Will MASN be among these soon ? MLB taking over TV broadcasts of 3 teams

[NashLumber]

MLB To Take Over Broadcasts For Twins, Guardians, Brewers In 2025

 

"MLB will now be handling the broadcasts of at least six clubs, as it was already distributing for the Padres, Diamondbacks and Rockies. Fans will be able to sign up for direct-to-consumer streaming packages without blackouts, except for games that are being broadcasted nationally. The Rangers also saw their Diamond deal expire in 2024 but seem to be in a different situation for now. MLB announced that Texas wouldn’t be continuing with Diamond but are exploring local options for 2025."

"There will be other long-term questions to be answered in time. Commissioner Rob Manfred intends to market a streaming package consisting of multiple teams at some point in the future, perhaps as soon as 2025. MLB.TV has existed for years but with consumers affected by local blackout rules. The idea going forward would be to essentially make a blackout-free version of MLB.TV. There would be complications in such a plan, as clubs like the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs and others handle their own games via broadcasters that are at least partially owned by the team. Given their relatively stable footing, they would have less interest in joining such a plan with the other clubs."

[Chuck Toedan]

It should also be noted the the Rangers have dropped their agreement with Diamond sports network, but nothing new as time time for their future.

[Spy Fox]

I don't see why they would-- these takeovers are related to problems with Bally Sports, and the Orioles are one of the unnamed teams in the articles mention of "clubs like the Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs and others handle their own games via broadcasters that are at least partially owned by the team."

[24fps]

How ironic would it be if it was Rob Manfred who drove the final stake through the heart of the unholy marriage that is MASN?

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Just give us an in market streaming option is that too much to ask? Cable television is dying regardless so stop forcing local fans to pay for some service they don't want because it's the only way to watch Orioles games.

Edited October 9 by OsFanSinceThe80s

[OriolesUpAndDowns]

What are the financial implications of MLB broadcasting their games?

[Satyr3206]

This is one area I have no idea how it shakes out. Obviously cord cutting is going on. MASN was supposed to reimburse the O's. Streaming seems like a partial answer. Ask me again during Spring Training.

[NashLumber]

2 hours ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Just give us an in market streaming option is that too much to ask? Cable television is dying regardless so stop forcing local fans to pay for some service they don't want because it's the only way to watch Orioles games.

This is what I hope this leads to, ie. putting pressure on teams that have blackouts to finally abandon them. I think the MLB takeover this may be the momentum that forces the regional networks to follow suit. 

[Gurgi]

59 minutes ago, NashLumber said:

This is what I hope this leads to, ie. putting pressure on teams that have blackouts to finally abandon them. I think the MLB takeover this may be the momentum that forces the regional networks to follow suit. 

Yeah I think once enough of the teams get on board they can force the others to agree.  Unless I am wildly incorrect. 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Gurgi said:

Yeah I think once enough of the teams get on board they can force the others to agree.  Unless I am wildly incorrect. 

I don't know if they want to.

Isn't this because of the issues that Diamond Sports had?

[Gurgi]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

I don't know if they want to.

Isn't this because of the issues that Diamond Sports had?

I honestly do not know the answers.  I do wish Masn would die so I could always have my team on the same channel.  I would like a daily show like they used to have before games but with just Oriole information and no Nats stuff.  And I would buy MLB.tv if I could watch the Orioles.  Last year I got it for one week before I figured out that blackouts were a thing.  

I do want MLB and the Nats to pay through the nose for their TV rights.  They crushed our market size.  MLB took a bankrupt team and jammed it up our butts.  I want them to pay pay pay.  Not that it helps the Orioles much I just want to stick it to the Nats.  I don't care about some story that the Senators did not block the Orioles back in 54.  Hell the games were at Memorial Stadium.  A million miles from DC.  Now you can hit Nats park with a MLRS rocket from the parking lot of Camden Yards.  They stuck it to Baltimore bad.  And its not like they could of picked other places.  Carolina area, Nashville, Las Vegas.  I know New Orleans is a dump but maybe even there.  But no they bent us over and bam.  

[OriolesMagic83]

I don't want the O's to lose much, but I do want there to be a massive streaming deal with Amazon or some other company the O's are left out of.  This blackout nonsense is bullsh!t. 

[EddeeEddee]

6 hours ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Just give us an in market streaming option is that too much to ask? Cable television is dying regardless so stop forcing local fans to pay for some service they don't want because it's the only way to watch Orioles games.

Customer advocate groups have tried for decades to force the cable companies to allow channel by channel (a la carte) subscriptions, but the cable companies fought this because it would result in far less revenue (than forcing us to pay for a hundred channels we don't watch).  The government refused to intervene, so we've been stuck with the existing business model for all this time.  Streaming is forcing the change because streaming -- for now -- is an a la carte model.  

MLB's fear must be this: if the regional sports network cable channel model goes away, will most users pay anywhere close to what these channels made as part of a cable bundle for just one streaming channel where all you watch are Orioles games (or maybe Orioles and Nats games -- whatever the case may be)?  So if you pay $100/month for cable with MASN, you are probably watching at least a few other channels too.  But will you pay $15/month (or whatever the price may be) just to watch the Orioles -- even during the months when there is no baseball? 

The existing basic cable model has been quite stable because people tend to watch at least 5 or 6 channels.  They're reluctant to cancel their whole cable package just because baseball season is over -- or they've been too busy to watch many games this season.  But with a single streaming channel of just baseball there is bound to be a far more unstable revenue base.  All the streaming channels are already dealing with this problem.  I think MLB is maybe reluctant to go all in on streaming for this reason.  Perhaps they're looking for new different model that could allow them to bundle individual team channels with Netflix, or Prime, or maybe with your cell phone plan or something else.  This could give them some stability, but it could also be a turn off for the more hardcore fans who just want the Orioles and little else.  It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out and if MLB, and the Orioles, will prosper or suffer as a result.

[cnmilton]

Talking to somebody in this field, the problem is that the revenue received from MLB instead of from a RSN is that revenue received is 10s of millions of dollars less than before.  It's a major hair cut for the teams.

[MCO'sFan]

22 minutes ago, cnmilton said:

Talking to somebody in this field, the problem is that the revenue received from MLB instead of from a RSN is that revenue received is 10s of millions of dollars less than before.  It's a major hair cut for the teams.

I agree but the RSN model is dying so that only matters for a few mega teams that have strong markets. I think eventually they take over all but a few teams broadcasts. At some distant point the league may force those teams to join in. If that happens, I can see them going full TV revenue sharing between all clubs. I probably won't be around but I think baseball on TV will be very different in 20 years. 

Edited October 10 by MCO'sFan