The agreement between YES and MSG to partner to form Gotham Advanced Media and Entertainment could one day bring the Yankees, Knicks, Rangers, Nets, Islanders, Devils and Liberty under one roof.
So what about the Mets and SNY?
There has been talk of partnering with regional sports rivals, but for now SNY is going it alone and is in no hurry to launch a direct-to-consumer product.
While 2024 isn't still a possibility, as the calendar turns to February and spring training, it seems increasingly unlikely that SNY and the Mets will implement a DTC product this season.
Let's take a look at what's happening in the local realm of direct-to-consumer.
1. SNY is different from YES and MSG due to its ownership structure, which includes cable giants Comcast and Charter. Therefore, you can negotiate a favorable, long-term deal for that right. This is one reason why the company is not in such a hurry to enter his DTC space.
2. SNY is also available on low-cost cable products such as Hulu, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream. So if Mets fans want a lower-cost option after cutting the cord, they have options, including SNY. YES and MSG are available on his DirecTV Stream, and MSG is also available on Fubo.
3. The combination of YES and MSG is just the beginning of what we expect to see happen in the direct-to-consumer space. A major rebundling of programming is on the horizon.
Most of us hated our cable companies for years because of their terrible customer service, but now we have one-stop shopping. Not being able to find all the team's games in one place is a bad experience for the fans, the team, and the league in the long run. If a team does something difficult for viewers, they'll find something else to do. Teams and leagues need to find ways to make it less of a hassle, as the TikTok generation may be more satisfied with just highlights rather than watching the full game.
4. We reported that ESPN, the whole enchilada, could become a direct-to-consumer product by 2025 and hit the market later this year. To be clear, ESPN will also remain on cable. The amount of rights ESPN owns could impact its complete DTC product. ESPN isn't going it alone. They have talked about partnering with major sports leagues as well as top digital players such as Apple and Amazon.
5. Both YES and MSG launched direct-to-consumer products independently over the past year, but realized that partnering might be a better option. One of the problems is churn. If you're only signing up to watch a specific team's games (like the Knicks), you can cancel after the season ends. Even worse for the network, if a team performs poorly, fans could end the service early. With cable bundles, few consumers made decisions based on individual teams or specific games. Therefore, subscribers can pay for 3 or 6 months instead of annually.
6. Could the Mets and SNY team up with YES and MSG? It's possible, but nothing has happened yet. It seems like a lot of sense for him to have all of his MLB, NBA, NHL, and WNBA teams in New York under one roof. However, there are many options for Great Rebundling. As a league, MLB may seek to consolidate the rights of many teams to direct-to-consumer products sold either by itself or through third parties such as ESPN, Apple, and Amazon. With so many options, SNY is holding back for now.
quick click
Interesting information from ESPN officials Adam Schefter Regarding the “Sunday NFL Countdown” that may impact sports media. Steelers coach Schefter said: mike tomlinHis contract only runs through next season. At that point, Schefter thought Tomlin might choose to take a break from coaching. If that happens, Tomlin would become a coveted NFL TV analyst, both in the studio and in games. In talking to TV people connected to the NFL over the years, Tomlin is almost unanimously mentioned as someone who could be great on TV.
… For ESPN's second NFL broadcast team, it would probably be smarter to simplify the approach and go with a two-man booth instead of a three-man booth. chris fowler louis riddick jr. and Dan Orlovsky. During Saturday's Steelers-Ravens game, they fell into the trio's trap of talking too much. Mr. Riddick, with two analysts, was too dominant. The broadcast didn't have a good flow and sometimes sounded like a studio show.At the end of the game, the group wondered whether the Steelers should target a wide receiver. george pickens Throwing the ball into the end zone. But with five minutes on the clock and the Steelers leading by seven points against the Ravens' backup quarterback, it seemed obvious to just run the ball. There was no need to stop the clock and risk it being incomplete. A manager's job is to facilitate success. That would be the case with a two-man booth, so either Orlovsky or Riddick would be the choice.Meanwhile, it was strange that ESPN moved Fowler instead. steve levy For those games, it seemed even more pronounced on Saturday when he was in Baltimore ahead of the biggest game of the year: the College Football National Championship in Houston on Monday.Fowler will call the title game. kirk herbstreit.
… Agent News: Will Petke Promoted to Director, Media Talent under SVP at Excel Gideon Cohen.Petok person in charge scott hanson, Erin Dolan, colt mccoy and nicole auerbach.
Marie Donahue withdraws from Amazon
Marie Donahue He was one of the most important sports television executives of the past decade or so. Not only is she the highest-ranking woman in the field, but she's also thanks to the deals she struck, most notably with the NFL to make “Thursday Night Football” available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. This means that they were at the forefront of a historic agreement.
on thursday, we broke the news About her departure.The internal email sent from Jay MarinVice President of Global Sports at Amazon.
all,
I wanted to share some news. Marie Donahue has decided to leave Amazon as of this Friday. Her note from Marie is posted below in her own words. I would like to thank her for all her work over the past five years. Marie has been an integral part of building our sports rights portfolio with our Live Sports team, including her groundbreaking acquisition of exclusive rights to football in the US Thursday Night was instrumental in acquiring the NWSL and her NASCAR rights.
Starting tomorrow, Marie's team (Charlie Niemann, Matt Newman, Jeff Kaiser, Daniel Sassoon, and Todd Swidler) will be reporting directly to me. We have a great team and we are confident that we will continue to innovate and raise the bar for our customers.
Please join me in praying for Marie as she begins a new chapter.
Jay
And here's Donahue's farewell email:
I hope you had a relaxing holiday.
I'm sorry to have to share this news via email, but I just wanted to let you know that I was transferring yesterday and that this Friday will be my last day at Amazon.
The new year will definitely bring new adventures, but I'm so grateful for the time I spent with Amazon. It was very meaningful to work with you all.
I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished over the past five years. Together, we've built a great team and established new benchmarks, innovative approaches and services for sports viewing, delighting fans and changing markets.
It was very special for me to conclude an extraordinary, record-breaking TNF season last week, and I am so grateful for the role each of you played in its success.
I would also like to thank the entire Amazon team. Our relentless commitment to quality, delivery, and innovation is unparalleled. I'll always be in your corner, rooting for you.
Sincerely,
marie
WFA and bankruptcy
WFAN's parent company Audacy announced a bankruptcy agreement on Sunday morning.
However, it does not affect WFAN, contracts with teams, or anything else fundamentally related to the station.
Bankruptcy has many chapters, but we're not familiar with any of them (thankfully, at least not yet).
Our understanding is that in order to get a lower interest rate on the money Audacy borrowed, debt collectors will further increase their ownership of Audacy in the belief that Audacy will make money.
So while there will be a lot of headlines about Audacy, the bankruptcy, and the impact on WFAN, we have been told that it will not impact WFAN or its listeners. FAN is profitable. So please sleep in peace. Boomer and Gio should receive their reputation bonuses on time.
clicker book
Papa Clicker, my father, herb marchand, our first review of the new year begins with another winner. In “Big Time: How the 1970s Changed American Sports.” michael mccambridge The many changes that have occurred over the past decade include the rise of cable television, increased television coverage (including prime-time viewing), and changes in women's involvement in sports. He also highlights many important events and players from that era. bobby riggs–billie jean king tennis match, muhammad alibattle, skill julius erving and its evolution jack nicklaus. McCambridge earned him a score of 4.6 out of 5, near the highest ever given by Papa Clicker.
