Absolutely correct. It really makes one wonder, because allowing/encouraging folks to watch games seems like such a no-brainer to anyone with even a tiny bit of business acumen.
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Apple Has 'Expressed Interest' in NBA Streaming Rights
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Charge whatever it costs to access NBA streaming now, but make it free if you watch it on an Apple device.
The League Pass app has been absolute garbage since the redesign, I’d welcome this with open arms.
What are ‘blackouts’ in this context?
I used a special offer from Sky (UK) a year or so ago for a free NBA pass and it was really cool being able to watch live basketball 🏀 games on my iPhone - their app seemed pretty nice.
I’d just prefer if the advertising deals would give viewers an option to watch the USA ad breaks instead of having inserted filler ‘content’ or images & Muzak.
I used a special offer from Sky (UK) a year or so ago for a free NBA pass and it was really cool being able to watch live basketball 🏀 games on my iPhone - their app seemed pretty nice.
I’d just prefer if the advertising deals would give viewers an option to watch the USA ad breaks instead of having inserted filler ‘content’ or images & Muzak.
It’s not about getting fans into the arena, it’s about getting fans watching TV where they can sell ad space.
But surely with direct access to locals watching their own teams play, this would increase the advertising audience by an exponential amount.
I know basketball is immensely popular but to me it just seems like 'guy gets ball, runs to the other end, scores. Opposing guy gets ball, runs to the original end and scores. Repeat until everyone has earned a million and then go home.'
Not my thing I guess but why is it so 'exciting'?
Not my thing I guess but why is it so 'exciting'?
That's not it. All local games are translated on TV. In most cases they are shown by local stations except when the game is on the national TV. So, NBA League Pass blackouts are a result of the way NBA sells translation rights. Most people watch their teams on local TV, people, who live outside the area of their favored team, buy the League Pass. NBA gets way more money from conventional TV broadcasts hence the priorities are what they are.
You don’t get it. All 7 million of Bay Area residents can easily watch GSWs by turning on their TVs. There is no blackouts there. As long as conventional TV broadcasts (with their TV subscrioptions) pay more than streaming, the blackouts make perfect economic sense for NBA. Also, all those TV broadcasts are also streamed by the TV companies. One can subscribe on ESPN+ etc. But if, in addition to GSWs one is a fan of, say, San Francisco 49ers (often the case) then to stick with streaming one may have to subscribe to different stuff. The easiest way to watch local teams usually is just to have a regular TV subscription (or, say, YouTube TV and other IPTV options).
Although Apple has deep pockets I believe that we are past the throwing money down the drain phase in the streaming services era.
At this point Apple can probably just way it out for one or two competitor to drop dead.
TV accounts for most of the NBA’s revenue. For the 2016-2017 season, TNT and ESPN re-upped their contracts to an estimated $24 billion in total. If Apple really want to attract the viewers, they can pay that much to NBA (and then some to NFL, MLB, NHL etc.) and offer it to us for free but we all know that this is not happening. They just had a chance to do it with NFL and they passed.
NBC Sports is going to put their RSN's on Peacock next year. If a market with NBCS has an NBA team on it (ie. Philadelphia), you won't need this at all. That's my team and what I am hoping for. I don't need to watch every single NBA game, just my team.
they wouldn't be producing games, they would be rebroadcasting the regional sports networks
As long as they keep it separate from the regular subscription, I don’t care. I just don’t want the price to go up because of adding something that expensive for something I have zero interest in.
Don’t forget about “guy stops 25 feet from basket and shoots.”
If they’re not heaving 50 3 pointers a game they’re just not trying. 😊
It means the game is not available in your area. Normally you would get a game from a different market. Sometimes just a black screen telling you it’s not available to you.
What does blackouts mean in that context?
Edit: nevermind, someone already answered it on the previous page
One of life’s great mysteries. I don’t pay extra for things like this. I’m pretty content watching what’s included with my streaming service.(Apple TV+,Peacock and Tubi.) Plus I’m not the intense sports fan I was years ago.
Baseball would work for me if they can combine Baseball with Golf and Bowling. Separately, those sports are not interesting to me. But combining elements of these games into a single game would be incredible. I would watch it.
Not a fan of watching soccer and basketball. But if you can have the field of soccer with basketball and let the players dribble or kick the ball and goals were done by putting it into a basket. I would like it.
Not a fan of watching soccer and basketball. But if you can have the field of soccer with basketball and let the players dribble or kick the ball and goals were done by putting it into a basket. I would like it.