(04-08-2018 04:18 PM)quo vadis Wrote: (04-08-2018 03:16 PM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote: (04-07-2018 06:30 PM)arkstfan Wrote: (04-07-2018 06:04 PM)billybobby777 Wrote: (04-07-2018 05:42 PM)Kittonhead Wrote: It was costing me 34 a month on my cable bill, good riddance.
Good for you.
Get it again in September to catch Maction. Don't forget this time that you'll need ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2 to get ESPN3 and to be able to purchase ESPN +. You can't get ESPN3 and ESPN plus without paying for all of it.
NO NO NO NO NO
ESPN+ is a pure standalone. You pay you get it without regard to whether you have cable/sat/IPTV
It doesn't get you ESPN/2/U/News content but you get the ESPN+ content.
The fact that this has to be explained this often on a message board of die hards shows me ESPN+ will probably fail. To say nothing about being TRIPLE DIPPED (TV/cable fee, ISP WatchESPN fee, and now ESPN+).
As someone who does currently pay a cable company to get ESPN's full menu of English language channels - ESPN, 2, News, U, Classic, and SECN - i was stunned to find out I don't automatically get "+" but rather will have to pay an extra $5 fee to get that just like someone who currently doesn't buy any ESPN channels.
That pisses me off, because I think it obvious that some content that previously I was getting for what I pay for those ESPN channels, e.g. content that was being provided for "free" to me on WatchESPN, is going to be shifted to "+" such that i won't be getting it any more.
Nuts to that.
I think I have figured out what the ESPN+ strategy is
As GTS notes in a different message it is mathematically impossible for ESPN to move the ESPN family over to streaming at a price that is in line with HBO/Netflix.
I think the sports press is missing the answer assuming ESPN+ is just going to ESPN3 with a monthly fee detached from cable or an ISP.
ESPN+ we see today is the 2018 version of Netflix streaming, it debuted with 1,000 movies and roughly 900 of those you hadn't heard of.
It's the flag plant to draw in the hardcore and they can build from there.
I've seen claims that the RSN's ESPN is buying from Fox pull in anywhere from $1 a month to $6.50 (for YES).
If you live in Atlanta or Dallas, cord cutting is easier. You will have at least two high speed internet providers to choose from possibly more and with an indoor antenna you can likely pull 40+ channels with no issue, maybe 60+. So you have a lot of OTA programming and you have choices and some degree of competition for your ISP dollar. 5G cellular depending on the data limits has the potential to rival many wired internet providers.
The urban marketplace is perfect for the cord-cutter. Very different from the situation for my brother where he gets four PBS channels and has one high speed internet provider or for my uncle who can get four PBS channels and doesn't have high speed internet option except satellite with the lag it offers. I have two internet provider options and can get 40ish channels except 7 of those are only watchable maybe one day a week when the weather is just right.
Fox is eager to ditch the RSNs. That suggests that they may see this as a chance to ditch those rights fees contracts before they take a big hit because the cord cutting is hitting them.
I think the next play for ESPN+ is going to be those local rights.
They will let the cable and satellite providers move the RSNs to more expensive packages in order to start selling local rights via ESPN+
$4.99 gets you ESPN+ but ESPN+ St. Louis with the Blues and Cardinals will cost you another $5-$10 a month. ESPN+ Dallas will get your the Rangers, Mavericks and Stars.
$4.99 per month or $49.99 per year is just the get you in the door price.
ESPN is going to nuke the bulk of the Fox sports news staff. They'll set up a green screen studio that will be in Bristol or Charlotte and do localized sports news for ESPN+ Atlanta and ESPN+ Nashville the same as the company in Little Rock that does "local" news for stations around the country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_News_Network
ESPN+ St. Louis will have a local program that will re-air a few times per day on the linear channel on cable with the rest of the time filled with games, a SportsCenter simulcast or two or five, some stuff out of the ESPN vault and infomercials.
Online when you bring up the ESPN+ app the ESPN+ St Louis sportscast will be there either live or on-demand.
ESPN is going to fire a crap ton of people, hire some other people to shoot video as contractors at press conferences and post-game and upload it to the ESPN+ News Central or if it has national significance fire it on to Bristol for SportsCenter.
Phase II of ESPN+ is going to be about local content.