Twins Likely to Return to Bally Sports North, Limit In-Market Streaming, in 2024.

[howeda7]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

No, it cannot. The majority of people have already dumped cable TV and millions more are cutting the cord every year. In 5-10 years the market for cable will be nursing homes and hotels.

I am about ready to start streaming Cardinals games out of market instead of following the Twins.

I'm not sure how well MLB is at sniffing it out, but I imagine it's possible to use a VPN to get around the MLB TV blackout.

[howeda7]

34 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

And the people who dumped cable grew up with local baseball included in their TV package/antennae. Asking us to pay $20-40-60 a month for it now is only going to reduce the viewing base. If they can’t figure out a way to NFL-ize their product, it’s doomed.

At an absolute minimum, the Twins should have used this as an opportunity to put Sunday games back on local over the air TV. It's not like Bally's would have walked away if the package was 130 games instead of 155.

[Peter Labuza]

3 minutes ago, howeda7 said:

I'm not sure how well MLB is at sniffing it out, but I imagine it's possible to use a VPN to get around the MLB TV blackout.

MLB has put in its policy that it's not illegal to use a VPN. However, they have the right to block channels as they deem necessary. 

[Peter Labuza]

5 minutes ago, howeda7 said:

At an absolute minimum, the Twins should have used this as an opportunity to put Sunday games back on local over the air TV. It's not like Bally's would have walked away if the package was 130 games instead of 155.

This was my thought / hope as well as I wrote about here. The problem is companies don't like breaking up these packages. I have to assume the Twins did their due diligence and went to the OTAs and found little movement. My guess is that because teams would have wanted a longer deal than one year, and Rob Manfred wanted to collect as many rights as possible for a 2025 package.

[nicksaviking]

26 minutes ago, Peter Labuza said:

This was my thought / hope as well as I wrote about here. The problem is companies don't like breaking up these packages. I have to assume the Twins did their due diligence and went to the OTAs and found little movement. My guess is that because teams would have wanted a longer deal than one year, and Rob Manfred wanted to collect as many rights as possible for a 2025 package.

I'm not sure what you are arguing, that Rob Manfred was trying to get a larger pool of teams for a MLBtv package in the future, but these clubs are choosing bigger money up front from Bally/Amazon? Either way I don't think the Twins did their due diligence. They followed the pack like the non-baseball operations side always does. They follow the leader and end up at the back of the pack because they do what the prior team did in that situation instead of demanding more than the prior team did. I really think they need to find a more innovative mind than Dave St. Peter. There's no chance he's one of the best 30 minds for this job, he's just the local guy who has been here for decades.

[howeda7]

33 minutes ago, Peter Labuza said:

This was my thought / hope as well as I wrote about here. The problem is companies don't like breaking up these packages. I have to assume the Twins did their due diligence and went to the OTAs and found little movement. My guess is that because teams would have wanted a longer deal than one year, and Rob Manfred wanted to collect as many rights as possible for a 2025 package.

You can't tell me that KSTP/KSTC at a minimum wouldn't jump at the chance to televise Sunday Twins games. The Twins used to get very good ratings when they did so before 2011. And I don't see why doing a one year deal would have been a holdup, so it wouldn't impact anything for 2025.  Sure Diamond/Bally's wouldn't like it and they'd have cut the fee by that # of games, and you wouldn't make all of it up from the OTA partner, But getting at least some of your games in front of the portion of the fan base that's been cut off has long-term advantages well worth losing a small $$ in the short-term.

[HerbieFan]

Does this mean Provus is going back to radio? :)

  If I basically can't watch them, I'd much rather listen to him than Atteberry.

[Eris]

4 hours ago, se7799 said:

Ok I have a question.  I do not and have not lived in any MLB team market for a long time, so forgive me for not understanding.  Does this mean if you live in market, you have no options to watch the Twins?  None so ever?   

MLB defines what is in/out of market and their definition may surprise you. just for curiosity I looked for a region in the continental USA far far away from a team and plugged the zip code into MLB website. Someone in Raymond Montana is considered part of the home market of the Seattle Mariners. It is about a 16 hour drive from Raymond to Seattle. 
 

https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

34 minutes ago, Eris said:

MLB defines what is in/out of market and their definition may surprise you. just for curiosity I looked for a region in the continental USA far far away from a team and plugged the zip code into MLB website. Someone in Raymond Montana is considered part of the home market of the Seattle Mariners. It is about a 16 hour drive from Raymond to Seattle. 
 

https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games

My understanding is that MLB declares every square foot of the United States to be in some team’s market. 

I pulled this off the internet - so obviously you know it is true haha - but I think this map is accurate 

[NotAboutWinning]

That map is absolutely ridiculous!!

[wabene]

3 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Fubo starts at $80 and includes FSN.

I was on DStream or Direct TV before last year. It started off at $90 a month and by the time I switched to Fubo last year it had gone up to $120+ (of course). So last year I started on Fubo at $93 and change after tax etc and this year it is still the same. I was hoping to drop it and just steam the Twins ala carte this year, but apparently that's not a thing yet. My wife still likes to DVR shows etc, but I could drop it all and only take all my content ala cart. The future is not here yet. I'm waiting, but in the meantime I will pay what it takes to watch the club. 

[Twinsrtheworst]

5 hours ago, stringer bell said:

You have to have Bally Sports. I have it on DirecTV. It isn't offered on many (any?) cable networks. 

Ok thanks.  I get it now.  I've always just done the directTV/Bally add on living in South Carolina...and watched the Twins. Wasn't sure if that was an option for in market fans.  I appreciate the info.

[Twinsrtheworst]

3 hours ago, howeda7 said:

It means you must subscribe to a TV/streaming carrier that carries BSN. DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, Fubo or one of the local cable companies that do. It's not as dire as some make it seem, but it does suck.

Ahhh I see now.  I was under the impression it was "impossible".  I do the directtv/bally add on were I live It's extra...but for me worth it as its the only way Ive ever been able to watch them or with mlb add on.  Thankyou

[Jeff123456]

Here in Waterloo, IA that means another year of White Sox baseball. I somehow have six home teams but that is what I get.

[jrod23]

I've already given up on streaming.  I listen to 90% of the games.  If the Twins go the route of the Wolves and put their games on iHeartRadio, so help me.

I just really feel for all the fans that are 60+ and just want to watch the team they've invested their entire baseball life into.

[Parfigliano]

1 hour ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

My understanding is that MLB declares every square foot of the United States to be in some team’s market. 

I pulled this off the internet - so obviously you know it is true haha - but I think this map is accurate 

Im considered home market for TX, HOU, AZ, CO.  Through DirecTv with the baseball package I get all teams except AZ.  Home or away I never get AZ games.

[theBOMisthebomb]

6 hours ago, stringer bell said:

You have to have Bally Sports. I have it on DirecTV. It isn't offered on many (any?) cable networks. 

I get Bally Sports on my Spectrum cable package. 

[jmlease1]

6 hours ago, DJL44 said:

This is the entire list

Cox
DirecTV
DIRECTV STREAM
Fubo
Mediacom
Optimum
Spectrum
Suddenlink
Xfinity
WOW!

Doesn't include the #1 provider - Comcast, #2 Charter, #4 Verizon FIOS, or #5 AT&T. Doesn't include Frontier or Dish Network, YoutubeTV, Hulu Plus or Sling. No options except $100+ per month.

Charter = Spectrum. (trust me, I used to have them). I'm currently getting my tv through TDS, and have Bally, formerly FSN. Live sports is really the only reason I still have a tv service like this, but dumping Charter/Spectrum for TDS is saving me a lot of $$

So it is available on the #1 and #2 providers, since Xfinity = Comcast.

I'm not thrilled about the streaming not being fixed better, but if it's going to available to stream on Prime rather than through the Bally's app that a) sucked, and b) cost an extra bomb even if you were already paying for their cable tier...maybe not so bad.

[darin617]

8 hours ago, DJL44 said:

So the Twins negotiated a bad TV deal with a TV channel that nobody can actually access. What's the good news?

They are always easy to access on the seven seas...

[TNtwins85]

17 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

This.

The Twins approach this offseason should anger every Twins fan.  To take a WS contending team and let it fall apart due solely to save money that they annually promise to spend on payroll is extremely disappointing.

I have generally been a supporter of this administration over the last few years.  They aren't perfect, but you always felt they were trying to win.  This is the first year that it feels like they do not care about the product and only care about money.  I am having a very hard time getting excited for this season.

This is the classic situation of upper management talking out of both sides of their mouths. Falvine is given a budget by the suits. I’m still flummoxed in the fact that they didn’t see this coming at all and had nothing in place whatsoever. From how they’ve handled all this it seems like they simply forgot that they’re contract was ending and didn’t read the Wall Street journal and hear that diamond was going bankrupt. It’s like this just came up in a memo on Monday morning and everyone forgot to check it. They had to have known this was happening and the fact they did absolutely nothing to prepare for it and had to beg a bankrupt business to offer them a bad contract is negligent at best. Dave St. Peter needs to answer to this as he is the fall guy and face of upper management. This has nothing to do with Falvine and has everything to do with everyone higher on the totem pole.

[Otaknam]

2010: “We need public supported financing to build Target Field. The new ballpark will help us generate enough revenue to compete for the World Series.”
 

2024: “Our revenue is down because of the BALLY contract fiasco. So we’re cutting payroll despite having a roster of young stars and a team that is built to contend for the World Series.” 
 

 

[Althebum82]

15 hours ago, howeda7 said:

You can't tell me that KSTP/KSTC at a minimum wouldn't jump at the chance to televise Sunday Twins games. 

You are correct that it could be a consideration for KSTC because the games would not conflict with any network (ABC) contractual commitments (or, quite frankly scheduling headaches connected to away games from different time zones) that would be an obstacle for KSTP or any other local TV broadcast channel.

However, KSTC's distribution outside of the immediate metro area is limited.  Its OTA signal does not extend far enough and many outstate and out-of-state cable/satellite options do not carry it, which would provide limited value to the deal for the team.  

[DJL44]

39 minutes ago, Althebum82 said:

many outstate and out-of-state cable/satellite options do not carry it

That can change literally overnight.

[DJL44]

52 minutes ago, Otaknam said:

2024: “Our revenue is down because

they negotiated the worst TV rights deal in all of Major League Baseball. Somehow they got a deal worse than Cleveland even though they were in exactly the same situation.

[Parfigliano]

59 minutes ago, Otaknam said:

2010: “We need public supported financing to build Target Field. The new ballpark will help us generate enough revenue to compete for the World Series.”
 

2024: “Our revenue is down because of the BALLY contract fiasco. So we’re cutting payroll despite having a roster of young stars and a team that is built to contend for the World Series.” 
 

 

Another example showing taxpayer financing for stadiums is a sucker bet for the taxpayers.

[wabene]

I just checked and TDS is not available where I live in the Duluth area. Still the best bet up here is Fubo at $93 a month all in. It's not perfect but it does have unlimited DVR unlike DStream/DirecTV whatever which has a very limited DVR and was up to over $120 when I kissed them off. 

[nicksaviking]

5 hours ago, wabene said:

I just checked and TDS is not available where I live in the Duluth area. Still the best bet up here is Fubo at $93 a month all in. It's not perfect but it does have unlimited DVR unlike DStream/DirecTV whatever which has a very limited DVR and was up to over $120 when I kissed them off. 

That's great, but for a family of five that has three kids watching Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, Apple and random Youtube videos, how is one supposed to justify $93/month just to watch baseball?

MLB has to get on to a platform that people already have, not some random fly-by-night streamer (sorry Fubo, Bally, whatever niche streamer comes next).

[wabene]

44 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

That's great, but for a family of five that has three kids watching Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, Apple and random Youtube videos, how is one supposed to justify $93/month just to watch baseball?

MLB has to get on to a platform that people already have, not some random fly-by-night streamer (sorry Fubo, Bally, whatever niche streamer comes next).

Family of five here and I agree. That is why I kept mentioning wanting an ala cart option to just watch the Twins. Right now my best option that I know of is Fubo. If that changes please let me know!

[nicksaviking]

2 hours ago, wabene said:

Family of five here and I agree. That is why I kept mentioning wanting an ala cart option to just watch the Twins. Right now my best option that I know of is Fubo. If that changes please let me know!

Ala cart options doesn't work for me and most others. Even if it was $20/month, it's hard to justify paying 120 per year just to watch baseball when that's the only thing that platform is good for and no one else is interested. It has to get on major streamers with a plan that's already budgeted. And $20/month is a pipedream right now; currently it's nearly $500 per year!

The NFL reaches the masses, shouldn't getting back to the NFL level of popularity be the goal? Forget about die hard fans, they will lose every casual fan who watches baseball just because they're scrolling through the programs and that's the most appealing option. Like was done for the past half century.

[wabene]

18 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Ala cart options doesn't work for me and most others. Even if it was $20/month, it's hard to justify paying 120 per year just to watch baseball when that's the only thing that platform is good for and no one else is interested. It has to get on major streamers with a plan that's already budgeted. And $20/month is a pipedream right now; currently it's nearly $500 per year!

The NFL reaches the masses, shouldn't getting back to the NFL level of popularity be the goal? Forget about die hard fans, they will lose every casual fan who watches baseball just because they're scrolling through the programs and that's the most appealing option. Like was done for the past half century.

With 162 games a year aren't they relegated to more regional coverage? There are just so many games I can't see the major broadcast networks offering more than a few games of the week in a few times slots. That works for the NFL, but it's minimal coverage of MLB. Apples to oranges. Plus I just think the intense, gladiatorial nature of football has a more universal appeal.