watch games and costs us an arm and a leg. It's a killer especially for smaller market teams. Sell NBA LP to a real 3rd party distributor like Amazon or Apple or even Disney. Cut cable out and clear the black out restrictions. We shouldn't be doing it like this in 2022.

[The Real Dalic]

It's an absolute rouse. My bet is Sinclair goes out of business within a couple years. You can live out of market and watch the Magic and the rest of the NBA on League Pass for a little more vs live in Orlando and pay $190 and watch just the Magic. It's ludicrous. The Denver market had a similarly awful problem with their cable providers and local sports network last season that has prevented a bunch of local fans from watching a 2x MVP and one of the cities most important sports figures since Elway. It's outrageous and at some point the NBA is going to have to step in and fix this once contracts run out. The way sports games are delivered to fans is so antiquated and dated. It limits our opportunities to watch games and costs us an arm and a leg. It's a killer especially for smaller market teams. Sell NBA LP to a real 3rd party distributor like Amazon or Apple or even Disney. Cut cable out and clear the black out restrictions. We shouldn't be doing it like this in 2022.

Please no Disney. They ruin everything they touch.