TV options for future games?

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CatnVa
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TV options for future games?

Post by CatnVa » July 13th, 2019, 6:11 am

What options will be available for game this fall?
In the past, with my cable subscriptions, ESPN Watch was also included so was able to catch many games. That App is going away and being replaced by ESPN+ with a paid subscription (not cable).
Is this the future of college sports?
Do I ditch cable and just purchase apps and subscriptions?

ksuatheart
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Post by ksuatheart » July 13th, 2019, 7:10 am

While the first game this year is ESPN+ (to get you to subscribe to the service, hoping you'll decide to keep it after you've signed up), the rest of the games will continue to be on ESPN or Fox because the ESPN+ and the places you sign up for ESPN and Fox are two difference revenue streams from their perspective, and they are trying to maximize their income by getting as many people signed up for multiple services as possible. So, I don't think ESPN+ will get you any of the games after the first, since I was going to do it last year until I realized that. If you're inclined to sign up for ESPN+ for a single game, then that's fine, but don't forget to drop the service after the game. Otherwise, for now, you're probably fine sticking with a traditional TV package for the rest of the season.

In the future, maybe MLB will decide to push everybody to go to their own streaming service if they think they can increase their revenue by doing so, but their contracts with their cable companies blocks them from cutting into their viewership by offering their games on streaming along side their cable offering. For now, similar to the NFL blackout, the MLB streaming service won't show you a game if you are within 100 miles of the stadium of either team playing, although you might be able to watch at a later time. Of course, they could have a problem, where increasing revenue over a shorter time frame results in a loss of viewership in the long. If many choose not to pay and share their love of the game with their children, the children will grow up without a generational tie to the sport, reducing their interest in watching, and eventually weakening the audience for the product. Eventually several decades later, you may only end up with the fans who have been invested by their parents, plus fans of a school for college sports, as casual fans or those without the means choose to go without. I think this is where the NFL is strongest right now, because on Sunday, you can watch 4 games on CBS, Fox and NBC every weekend, plus the Thursday game which they seem to have finalized on Fox last year, which means you can watch 30% of the games without having to pay for anything above your typical basic package.

Personally, I've done well dropping my cable package, but I don't typically sit and watch games too often.

CatnVa
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Post by CatnVa » July 13th, 2019, 7:41 am

Thanks so much for the useful information!

epicsnyder
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Post by epicsnyder » July 13th, 2019, 6:28 pm

Sling TV has a free trial for 7 days so you can go that route for the first game and then just cancel it. That's what I have done for the past few years.

Have even used my wife's email and credit card to get a second later in the season if needed under the same circumstance.
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Sancho Panza
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Post by Sancho Panza » July 13th, 2019, 8:22 pm

ESPN App has replaced WatchESPN
HAIL STATE!!!

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Sancho Panza
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Post by Sancho Panza » July 13th, 2019, 8:24 pm

Would love the Pronghorn Net to be replaced by the Big12 (X) Net.
HAIL STATE!!!

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Pick 'Em

Post by tmcats » July 14th, 2019, 12:17 pm

if you don't have espn plus, you won't be seeing several k-state mbb, wbb, baseball games, or coaches shows either. the conference is making the platform its defacto network. you'll be able to watch all the conference schools, sans ou and texas home games, only on espn plus unless those games are available on cable networks like espn and abc. if the platform works technically, it will be a 'must have' for b12 fans.
Why is there something rather than nothing?

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stlcatfan
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Post by stlcatfan » July 14th, 2019, 12:37 pm

tmcats wrote:
July 14th, 2019, 12:17 pm
if you don't have espn plus, you won't be seeing several k-state mbb, wbb, baseball games, or coaches shows either. the conference is making the platform its defacto network. you'll be able to watch all the conference schools, sans ou and texas home games, only on espn plus unless those games are available on cable networks like espn and abc. if the platform works technically, it will be a 'must have' for b12 fans.
This is why I plan to sign up next month. A little over a year ago, I dropped my cable package way down to U-Verse Basic (which is just local channels and a few others that no one watches) so that I could keep unlimited data for my Internet. I was tired of paying so much money for TV I hardly ever watched. ESPN+ is less than $5/month and I like that ESPN has a dedicated Big 12 platform there. Between that and local TV, I should still be able to watch a few K-State and Big 12 football games live as well as all the other sports and coaches shows you mentioned.
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