How Can I Watch the Twins Today? (And Seven Other Questions about the Twins-Bally-Comcast Clustermuck)

10 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Totally fair. I just think it's another shortsighted decision by the Twins. Their problem is a shrinking fanbase. They rejected the idea of fully diving into the streaming world because of the 1 year payout. I don't get why you wouldn't at least dip your toe in here and at least start the process of expanding your fan base. It shouldn't be about what Ballys wanted, it should've been about what was best for the future of the Twins. And getting their product in front of more fans is the very clear and obvious answer to that question. I don't see it as letting Ballys get everything they wanted just to have it, I see it as the Twins actively shooting themselves in the other foot after having already shot their first foot by signing up anyways. Their complete and utter rejection of streaming is mind blowing to me.

https://theathletic.com/5271325/2024/02/12/qa-dave-st-peter-bally-rsn-twins/
 

while I am super frustrated with The Twins, BSN and the watching options available… the article links above paints a picture without actually laying the blame, that the MLB strong armed the Twins into taking the 1 year deal with BSN and not accept a streaming rights deal in prep for an MLB package coming for 2025.

i frickin’ hate DSP…. But that changed my perspective a bit.

i hate this TV watching option this season, and pretty much the whole damn situation including laying blame at Pohlad and DSP, but also MlB too.

this never should have gotten this far

1 hour ago, Major League Ready said:

The only problem with this argument is that the Twins did not rely solely upon Bally's.  As Chief pointed out, the product is available from other sources.  Also, had the Twins abandoned the Cable model, all of those customers would have had to switch (pay) for an alternative distribution.  Should we blame the customers who continue to rely upon an outdated model.  I don't think so.  I didn't blame people for CDs going away nor did I blame the companies that made CD players.  There is always some pain associated with this type product/market transition.  

None of this has anything to do with whether or not cable cutters are hypocrites. Chief called us hypocrites for complaining about the cable model mess because we caused it. I pointed out that he was wrong and he called me defensive so I explained more how being a hypocrite works in this situation. We'd be hypocrites if we were complaining about cable dying while being the ones that are killing it. That isn't our complaint. Thus we aren't being hypocrites. So there's no problem with my argument. Chief incorrectly labeled us hypocrites.

But I'll respond to your point even though it isn't actually towards the point I was making in my back and forth with Chief. What "other sources" is this product available on? Other cable/satellite offerings? What's the difference between having to switch (pay) for a different cable/satellite offering and having to pay for streaming? If you had Comcast and live in the Twins "local market" you don't have another source that's available to you unless you want to switch to another cable provider. I don't know how cable contracts work anymore, but maybe they aren't year long contracts like they used to be so switching is easy. But there are many, many locations where there is only 1 cable provider. Thus there really is no other source because you literally can't pay anyone else for cable/satellite at your house, and you can't use the streaming option because you live in the Twins market. 

I don't care who you blame. The Twins tied their product to a "torpedoed ship" as Chief so poetically stated. He then called those of us who torpedoed the ship hypocrites for complaining about the Twins being on that ship. That is a misuse of the word "hypocrite." We aren't complaining about the torpedoed ship sinking. We're complaining about the Twins (and apparently MLB) choosing to take another ride on the ship they knew was sinking. And then coming out and shrugging their shoulders like they had no idea this was a possibility and there's nothing they could've done about the continued shrinking of their TV reach.

11 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

https://theathletic.com/5271325/2024/02/12/qa-dave-st-peter-bally-rsn-twins/
 

while I am super frustrated with The Twins, BSN and the watching options available… the article links above paints a picture without actually laying the blame, that the MLB strong armed the Twins into taking the 1 year deal with BSN and not accept a streaming rights deal in prep for an MLB package coming for 2025.

i frickin’ hate DSP…. But that changed my perspective a bit.

i hate this TV watching option this season, and pretty much the whole damn situation including laying blame at Pohlad and DSP, but also MlB too.

this never should have gotten this far

Oh, MLB (and the MLBPA even) definitely gets some blame in all of this. I don't know that I'd use the phrase "strong armed" here, but MLB obviously had input and made known their plans to the Twins. I don't know enough to know if MLB pushed the Twins to just not give up streaming rights, even for a year, or if they pushed the Twins into the 1 year deal or what plan they actually wanted to play out. Did MLB want the Twins to do the Diamondbacks approach but the Pohlads wanted money so they played the middle ground and didn't give up streaming rights but still got their money? I wouldn't blame MLB at all for that. 

I don't know enough to know how much blame to put on who. But MLB absolutely gets some blame. Just like the TV deal expiring after last year wasn't some surprise to the Twins, this entire situation hasn't been some unforeseen surprise for MLB. This technology switch has been coming for a long time. Many of us have been pointing out MLB's lack of desire, or inability, to adapt to the times for a long time. They all get the blame.

11 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Stream Fubo.

 

Also...are you a Comcast customer?

If not, what's your complaint again?

My complaint is that the Twins are actively shrinking their fanbase. They cut payroll this offseason to "right-size" their business. If their fanbase goes down their revenue goes down and more "right-sizing" needs to happen which makes the team worse. And I like the team to be better, not worse. That's my complaint. 

19 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Whoa big fella.  I had absolutely nothing to say about cord cutters being hypocrites.  I said it was not true that the Twins were relying solely on the "sinking ship" of regional sports.  More importantly, shouldn't we also consider that everyone currently paying Comcast, DirecTV, etc would have lost access to broadcasts had the team not signed a new deal with Bally's.  A streaming option would have been ideal but my guess is there is a reasonable explanation as to why there is not.  Why would they turn down the chance to reach more viewers and generate extra revenue?  You can assume incompetence if you wish but nobody is that stupid.

No you didn't, but that's what the conversation between Chief and I was that you jumped into. If you didn't want a response about that you shouldn't have replied to a comment about it. You, again, jumped into a conversation about something else and forced it into the conversation you wanted to have.

If they told everyone currently paying Comcast, DirecTV, etc. that they weren't signing with Bally's at the start of the offseason those paying for those services only, or in large part, because of Twins games would've had a chance to figure out what they wanted to do for this season. But those who have Comcast because of Twins games right now can't just get out of that contract now that the Twins are no longer on that service. It's a very different situation. Sure, they could now add another $80/month to their spending to get Fubo, but that seems a little unrealistic for a team to ask their fans. Or, if they'd gotten a streaming deal in place (like they sent Provus out to tell they were going to, but don't worry I won't question their competence there) where blackouts weren't a problem none of this would've mattered.

The Twins have been losing viewership for years while they watched Ballys be available on fewer and fewer services. They didn't have a choice then because they were under contract. They had a choice this offseason and signed up for the same sinking ship. According to DSP they hope to be part of an MLB offered package next year. I hope that happens. They openly acknowledged that this deal was going to hurt their viewership this year. Because I don't assume incompetence even though you constantly say I do, I actually assume they were smart enough to know that Diamond and Comcast had their contract running out soon so they knew there was a chance even more of their fans would lose access. I would actually believe that MLB encouraged them to take this deal to help tank Bally's and hurt the bankruptcy proceedings by Diamond not being able to come to terms with Comcast if a reliable source said that was the back room dealings. I'd question the Twins being a pawn in MLB's scheme, but I'd accept it's what happened.

I don't care what other responses you have. I know your stance is, and always will be, that the business men are smart and do no wrong. But businesses go down all the time. Businesses are incompetent all the time. The Twins complained about Bally's/Diamond, promised their customers no blackouts for 2024, and suggested they were going to cut payroll in part because of their TV deal that wasn't going to pay as much but would be better for reaching their fans. They ended back with the guys they said they didn't like, still have blackouts, and cut payroll anyways. I don't care what you want to call that, but they failed. DSP said they failed. I mean he added that they "aren't tone-deaf," but he acknowledged they failed at improving their situation. Use whatever term you want. It's not automatically the right outcome just because you want to defend the business men. We aren't going to agree on this so I'm done with this conversation.