Cord cutting - Sling TV

[Harlan Huckleby]

What you describe is how things worked until very recently. If ESPN is bundled in your package, streaming or otherwise, you got all ESPN content, including stuff that never appears on any TV channel, via stream. (exception is Sling TV, which is crap access.)

This summer, a genius at ESPN came up with an additional streaming-only option, ESPN+, that will carry content unavailable any other way. And of course they have every incentive to move more and more content there that you used to get as part of your bundle.

It isn't the beginning of ala carte, more like ala cartel. (that joke doesn't really work, but I'm still impressed with my cleverness.)

[3irty1]

So you can get ESPN on cable tv, ESPN streaming, and ESPN+.

ESPN streaming gets you everything from tv plus more stuff
ESPN+ has its own exclusive content but nothing from tv or the other streaming service

The concern is that ESPN is just featherbedding. They could put everything in one service but instead they sell two services while offering little in the way of additional content.

[Harlan Huckleby]

The concern is that ESPN is just featherbedding. They could put everything in one service but instead they sell two services while offering little in the way of additional content.

Ya, this is the size of it. But in a rare instance of full disclosure, I'll concede it is possible that ESPN+ will inspire ESPN to add content that they weren't otherwise going to bother with. For instance, coverage of college conferences like the Ivy league.

Christ, this is getting tedious. College wrestling has 7 D1 conferences. Each conference has their own streaming provider requiring a subscription. Some individual schools even require separate subscriptions. Madness. Several past attempts to consolidate and bundle the sport have fizzled. (The least bad surviving attempt is flosports, which streams 20 different minor sports, from wrestling to gymnastics to rodeo.) ESPN+ might eventually provide a similar and better service. Or they will just be featherbedding, as you say.

[mraynrand]

Ya, this is the size of it. But in a rare instance of full disclosure, I'll concede it is possible that ESPN+ will inspire ESPN to add content that they weren't otherwise going to bother with. For instance, coverage of college conferences like the Ivy league.

Christ, this is getting tedious. College wrestling has 7 D1 conferences. Each conference has their own streaming provider requiring a subscription. Some individual schools even require separate subscriptions. Madness. Several past attempts to consolidate and bundle the sport have fizzled. (The least bad surviving attempt is flosports, which streams 20 different minor sports, from wrestling to gymnastics to rodeo.) ESPN+ might eventually provide a similar and better service. Or they will just be featherbedding, as you say.

This is similar to what I was saying about news services. Sometimes you want to read an article from the Sac Bee or the Orange county register or the Des Moines Register or the Washington Post all within 10 minutes. You gonna buy a subscription to all those papers and then the next day 5 different papers? Not a chance. Need some a-la-carte bundlers so that these guys can get paid and we can reasonably buy their products.

[mraynrand]

I don’t watch TV. I read newspapers.

[mraynrand]

Saw this exchange:


John Ekdahl


@JohnEkdahl
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“Is this on SlingTV, or on my antenna through Plex, or on Amazon Prime or the native league app... wait maybe it’s blacked out in this app due to my market....”. Arggggh. Just let me pay you money in exchange for watching sports.
7:22 PM - 27 Sep 2018
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KilroyFSU


@KilroyFSU
11h11 hours ago
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Replying to @JohnEkdahl
Just get YouTubeTV. It's easy and relatively cheap for what you get.
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KilroyFSU


@KilroyFSU
11h11 hours ago
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Replying to @HoosierParlance @JohnEkdahl
Yes. Local networks, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, FS1, FS2, Fox Sports Florida, Sun Sports, NBC Sports, NBATV, MLBTV, CBS Sports, Golf Network, Olympic Channel, and Tennis Channel. Pretty much has every sports network out there.
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