Footy broadcasting - What do we have?

SocrManiac

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I'm beginning to think everything I want to watch regularly is going to be behind a paywall that I used to get for the fee I was already forking over.
 

Senator Donut

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I'm beginning to think everything I want to watch regularly is going to be behind a paywall that I used to get for the fee I was already forking over.
ESPN Plus costs less than adding BeIn Sports (2015’s broadcaster) to my cable package. And you want a free option, you can watch Telemundo.

I only have an issue with NBC Sports Gold, which only has second tier matches, and B/R Live, which only has matches when I’m at work.
 

Zososoxfan

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ESPN Plus costs less than adding BeIn Sports (2015’s broadcaster) to my cable package. And you want a free option, you can watch Telemundo.

I only have an issue with NBC Sports Gold, which only has second tier matches, and B/R Live, which only has matches when I’m at work.
Will Telemundo have all the matches? Also, are you sure about the cost comparison w/r/t BeIN? I switched to streaming last year and I have YouTubeTV and added BeIN's International Package for La Liga and Ligue 1. The Int'l package is $10/mo. and I think $2-3 for DVR. Does ESPN+ even have a time-shifting (i.e. DVR) option?
 

rguilmar

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Will Telemundo have all the matches? Also, are you sure about the cost comparison w/r/t BeIN? I switched to streaming last year and I have YouTubeTV and added BeIN's International Package for La Liga and Ligue 1. The Int'l package is $10/mo. and I think $2-3 for DVR. Does ESPN+ even have a time-shifting (i.e. DVR) option?
I have ESPN+, it costs like $5 a month. Not sure about DVR but all games are available on demand for no additional cost. I get all Serie A matches, which I’ve enjoyed and never really had much access to before.

Having FuboTV and ESPN+ gives all La Liga, Premiership, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 matches (along with Copa Sudamerica, MLS, and Liga MX), plus random Segunda matches and most Turkish games. I record more games than I can possibly watch.
 

SocrManiac

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ESPN Plus costs less than adding BeIn Sports (2015’s broadcaster) to my cable package. And you want a free option, you can watch Telemundo.

I only have an issue with NBC Sports Gold, which only has second tier matches, and B/R Live, which only has matches when I’m at work.
It's just starting to pile up. You need to have a cable subscription and another sub to get all of a particular league's content. That doesn't even get into the entertainment side (Do you like Star Trek? Buy CBS All Access!).
 

Marceline

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It's just starting to pile up. You need to have a cable subscription and another sub to get all of a particular league's content. That doesn't even get into the entertainment side (Do you like Star Trek? Buy CBS All Access!).
Eventually someone will come out with a bundled package of streaming services and we'll have come full circle.
 

Zomp

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Out of all of the streaming services I have, ESPN Plus is one of the best. For $5 a month I love the content available (especially being a big MMA fan) and I find the streams are great quality.

NBC Gold is a piece of shit. The stream constantly freezes and dies on me.
 

Zososoxfan

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Eventually someone will come out with a bundled package of streaming services and we'll have come full circle.
I've always dreamed of the day when content can truly be paid for a la carte. The counterargument is that each property would then get more expensive. But, I've never subscribed to that line of thought. However, at this moment, the industry is caught between two models. Consumers are adapting more quickly to take advantage of new technologies and offerings (where the value proposition lies), but you're right that it will continue to shift and I don't think the streaming model as we know it will be here that long.
 

Titans Bastard

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Why is Taylor Twellman so bad ? He drives me crazy and ruins almost every game he announces.
Do you dislike his style/affect or his commentary?

I think his content is fine, but his endlessly energetic style/affect can annoy people, like my wife. (Like all good Americans, she hates professional troll Alexi Lalas the most.)
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Do you dislike his style/affect or his commentary?

I think his content is fine, but his endlessly energetic style/affect can annoy people, like my wife. (Like all good Americans, she hates professional troll Alexi Lalas the most.)
The Lalas hate is real, my girlfriend is the exact same way and I don't think she specifically knows or cares what his point of view is, it's all based on vibe.
 

Titans Bastard

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The Lalas hate is real, my girlfriend is the exact same way and I don't think she specifically knows or cares what his point of view is, it's all based on vibe.
She views him as the platonic ideal of an overconfident, know-it-all blowhard who likes to be controversial for the attention and is definitely going to interrupt you to mansplain something at least a few times in a five minute conversation.
 

biollante

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I pretty much hate everything Taylor Twellman says. How does he hold a job ? He gives Americans a bad name. He is arrogant, pig headed, overly opinionated and if I hear about his stupid ass, you should get a 4 th sub for a head injury crap one more time, it will make me sick. It is all about him, 24-7. He is as insightful as Joe Buck.
 

Titans Bastard

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That's very cool. The USOC will have never been so accessible. In the past only the last few games would be televised and for everything else you'd be dependent on there maybe being some crappy stream.
 

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
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For the denizens of the Great White North the choices have been reduced to one - DAZN

DAZN has acquired the Canadian Premier League rights for the next three years. Previously Sportsnet and TSN (which are on basic cable) were sharing the games. This sucks .. although I have to admit DAZN is cornering the soccer market .. they already feature the Champions League, Europa League, La Liga, Serie A and the French league.

I ponied up for it this year (Champions League) and it’s pretty good ..they also have the NFL for those so inclined .. but it’s a little pricy at ~$20 a month .. the streaming quality still leaves a bit to be desired.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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So cordcutting saved a few people money for a few years and now content more expensive and worse for everyone and we can't even use the DVR to skip over commercials with streaming services? Awesome!
 

rguilmar

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So cordcutting saved a few people money for a few years and now content more expensive and worse for everyone and we can't even use the DVR to skip over commercials with streaming services? Awesome!
Which services are you using? I haven’t had an issue with using a DVR or fast forwarding on any of the services we use.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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YouTubeTV for a few TVs, but still have cable. At least on Roku, the experience trying to flip back and forth between games takes like 5 button clicks instead of a previous channel option. Additional FFWD is fine, but there's no way to program a 30 second skip button which is pretty much perfect for flying through commercials.
 

rguilmar

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YouTubeTV for a few TVs, but still have cable. At least on Roku, the experience trying to flip back and forth between games takes like 5 button clicks instead of a previous channel option. Additional FFWD is fine, but there's no way to program a 30 second skip button which is pretty much perfect for flying through commercials.
Yeah trying to change channels is a little clunky. I usually work all weekend and record more games on my Roku (FuboTV and ESPN+) than can be humanly watched, catching what I can during the week. Since I’m never watching anything live, flipping around doesn’t bother me but I can see how it would be problematic.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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So cordcutting saved a few people money for a few years and now content more expensive and worse for everyone and we can't even use the DVR to skip over commercials with streaming services? Awesome!
Yup, this is what those of us who work on "obsolete" linear cable channels have been warning. You hate the bundle where you have to pay 60 bucks (plus internet costs, plus pay networks) for 500 channels because you only watch 10 of them? Great. Now you can pay an average of 10 bucks each for pay services from Netflix, Disney, WarnerMedia, Comcast, Amazon, ESPN, and Hulu, still need to pay for internet costs, and have fewer viewing choices than you did before.
 

SoxFanInCali

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California. Duh.
Yup, this is what those of us who work on "obsolete" linear cable channels have been warning. You hate the bundle where you have to pay 60 bucks (plus internet costs, plus pay networks) for 500 channels because you only watch 10 of them? Great. Now you can pay an average of 10 bucks each for pay services from Netflix, Disney, WarnerMedia, Comcast, Amazon, ESPN, and Hulu, still need to pay for internet costs, and have fewer viewing choices than you did before.
The bigger problem for me is that you can't just choose one or the other. ESPN wants me to pay my cable bill AND give them another $5 a month for their streaming service to get everything they offer.
 

rguilmar

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My issue was more with my provider, Comcast, who got into a legal pissing contest with Bein Sports and no longer carries the networks. Without warning, I was locked into a contract paying an obscene amount but not getting one of the only reasons why I had all of those packages- La Liga games. Literally all I watch is soccer, college football, and HBO but paying well north of $200 a month for the privilege.

Our decision wasn’t so much financial (though we are paying about half what we used to) as it was losing out on La Liga games and being locked into a contract.
 

SocrManiac

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The bigger problem for me is that you can't just choose one or the other. ESPN wants me to pay my cable bill AND give them another $5 a month for their streaming service to get everything they offer.
This is totally the key: double-dipping. You can't one-stop shop for the content you want anymore, cord-cutter or not.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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You're not kidding. Here's the TV coverage for today and tomorrow's matches:

Liverpool vs. Porto, 3pm, UniMas, Univision Deportes Network, fuboTV and B/R Live
Spurs vs. Man City, 3pm, TNT, Galavision, fuboTV, PlayStation Vue and Sling TV and B/R Live

Manchester United vs. Barcelona, 3pm, TNT, UniMas, Univision Deportes Network, fuboTV, PlayStation Vue and Sling TV and B/R Live
Ajax vs. Juventus, 3pm, Galavision, fuboTV and B/R Live

Shame all these games are on concurrently as well
 

Senator Donut

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I missed this news item from back in March, but MLS is attempting to collectively sell its television rights starting in 2023. This model seems to work well for the Premier League which has a comparable amount of matches also concentrated on weekends, but it probably is not sufficient for a domestic competition. I’m not sure how a single rights-holder can ensure all local games get on television. I hope there is some sort of regional OTA syndication, but it seems like a pay service is more likely (already the case in Chicago and LA).

https://awfulannouncing.com/soccer/mls-local-deals-2022-packaging-national.html
 

Titans Bastard

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The entirety of Copa America will be streamed on ESPN+ and not available on regular TV in English. It will be on Telemundo in Spanish.

https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2019/05/espn-acquires-rights-to-2019-conmebol-copa-america-in-the-u-s/

Stolen from Reddit:

If you have ESPN+, Sunday, July 7th looks like this to you:

11:00 - Women's World Cup Final (FOX)

2:00 - Atlanta United vs. New York Red Bulls (FOX)

4:00 - Copa America Final (ESPN+)

6:30 - Portland Timbers vs. New York City (FS1)

9:00 - Gold Cup Final
 

Zososoxfan

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Extortion, plain and simple.
Even as someone who was first weaned on the international game during WC '94 and follows Argentina maniacally, I won't pay extra for these matches. I didn't pay extra to see the Barca-Valenica Copa final. These clowns need to realize they need eyeballs.
 

SocrManiac

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Growing up, we had VHS tapes and very sporadic matches. We had an embarrassment of riches over the past few years, but hiding content behind additional paywalls is getting out of hand.
 

67YAZ

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Growing up, we had VHS tapes and very sporadic matches. We had an embarrassment of riches over the past few years, but hiding content behind additional paywalls is getting out of hand.
This brings back a vivid memory of my U-12 coach. We played next to an elementary school, and before practices he would run an extension chord from an external outlet on the building to his car trunk. He had rigged up a plywood platform with a small TV and VCR on it along with a milk crate holding dozens of self-made instructional tapes comprised of English and Italian highlights. This being '89-90, we saw a lot of Milan and Liverpool clips with those VCR tracking lines obscuring a good look at what was actually happening.

"See how the defenders step up. Watch it again."

"See how the fullback overlaps with the midfielder? I'm going to rewind that."

"Look how he passes the ball into space where his teammate will run on to it."

Then he'd loan us the tapes to watch as homework, which was fascinating but incomprehensible without his commentary about why I was watching a random 5 minute clip of a match between two unnamed teams.

Incredible what we have access to now. At some point there will be a reckoning, people will only pay so many subscriptions at a given time.
 

SocrManiac

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We had a similar experience, except we watched the tapes in the coach's basement.

He never diddled us but I'm guessing the suggestion of it would have put him in prison today.
 
These clowns need to realize they need eyeballs.
I think the clowns in question at CONMEBOL will survive without too many American eyeballs - the Copa America is a nice tournament, but if the USA itself is not involved, exactly how big is the English-speaking market in America to watch it? (The same is true for ESPN, actually...I assume the sound business decision is to try and get more people to pony up for ESPN+ than show loss-leading programming on one of its main channels.)
 

Titans Bastard

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Eventually the price will change to god knows what, but right now ESPN+ is an excellent value at $5/mth.

It's cheaper than the old MLS Live was, but has way more stuff. MLS, USL, US Open Cup, various lower division English games, Eredivisie, Serie A, UEFA Nations League, now Copa America.
 

Nick Kaufman

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I don't mind paying extra. I hate managing a gazillion different subscriptions so I can watch them on the internet where sometimes the stream is buffering.
 

Vinho Tinto

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teddykgb

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Hopefully they have been paying attention to NBC Sports more than TNT. If they do this right this could work out well for all of us
 

Catcher Block

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I agree the production quality has nowhere to go but up, but is CBS Sports Network carried as widely as TNT?

Maybe I'm way off, but there's no way broadcast CBS affiliates are going to ditch afternoon soaps for UEFA soccer (except the final, maybe), so this feels like trading TNT for CBS SN, with most content behind the CBS All Access paywall.
 

coremiller

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Oh great, now I have to look forward to Jim Nantz calling the Champions League Final.
 

candylandriots

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Senator Donut

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Here’s an interesting addendum to the CBS story. As part of their pitch to the network, UEFA said it was eying New York for the 2024 Champions League Final.
 

Zososoxfan

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In other cordcutting news, La Liga continues to make its US fans suffer unnecessarily:

Sling TV has removed beIN SPORTS from its Best of Spanish TV package, thereby making the channel and coverage of LaLiga even more difficult to access than previously.

While the change may not seem significant to some, the Best of Spanish TV package has been one of the most popular Sling TV add-ons that soccer fans have chosen over the years when wanting to access LaLiga via beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español.

The Spanish-language network beIN SPORTS en Español will continue to be available via Best of Spanish TV, but it leaves English-language viewers in the lurch who want to enjoy the top-flight Spanish league with English-language commentary and analysis from beIN SPORTS talent such as Phil Schoen and Ray Hudson.

Other options do exist (more on that later), but removing beIN SPORTS from Best of Spanish TV isn’t the only change that Sling TV has made.

Recently, the streaming service increased the monthly subscription costs of Sling Blue and Sling Orange by five dollars per month to $30/month for Sling Blue and $30/month for Sling Orange, or $45/month for Sling Blue + Orange combined.

...

By Sling TV removing beIN SPORTS from the Best of Spanish TV package, it forces long-standing Sling customers to make a decision whether to switch or stay. Other options include Fanatiz for $7.99/month, fubo Latino and Sling Latino for $10/month.

In response to our concerns about Sling TV subscribers no longer being able to watch LaLiga in English-language via Best of Spanish TV, a Sling TV spokeswoman responded, “All of the major soccer games broadcasted on beIN SPORTS (English) are still available in Spanish to Best of Spanish TV customers on beIN SPORTS en Espanol and/or beIN SPORTS Connect channels. Customers interested in watching LaLiga games in English can still watch on beIN SPORTS with Sports Extra (Blue and/or Orange base services required), World Sports or Deportes Extra.”

We reached out to beIN SPORTS for comment regarding the removal of the channel from Best of Spanish TV, but they didn’t respond before press time. According to a source, LaLiga believes the partnership with Sling TV is as strong as ever, and LaLiga continues to leverage Sling’s platform and collaborate with their team on new ways to create exposure of LaLiga for Sling consumers in the new year.

Sling TV removing beIN SPORTS from the Best of Spanish TV package is ironic considering that LaLiga North America and Sling TV announced a partnership in September 2019 that described Sling TV as “the official sponsor of La Liga in North America.” In that same announcement, it mentioned Sling TV would expand and promote Spain’s top league in North America.

Sling TV is currently running an advertising campaign that’s promoting its coverage of LaLiga with the slogan “Ready as ever.” Given recent developments, they may want to reconsider the wording.
https://worldsoccertalk.com/2020/01/08/sling-removes-bein-sports-from-best-of-spanish-tv-leaving-laliga-fans-in-a-lurch/

Nice of BeIN to give subscribers a heads up SMH. In any event, I only have Sling because of BeIN (I use YTTV as my "base" subscription). So if I want BeIN and DVR, it seems like the options are as follows:

  • Sling World Sports Annual = $60/year (+ $60/year for DVR)
  • Sling Deportes Annual = $60/year (+ $60/year for DVR)
  • Fubo Latino Quarterly = $26/mo. inc. DVR
  • Fanatiz Monthly = $8/mo. I can't tell if Fanatiz has an option for DVR. Any insight here? If it does, then that's the way to go for me.
If not, I think Fubo is overpriced even though I'm sure the service is a lot better than Sling. I'm also not willing to give up YTTV for Fubo because I share the TV with the wife and we both like YTTV a lot. The UI is very good and the unlimited DVR is nice.

Between the two Sling packages, it seems like I'd be giving up BeIN Espanol (which has spillover La Liga matches). World Sports has BeIN Sports Connect and some BeIN Sports La Liga, but I don't know what content will be on those.

The kicker is this little nugget when I was about to pay for Sling World Sports: "After twelve months of pre-paid service is complete, you can continue month to month at the regular rate."

In sum, Sling/BeIN are the worst but still the best option. La Liga really needs to do better with their USA TV rights.

Does this all sound right?