stevegrab Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 47 minutes ago, rajncajn said: Why pay $5 to watch a singke game when I can just go watch with a relative or friend who will have the game on anyway? It's nice to watch the game in the comfort of of your own home, but it's also beneficial to "need" to spend time with others. I see it as lagniappe. If nobody has Peacock or whatever else streaming service is required then I just won't watch. The good thing is, I'm close enough to be in the local market, so there's usually only a couple of games a year where I have to go elsewhere to watch. Each one of us will do whatever suits them best. That will include some of us complaining about the change. I didn't care much if I was missing a few regular season games because I didn't have that channel. For years during SNF I didn't have cable TV and never saw those games. But moving a playoff game to a streaming service is a bit different, as we always had every playoff game available on free TV. Will be interesting to see how many viewers that game has, compared to an ESPN exclusive playoff game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 16 minutes ago, stevegrab said: Each one of us will do whatever suits them best. That will include some of us complaining about the change. I didn't care much if I was missing a few regular season games because I didn't have that channel. For years during SNF I didn't have cable TV and never saw those games. But moving a playoff game to a streaming service is a bit different, as we always had every playoff game available on free TV. Will be interesting to see how many viewers that game has, compared to an ESPN exclusive playoff game. Yeah, I don't have ESPN or NFL Network. I get ESPN+ free through Verizon, but it doesn't carry any NFL games without paying extra and so I don't even use it. If a game isn't broadcast over the air or on Amazon I simply don't watch. If it's a Saints game I'll just go watch somewhere else. I barely watch full games anymore anyway. A lot of that has to do with how I've become disenchanted with the NFL in general in the past several years, but also having many other things occupying my time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 2 hours ago, rajncajn said: Yeah, I don't have ESPN or NFL Network. Holy smokes, I'd go crazy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 21 minutes ago, darin3 said: Holy smokes, I'd go crazy. No kidding. That's like telling me beer was discontinued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 5 hours ago, darin3 said: Holy smokes, I'd go crazy. 2011 took a lot of the general love for the game out of me. Had it not been for the friendships I had here I probably would have walked away from fantasy football altogether and just watched Saints games not caring at all about any other team. I haven't watched ESPN ever since 2011 with the exception to an occasional Saints game. The North East Football Network was much of the same regurgitated garbage broadcasting as well. Most of my sports news comes comes via the internet. Whether it be articles, podcasts, video or even the aforementioned free web content. I won't pay for their service other than ignoring their advertisers long enough to read or watch the content. The only reason I need any of them is to keep up with player info. They certainly dont tell me anything about my own team that I dont already know and very rarely ever have anything good to say about them, if they talk about them at all. Had it not been for fantasy football I wouldn't "need" them for anything. Sorry, off my soapbox now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Def. Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 7 hours ago, darin3 said: Holy smokes, I'd go crazy. What does anyone even watch on ESPN? Aren't they going stream only service because things have gotten so bad for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 8 hours ago, Def. said: What does anyone even watch on ESPN? Aren't they going stream only service because things have gotten so bad for them? ESPN going streaming only? Where do these rumors get started? A quick search turns up an article talking about ESPN working on adding a paid streaming service for their content. It also clearly states that ESPN would continue with ESPN TV channel for traditional pay TV subscribers. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/media/2023/05/18/espn-plans-to-launch-subscription-streaming-service/70233888007/ I have no idea what people watch on ESPN, I watch lots of sports content, some if it is on ESPN including MNF games. I know they've also been carrying NBA and NHL playoff games, but I don't follow those (NBA a little). As for the countless other hours of sports talk type shows, I never watched them on any channel with any regularity. I look at their schedule and I see very little worth watching. https://www.tvinsider.com/network/espn/schedule/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMD Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 20 hours ago, rajncajn said: Why pay $5 to watch a single game when I can just go watch with a relative or friend who will have the game on anyway? It's nice to watch the game in the comfort of of your own home, but it's also beneficial to "need" to spend time with others. I see it as lagniappe. If nobody has Peacock or whatever else streaming service is required then I just won't watch. The good thing is, I'm close enough to be in the local market, so there's usually only a couple of games a year where I have to go elsewhere to watch. I think this thread wins the day if for no other reason than you used the word "lagniappe" and I'd have to think most would have no idea what that means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 12 hours ago, Def. said: What does anyone even watch on ESPN? Aren't they going stream only service because things have gotten so bad for them? I watch SportsCenter pretty much every night. Am I glued to the TV watching every highlight? No, but I have it on. They broadcast a lot of NBA, which I watch. They have college football games, which I really enjoy. I saw a link on another site saying they are going streaming-only. I think that was a misleading article. They are not going streaming-only. There's still a big chunk of the population that will opt for "corded" services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Def. Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 5 hours ago, darin3 said: I watch SportsCenter pretty much every night. Am I glued to the TV watching every highlight? No, but I have it on. They broadcast a lot of NBA, which I watch. They have college football games, which I really enjoy. I saw a link on another site saying they are going streaming-only. I think that was a misleading article. They are not going streaming-only. There's still a big chunk of the population that will opt for "corded" services. Just some food for thought, everything on SportsCenter is readily available on a smart phone without ESPN's shtick or watching an hour show (its still an hour right?). We sure CD's comment wasn't for you? If they broadcast a lot of games though then I get your use. Also the total number of pay TV subscribers is nearly half what it was from 10 years ago with the largest amount of cord cuttings happening within the last year. As cost continue to swell and higher internet speeds become more readily available, I'd expect the trend to continue. It really is liberating to not have a TV service with 300 channels of bloat, though scrolling through Netflix or such to find something new can be tedious too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 14 hours ago, Def. said: Just some food for thought, everything on SportsCenter is readily available on a smart phone without ESPN's shtick or watching an hour show (its still an hour right?). We sure CD's comment wasn't for you? If they broadcast a lot of games though then I get your use. Also the total number of pay TV subscribers is nearly half what it was from 10 years ago with the largest amount of cord cuttings happening within the last year. As cost continue to swell and higher internet speeds become more readily available, I'd expect the trend to continue. It really is liberating to not have a TV service with 300 channels of bloat, though scrolling through Netflix or such to find something new can be tedious too. I hadn't really looked at the numbers and a 50% reduction in 10 years sounded like a lot, the chart in the link below says its about 40% which is still quite a bit. It would be 50% over about 13 years if their estimate is correct. The decline seems to be pretty steady at about 5-6 million households per year. Of course the term "pay TV" is a bit of a misnomer, as all these streaming services are also a pay TV service, especially when they are offering the same content/channels as traditional cable/satellite TV services. Yes ESPN has a lot of actual games, I didn't think that was unknown to sports fans. I don't follow the ones they feature the most, only NFL and an occasional NBA game. But even without following it I would bet they have a dozen or more college football games every week across their many channels. https://www.statista.com/statistics/251268/number-of-pay-tv-households-in-the-us/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 18 hours ago, Def. said: Just some food for thought, everything on SportsCenter is readily available on a smart phone without ESPN's shtick or watching an hour show (its still an hour right?). We sure CD's comment wasn't for you? If they broadcast a lot of games though then I get your use. Also the total number of pay TV subscribers is nearly half what it was from 10 years ago with the largest amount of cord cuttings happening within the last year. As cost continue to swell and higher internet speeds become more readily available, I'd expect the trend to continue. It really is liberating to not have a TV service with 300 channels of bloat, though scrolling through Netflix or such to find something new can be tedious too. Well that's the thing, I usually am tinkering around on my phone (MFL, Words with Friends, etc.) while "watching" SportsCenter. Or doing laundry or getting my kids dinner or ready for bed. I'm not like intently staring at the screen hanging on every word that SVP says, for example. Plus who wants to watch highlights on a tiny phone screen? I'd rather watch on my TV and be messin' around on my phone at the same time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 Now Amazon is moving another playoff game that should be on broadcast TV behind a paywall next season by bribing the NFL like Peacock did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anonymouse Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 24 minutes ago, Big John said: Now Amazon is moving another playoff game that should be on broadcast TV behind a paywall next season by bribing the NFL like Peacock did. Yes but ESPN and NFLN was always behind a pay wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 On 2/9/2024 at 5:42 PM, Anonymouse said: Yes but ESPN and NFLN was always behind a pay wall. Very different thing. During the time that games have been on ESPN that was a part of nearly every pay basic TV package. I didn't have cable back then, but it wasn't a big deal to me. And they didn't have playoff games back then either. NFL Network had a bit more limited market penetration. It got better, and in recent years has gotten worse again (at least for AT&T U-Verse who dropped it, thought others like DirecTV may have as well). And NFLN will probably never get a playoff game because they know it has limited access and nobody is paying billions more for it. The argument some make for Prime being OK is "everybody has it" or at least many people they know. I know many who have it with no interest in NFL and don't do much prime video, its all about the deals and free shipping. I will probably miss more playoff games if they keep doing this, I am not going to buy a service for a week or a month to watch one game, then remember to cancel before I get charged more for something I didn't ever need before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.