Blackout Looms of ESPN on YouTubeTV

[Cusefan78]

for my mental well being im actually cool with it going dark. these games just eat me up inside.

 

[FloridaCuse]

In other news for those with YTTV, they are adding 2 Bloomberg TV channels today:

YouTube TV Inks Bloomberg Media Deal for 24-Hour News and Originals Channels

YouTube TV is launching two channels from Bloomberg Media: Bloomberg TV+ with live 24-hour news and Bloomberg Originals with series and documentaries.

variety.com

 

[PAcuse]

YTT lost it for a weekend a few years back. I dropped them and moved over to Hulu Plus and then picked YTT back up when they resigned with ESPN.
If they lose ESPN again not sure I'd come back to them.

 

[Marroniac]

The ESPN Unlimited rollout has been a nightmare for anyone with an 8 year old kid that watches WWE. I’m not paying $30 extra bucks a month when I already get everything else Unlimited includes.

 

[OburgOrange]

YTT lost it for a weekend a few years back. I dropped them and moved over to Hulu Plus and then picked YTT back up when they resigned with ESPN.
If they lose ESPN again not sure I'd come back to them.

What is your opinion on Hulu?

 

[PAcuse]

What is your opinion on Hulu?

It was okay, I didn't like the interface at the time but again I only had it for around 3 days before going back to YTT.

 

[FloridaCuse]

What is your opinion on Hulu?

I don't have Hulu (I have YTTV) but one of my cousins in Syracuse does. He splits his time between Fayetteville most of the year and Skaneateles in the Summer. He switches his Hulu "Home" in the Summer to Skaneateles. But if he goes back to Fayetteville for a few days he cannot play Hulu on his TV there. He can get it on his computer, tablet or phone but not his TV because he's not in his designated "home", which I think you can only switch twice a year. I have no such problem with YTTV. If I'm traveling away from my Florida home I can play it on a TV anywhere. But if I'm away for more than 3 months I'll no longer get the Miami local channels. I don't know if Hulu has the same unlimited cloud DVR that YTTV has.

 

[OburgOrange]

I don't have Hulu (I have YTTV) but one of my cousins in Syracuse does. He splits his time between Fayetteville most of the year and Skaneateles in the Summer. He switches his Hulu "Home" in the Summer to Skaneateles. But if he goes back to Fayetteville for a few days he cannot play Hulu on his TV there. He can get it on his computer, tablet or phone but not his TV because he's not in his designated "home", which I think you can only switch twice a year. I have no such problem with YTTV. If I'm traveling away from my Florida home I can play it on a TV anywhere. But if I'm away for more than 3 months I'll no longer get the Miami local channels. I don't know if Hulu has the same unlimited cloud DVR that YTTV has.

Hmm.. good to know. Portability of the service is important to me.

 

[syracuse95]

Everyone gets the ala carte world they always dreamed of.

There is a lot I miss about having actual cable, but the cost isn't one of them. Spectrum lost me when they went 100% encrypted digital. They could have provided clear QAM basic cable and I could have left my bedroom/bonus room/office tvs hooked into the wall, and I'd still have cable. But instead they encrypted every channel, raised their package prices for the "digital upgrade", and wanted me to rent boxes for every cable outlet in the house. My $179 cable service was now going to be $475. For no additional channels or services...just to maintain what I already had. Nah. Got YTTV and I'll never look back. Added bonus that I don't need to subscribe to cable at our vacation house, which would be Comcast and another $200/mo bill. Instead I just use the YTTV account there, and get the network affiliates local to that area when I'm there.

 

[JRHEETER]

There is a lot I miss about having actual cable, but the cost isn't one of them. Spectrum lost me when they went 100% encrypted digital. They could have provided clear QAM basic cable and I could have left my bedroom/bonus room/office tvs hooked into the wall, and I'd still have cable. But instead they encrypted every channel, raised their package prices for the "digital upgrade", and wanted me to rent boxes for every cable outlet in the house. My $179 cable service was now going to be $475. For no additional channels or services...just to maintain what I already had. Nah. Got YTTV and I'll never look back. Added bonus that I don't need to subscribe to cable at our vacation house, which would be Comcast and another $200/mo bill. Instead I just use the YTTV account there, and get the network affiliates local to that area when I'm there.

I agree with a lot of this.

If YTTV loses ESPN I will be heading back to direcTV streaming as that was almost as good as YTTV.

 

[OburgOrange]

I agree with a lot of this.

If YTTV loses ESPN I will be heading back to direcTV streaming as that was almost as good as YTTV.

Almost as good? What is missing?

 

[JRHEETER]

Almost as good? What is missing?

Honestly not sure. That is how close they are.

 

[Blanko97]

Also, if YTTV loses ESPN ill drop them faster than you can believe.

we are in this beautiful world of "damned if you do and damned if you dont"

If you and a bunch of others drop YTTV, then they will relent and give into Disney's increased prices thus driving up consumer costs. If you don't, then YTTV will see their service is incredibly valuable and can withstand short term carriage disagreements which will also allow them to increase prices because it shows subscriptions are sticky. We literally cannot win in this scenario.

 

[JRHEETER]

we are in this beautiful world of "damned if you do and damned if you dont"

If you and a bunch of others drop YTTV, then they will relent and give into Disney's increased prices thus driving up consumer costs. If you don't, then YTTV will see their service is incredibly valuable and can withstand short term carriage disagreements which will also allow them to increase prices because it shows subscriptions are sticky. We literally cannot win in this scenario.

nailed it.

 

[FloridaCuse]

I still think there are potential anti-trust implications of Disney owning ESPN (et al) and negotiating terms with YTTV and also owning Hulu Live TV, a major competitor to YTTV and where some subsribers will go if ESPN is not on YTTV. I recall there was an anti-trust lawsuit by I think YTTV & others against Disney that was recently settled. Similar issue but I forgot what it was.

Correction after a quick Google search: the prior antitrust lawsuit has not yet been settled. A proposed settlement was agreed to by some plaintiffs but others are contesting it. The lawsuit against Disney alleges that its control over networks like ESPN and its carriage agreements with streaming services have driven up prices for consumers on platforms like YouTube TV. I wonder if YTTV is using the threat of further litigation in the current negotiations.

And there are I believe "most favored nation" clauses in agreeements with at least Comcast/Xfinity that provides they'll always be charged the lowest price for ESPN as anyone else is paying.

 

[Blanko97]

I still think there are potential anti-trust implications of Disney owning ESPN (et al) and negotiating terms with YTTV and also owning Hulu Live TV, a major competitor to YTTV and where some subsribers will go if ESPN is not on YTTV. I recall there was an anti-trust lawsuit by I think YTTV & others against Disney that was recently settled. Similar issue but I forgot what it was.

There was by Fubo citing WBD, Disney and Fox's "Venu" sport centric streaming service would drive up costs for vMVPD and MVPD providers.

You will never guess who Disney bought shortly after that case was filed.

 

[FloridaCuse]

There was by Fubo citing WBD, Disney and Fox's "Venu" sport centric streaming service would drive up costs for vMVPD and MVPD providers.

You will never guess who Disney bought shortly after that case was filed.

Yes, but that was a different suit. See my added correction to my post about the one I'm referring to.

 

[Blanko97]

Yes, but that was a different suit. See my added correction to my post about the one I'm referring to.

gotcha, sorry

 

[FloridaCuse]

gotcha, sorry

no problem. Glad you mentioned it. Disney has put itself in a position for these lawsuits.

 

[FloridaCuse]

There was by Fubo citing WBD, Disney and Fox's "Venu" sport centric streaming service would drive up costs for vMVPD and MVPD providers.

You will never guess who Disney bought shortly after that case was filed.

Coincidentally.

Disney Closes Acquisition Of Fubo, Creating Bulked-Up Rival To YouTube TV

Disney has completed its acquisition of a majority stake in Fubo, which will create the No. 6 pay-TV operator in the U.S. when combined with Hulu + Live TV.

deadline.com

 

[Hoo's That]

Also, if YTTV loses ESPN ill drop them faster than you can believe.

You won't be alone.

 

[FloridaCuse]

 

[OttoinGrotto]

So anyone got a plan if they don't get a deal worked out?

 

[djorange1989]

So anyone got a plan if they don't get a deal worked out?

I will get WHT. Any downstate NY people remember that from the 70s?

 

[FloridaCuse]

NO AGREEMENT. All Disney/ESPN channels are not on YTTV. YTTV is characterizing Disney's position as wanting YTTV's subscribers to buy subscriptions to their ESPN Unlimited App or have YTTV subscribers pay more for Disney channels. With lower ratings on its channels will Disney have to give refunds to their advertisers.

Apparently YTTV wanted rates similar to what Comcast and Charter (Spectrum) pay. According to YTTV, Disney refused to give YTTV similar rates even if YTTV is equal in size or larger than Comcast and Spectrum. Sounds like Disney wants to drive down YTTV subscriber numbers to the benefit of their own Hulu +Live and Fubo.