Comcast We Have A Problem

[lecroy24fan]

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Let's hope the Twins have an out clause in the deal they signed...

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[Vanimal46]

I’m fascinated to know what percentage of in-market fans actually have a service to watch Bally Sports now? Comcast customers (me included) have to make up a pretty size-able percentage.

My cable box is essentially worthless to me without Bally Sports this summer. 

 

[DJL44]

Worst TV deal in pro sports.

[lecroy24fan]

10 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I’m fascinated to know what percentage of in-market fans actually have a service to watch Bally Sports now? Comcast customers (me included) have to make up a pretty size-able percentage.

My cable box is essentially worthless to me without Bally Sports this summer. 

 

Same here. This is infuriating. There are no other options that will work for me to watch legally. 

[twinkies]

I logged on for the first time in years to say. I want to show support to Twins content creators who give a **** about me, unlike the ballclub.

Signing up for caretaker now. 

[ItsMeJordanD]

So Bally is trying to play hard ball again and get the service providers to pay higher rates or they will lose the channel? Isn't that at least part of why they went bankrupt in the first place?

It seemed like every cable and streaming service had Fox Sports North a decade ago. If I remember correctly, you could watch Twins games on Sling TV for $25/month. Now there are only a couple services that still carry it, the cheapest is $80/month, and you never know when the channels will disappear because Bally didn't come to an agreement with them.

[August J Gloop]

Hello Ballyzon! It’s pretty shocking that Ballys would be this brazen about their attempt to force their way onto prime. 
I figured that they’d make it look more like the other side’s fault. 
 

This was 100% always the plan, which is why they forced the no streaming partners language into the agreement for 2024. The teams can’t even offer an mlb.tv option to iced out customers. Bally’s will cry hardship now and suggest they can’t make payments. 
 

The teams (who have no other streaming option set up) will agree to tearing up the existing agreements for less favorable terms on Prime. Since it’s now that or hope they can convince people to buy Fubo or directtv. 

Edited May 1, 2024 by August J Gloop
Clarify pronouns

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

I watch the Twins on the Extra Innings package - my cable provider is Comcast - presuming that I won't be impacted? Worst case, I can watch the other teams' broadcast but I do enjoy CP and the former Twins' players.

[weneedneshek]

Thankfully I already use DirecTV but this is ridiculous, who knows they may even be next

[August J Gloop]

5 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

I watch the Twins on the Extra Innings package - my cable provider is Comcast - presuming that I won't be impacted? Worst case, I can watch the other teams' broadcast but I do enjoy CP and the former Twins' players.

You will be blacked out now. You could only watch them because they were on Comcast. You won’t be able to watch the other teams feed either. Comcast will be forced to adhere to that rule on the extra innings package. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Just now, August J Gloop said:

You will be blacked out now. You could only watch them because they were on Comcast. You won’t be able to watch the other teams feed either. Comcast will be forced to adhere to that rule on the extra innings package. 

Ugh. That's brutal.

[August J Gloop]

11 minutes ago, weneedneshek said:

Thankfully I already use DirecTV but this is ridiculous, who knows they may even be next

Directv is definitely their next target. The deals they made with Directtv and charter are provisional, not signed. There is no telling what kind of 30 day riders they might have put in them. It wouldn’t shock me if they use this failure with Comcast to fold the other two deals and on June 1st be completely dark during the MLB season. 

Edited May 1, 2024 by August J Gloop
So many typos I can’t even

[August J Gloop]

5 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

Ugh. That's brutal.

My bad. You’re in NJ. You’ll be fine. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

13 minutes ago, August J Gloop said:

My bad. You’re in NJ. You’ll be fine. 

You read my mind - that was my next question - if being out of market would change things for me.

[dex8425]

Unbelievable.  It really is like MLB wants all the potential younger fans to watch the NBA and NFL instead. They're getting their wish. 

[danielp19653]

For those in market I've been doing Nord VPN with MLB TV, ends up being way cheaper than xifinity or fubo and haven't had any issues yet 

[chpettit19]

33 minutes ago, August J Gloop said:

My bad. You’re in NJ. You’ll be fine. 

 

19 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

You read my mind - that was my next question - if being out of market would change things for me.

Curious as to how that works. Will it matter who the other market's RSN deal is with? Ballys is going dark in all their markets on Comcast. I assume that would blackout everything on Comcast in all of their markets (about half the league if I remember correctly). I have no idea how the Extra Innings package works, but I'd think if Comcast isn't broadcasting any Ballys games in any of their markets it'll be hit or miss for finding the Twins on any package on Comcast, no?

[Road trip]

No major sport makes a mess of broadcast rights quite like MLB.  

The big franchises (NY, LA, Bos, etc) want to protect the current "every man for himself" local broadcast rights system because it gives them a massive financial competitive advantage.

But long term the current system is extremely counterproductive.  MLB is struggling to attract new fans for a variety of reasons, but the difficulty of watching the local team play in local markets is a big part of the problem.  Fixing this should be a top priority, but it won't be because NY, LA, Bos, etc...

[ToddlerHarmon]

8 minutes ago, Road trip said:

No major sport makes a mess of broadcast rights quite like MLB.  

The big franchises (NY, LA, Bos, etc) want to protect the current "every man for himself" local broadcast rights system because it gives them a massive financial competitive advantage.

But long term the current system is extremely counterproductive.  MLB is struggling to attract new fans for a variety of reasons, but the difficulty of watching the local team play in local markets is a big part of the problem.  Fixing this should be a top priority, but it won't be because NY, LA, Bos, etc...

So much this. And we are now entering the second year of some franchises putting only token teams on the field. This should be setting the commissioner's hair on fire, but instead, crickets.

[Vanimal46]

I’m no lawyer, but now that the distribution of Bally Sports is cut by, let’s say conservatively 30%, wouldn’t Diamond Sports Group breach the contract so the Twins can opt out?

Then again, the Pohlads/DSP knew this was likely to happen and still took the short term cash for 1 year… All of this is a mess. In the year 2024, we shouldn’t have to be pirating streams of our local sports teams. 

[Vanimal46]

4 minutes ago, ToddlerHarmon said:

So much this. And we are now entering the second year of some franchises putting only token teams on the field. This should be setting the commissioner's hair on fire, but instead, crickets.

Half of the owners in baseball don’t care to put a WS contending team on the field. They want to be profitable, try to get a new stadium fully paid for by tax payers, and watch their franchise valuation skyrocket year over year. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

45 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

 

Curious as to how that works. Will it matter who the other market's RSN deal is with? Ballys is going dark in all their markets on Comcast. I assume that would blackout everything on Comcast in all of their markets (about half the league if I remember correctly). I have no idea how the Extra Innings package works, but I'd think if Comcast isn't broadcasting any Ballys games in any of their markets it'll be hit or miss for finding the Twins on any package on Comcast, no?

Good questions and my head's spinning with all of this stuff. I did read that 'out of market' customers aren't impacted. Not sure how or why. I'll find out on Friday - won't be home for today's game.

[ToddlerHarmon]

Just now, Vanimal46 said:

Half of the owners in baseball don’t care to put a WS contending team on the field. They want to be profitable, try to get a new stadium fully paid for by tax payers, and watch their franchise valuation skyrocket year over year. 

Agreed, but what Oakland did last year and this, and what the White Sox are doing, is a step beyond that. They're not even trying to be profitable, they're just keeping the lights on hoping to move or sell.

I know this has been done before (1982 Twins), but the level of futility of these teams, in the context of the tap running dry on TV rights and public approval of stadiums, should scare the league. This is not good for the future of the sport.

[Mike Sixel]

58 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I’m no lawyer, but now that the distribution of Bally Sports is cut by, let’s say conservatively 30%, wouldn’t Diamond Sports Group breach the contract so the Twins can opt out?

Then again, the Pohlads/DSP knew this was likely to happen and still took the short term cash for 1 year… All of this is a mess. In the year 2024, we shouldn’t have to be pirating streams of our local sports teams. 

Wait, DSP messed up again? Dudes like Teflon. 

[chpettit19]

1 minute ago, Mike Sixel said:

Wait, DSP messed up again? Dudes like Teflon. 

Him still having a job is why I'll never buy the idea that the Twins are ever struggling financially. Ever.

[August J Gloop]

1 hour ago, chpettit19 said:

 

Curious as to how that works. Will it matter who the other market's RSN deal is with? Ballys is going dark in all their markets on Comcast. I assume that would blackout everything on Comcast in all of their markets (about half the league if I remember correctly). I have no idea how the Extra Innings package works, but I'd think if Comcast isn't broadcasting any Ballys games in any of their markets it'll be hit or miss for finding the Twins on any package on Comcast, no?

I mean who knows? Comcast might take this to the next level, as they could theoretically argue that they don't have access to the feed so they can't broadcast it. But technically their extra innings package is to provide the out of market broadcasts. They broadcast other feeds that don't appear on comcast, so it seems unlikely they would go there. 

[bean5302]

Comca$t isn't going to lose money or even a little profit to broadcast the Twins game. As a perennial winner of the "most hated company in America", Comca$t has an even greater level of monopoly, arrogance and disinterest in customers than Bally.

MLB has done everything it possibly can to discourage expanding its fanbase, and the blackout rules are front of the line.

[MplsFan]

My goodness.  I've been paying a lot of money for Comcast in large part for BSN and the Twins.  I always thought I'd be safe, but I guess I'm not going to cancel Comcast.  Wow.

[Lunger]

There is blame across the board on this one.  I am a Comcast customer, but this is a problem for the Twins.  The Twins knew part of the deal with Bally included no streaming rights and they still chose to take the $, alienate their fans, lie to Cory Provus and then pocket 100% of the proceeds.  Dave St.Peter must take a big part of the blame here.  This is a **** show and I as a fan am nearly done with them.  I believe that the Pohlad's are within their right to run the business of the Twins as profitably as they want, but it is my prerogative as a fan to not support them financially.  That is what I choose.  I will not ever spend another penny at Target Field.  Godspeed to them, I know they won't miss me.  They will make billions with me or without me, but I sleep better knowing I do not financially support them. I will choose to support those who care, people like John Bonnes, Gleeman, Dan Hayes.  I will continue to pay for my Athletic subscription and Patreon, going to a watering hole and watching the game, but never will I spend a cent at Target Field or on any Twins gear. 

[sftwinsfan]

Midco is also cut off from Bally's as of today. Not completely sure of their reach, but at least a chunk of SD, ND and part of MN. Can't believe this can last long as combined with Comcast it has to be a pretty high percentage of their customers cut off from Twins games.