Sinclair/Ballys/ESPN/TNT ... broadcasting access, tips and notes
- Thread starter *AH*
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Another domino fell in the Bally Sports bankruptcy. They walked away from the remaining ACC football and basketball games they had acquired from Raycom. They’ll go back into the ESPN/ACC Network pool. Last month, they skipped a payment to the San Diego Padres and the Padres and MLB moved on without them.
The Canes signed a 6 year extension with Bally last spring. And Bally Sports South apparently has a profitable deal with the Braces, so it may survive. Otherwise, who knows. One more thing; Maniscalco’s and Tripp’s contracts expire July 1. They’re team employees, bit Bally employees.
This is a DeCock column, so it’s probably behind the paywall, but here you go.
The Canes signed a 6 year extension with Bally last spring. And Bally Sports South apparently has a profitable deal with the Braces, so it may survive. Otherwise, who knows. One more thing; Maniscalco’s and Tripp’s contracts expire July 1. They’re team employees, bit Bally employees.
This is a DeCock column, so it’s probably behind the paywall, but here you go.
I read in another article that Sports South was one of the Bally RSNs that wasn't a cash black hole ... again, largely due to the Braves, but whatever. There's been some speculation that the bankruptcy administrator might let Bally negotiate their way separating the profitable RSNs from the debt generated by the duds. Sounds like magical accounting to me, but bankruptcy on a larger scale often ends up in a bit of fiction.
Fayettenamcanesfan
Well-known member
I have used every service known to man kind over the last few years and Direct TV Stream has been far and away my favorite.
The Athletic had an interview with Bill Daly. The league told the bankruptcy court that Diamond Sports/Bally’s needs a resultion by the end of September so the league and affected teams can execute whatever contingencies they’ve put in place. But it’s not a league-wide contingency, it’s up to each market to figure it out.
Yeah, just all that ... no way I'm putting my eggs in one basket for this season.
DirecTV Stream (or D-Stream, depending) is a streaming live TV provider like YouTube TV or Hulu Live, but unlike those two they still offer the Ballys Sports regional networks. Unless something has changed very recently they are the only full service streaming provider that still offers those Ballys feeds. Your literal only other option aside from rolling the dice and hoping the Ballys' app decides to work that night is traditional cable TV.
Fayettenamcanesfan
Well-known member
Yes. Still Ballys. They also have MASN for any Orioles or Crapitals peeps.
Updated the thread title to reflect the actual content.
Keep in mind that the Disney/ESPN blackout on Spectrum cable is going to potentially impact SOME access to NHL games broadcast on ESPN/ABC ... should it extend into (and past?) October. Will that happen? Who knows, but Nexstar's blackout on DirecTV has been going on for several months with no sign of clearing up. That impacts only a portion of the local CBS channels on the provider's platforms, but that's gonna start to hurt an additional client base once the NFL season gets started.
As of right now, Ballys is still available on traditional cable and on the DirecTV services (including streaming), and as of right now their bankruptcy hasn't impacted regional broadcasts of Canes games. Carolina confirmed fairly recently that the broadcast crew from last season will all be back in their same roles. Cue complaints about Mike Maniscalco in 3, 2, 1. Anyway, enjoy your lightly updated thread.
Keep in mind that the Disney/ESPN blackout on Spectrum cable is going to potentially impact SOME access to NHL games broadcast on ESPN/ABC ... should it extend into (and past?) October. Will that happen? Who knows, but Nexstar's blackout on DirecTV has been going on for several months with no sign of clearing up. That impacts only a portion of the local CBS channels on the provider's platforms, but that's gonna start to hurt an additional client base once the NFL season gets started.
As of right now, Ballys is still available on traditional cable and on the DirecTV services (including streaming), and as of right now their bankruptcy hasn't impacted regional broadcasts of Canes games. Carolina confirmed fairly recently that the broadcast crew from last season will all be back in their same roles. Cue complaints about Mike Maniscalco in 3, 2, 1. Anyway, enjoy your lightly updated thread.
HeyKurtz
Well-known member
So, after over 30 years as a television customer of Time Warner/Spectrum, I finally cut the cord yesterday. (The Disney blackout and my resulting inability to watch most of the US Open--outside of the limited matches shown on ESPN+--was the last straw for me.) I was able to upgrade my Spectrum internet speed (not realizing that I wasn't already getting it) and have been using YouTubeTV so far and am absolutely loving it. The interface is great and it has worked flawlessly across all my devices.
Even with finally taking the plunge and including NFL Sunday Ticket with my YouTubeTV package and knowing I will have to separately buy the Bally package to watch the Canes this season (along with the Netflix, Peacock, ESPN+, AppleTV+, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Paramount+ services I separately subscribe to), I should end up saving about $75 month.
Even with finally taking the plunge and including NFL Sunday Ticket with my YouTubeTV package and knowing I will have to separately buy the Bally package to watch the Canes this season (along with the Netflix, Peacock, ESPN+, AppleTV+, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Paramount+ services I separately subscribe to), I should end up saving about $75 month.
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Yeah, as I indicated above I'm not using YTTV starting ... umm ... this past weekend, but I really did find their user interface to be the be the absolute best in the streaming game. For whatever reason their app just doesn't feel like an app, if you know what I mean. I'm on DirecTV streaming solely to make sure I don't have to scramble for Canes games if Ballys goes sideways. I'm paying about the same either way, but I freaking hate their interface. I could probably dig out their box and solve that issue, as Fayettenam points out, but I'm about hardwared out at this stage. Of course, I won't have CBS on their service until their issue with Nexstar is settled, but I don't really care to be honest.
Budget-wise I'm shifting into active sports season mode. I'll be dumping Netflix once I get my list cleared off, I'm on an off cycle with Apple TV and I've already cut BritBox loose. I keep Peacock and Paramount+ for soccer and once hockey starts we don't have need for too many more entertainment options. I usually add that stuff back and catch up in the summer. If anything, it's the seasonal use thing you have to adjust to once you cut free from cable. Unless an app makes it super worthwhile to do a yearly subscription, I just look at them as seasonal purchases.
Budget-wise I'm shifting into active sports season mode. I'll be dumping Netflix once I get my list cleared off, I'm on an off cycle with Apple TV and I've already cut BritBox loose. I keep Peacock and Paramount+ for soccer and once hockey starts we don't have need for too many more entertainment options. I usually add that stuff back and catch up in the summer. If anything, it's the seasonal use thing you have to adjust to once you cut free from cable. Unless an app makes it super worthwhile to do a yearly subscription, I just look at them as seasonal purchases.
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HurryCanes
Well-known member
Disney ups the ante and now WTVD (ABC) is locked down. Take away my Jeopardy and now I might have to finally ditch my spectrum. 
Uggh
Uggh
HeyKurtz
Well-known member
No upping of the ante...when Spectrum pulled Disney, they pulled all of their networks, including ABC.Disney ups the ante and now WTVD (ABC) is locked down. Take away my Jeopardy and now I might have to finally ditch my spectrum.
Uggh
NoMich
Well-known member
Make sure that Unabomber In His Own Words is a part of that list. I was not interested in watching a multiepisode true crime show on this fascist, but man, it was really good. There is so much shit that we didn't know about this dude and this miniseries lays it all out there. I hate him even more now and it's so worth it to hear all of the people that knew him as someone else. His sister-in-law especially is worth listening to. Just watch it before you kill your sub.
We watched that one back in pandemic shutdown times, IIRC. And yeah, it was quite good.
Season 40 doesn't start until Monday the 11th, so it's still in re-runs this week ... tick, tock, tick tock.Disney ups the ante and now WTVD (ABC) is locked down. Take away my Jeopardy and now I might have to finally ditch my spectrum.
Uggh
All kidding aside, from what I'm reading this Disney/Charter thing could potentially be an issue for quite a while since to one degree or another both sides a looking for model-changing new carriage fee structures. Better line up those Plan B options.
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