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Thread: A sports television thread

  1. #1
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    A sports television thread

    ESPN Has Lost 7 Million Subscribers The Past Two Years

    Excerpt:


    Now that ESPN has officially admitted the loss of seven million subscribers over the past two years, we're left with the big question that continues to leave executives up late at night -- how massive is the potential subscriber loss going to be in the years to come? Are these seven million subscribers the beginning of a cord cutting onslaught or will subscriber losses lessen from this point forward? And here's the most important question: how many subscribers can ESPN lose before the business is no longer profitable enough to be the engine that drives the Disney bus?

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  2. #2
    Interesting because ESPN is the sole reason I would ever sign back up for cable. I know more and more people cutting the cord and it is because cable rates are outrageous at this point. Just think of it, between cell phones Internet and TV most of us here are probably spending near $400/mo if not more that 10 -15 years ago you weren't spending.


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  3. #3
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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    Disney has started rolling out subscriptions to their content via the Internet. You can already pay to stream ESPN sans a cable/internet provider.

    People don't like the packaging model that includes all the stuff they don't want.

  4. #4
    I'm worried... I think I might get opioid induced constipation. Should I ask my doctor?

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    "Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum

    "And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Mormon Red Death View Post
    I'm worried... I think I might get opioid induced constipation. Should I ask my doctor?

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    I always wondered what was causing that.


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  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Mormon Red Death View Post
    I'm worried... I think I might get opioid induced constipation. Should I ask my doctor?

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    Ask your doctor whether you should switch to The Chronic (MJ) for your chronic pain. It won't really cure you, but it will make what amounts to a shitty existence (living with chronic pain) far more tolerable.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by U-Ute View Post
    Disney has started rolling out subscriptions to their content via the Internet. You can already pay to stream ESPN sans a cable/internet provider.

    People don't like the packaging model that includes all the stuff they don't want.
    I am in the process of cutting the cord. I picked up a FireTV and did a free trial of SlingTV. It actually contains effectively all of the channels we watch (all of the ESPNs, A&E, HGTV, all the Disneys, Cartoon Network, etc. It has a decent picture over Wi-Fi but the picture was very good when plugged into the network.

    That is a decent option, but it still is $20 per month + $5 for kids programming and another $15 each if you want HBO or Showtime, plus taxes. Plus Netflix. Plus a good high-speed internet connection.

    That means the savings from cutting cable is pro ably not necessarily worth the marginal cost savings.

    Side note: the Fire TV is great. And it is easy to modify since it runs on the Android/Fire TV operating system. I discovered how to install XBMC/Kodi on it and it will dual boot to either gui. Kodi gives access to (illegal) streams for essentially everything. Every TV show and every sports program you can think of is probably out there, along with every movie (including shows currently in the theater as well as screeners for upcoming movies). This fact must terrify the content providers out there.
    Last edited by NorthwestUteFan; 02-08-2016 at 08:53 AM.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by NorthwestUteFan View Post
    Ask your doctor whether you should switch to The Chronic (MJ) for your chronic pain. It won't really cure you, but it will make what amounts to a shitty existence (living with chronic pain) far more tolerable.
    But the church says it is real bad for me. Much worse than taking multiple percosets every day!

    Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
    "Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum

    "And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Mormon Red Death View Post
    But the church says it is real bad for me. Much worse than taking multiple percosets every day!

    Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
    The Church also says beer is bad, but the D&C says beer is ok, but the D&C says meat is bad, but a lot of the 12 are obese....soooooooo....

    "The philosophies of men mingled with scripture" perfectly describes the word of wisdom as it is nowadays.

  10. #10
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Utah View Post
    but a lot of the 12 are obese....
    Actually, the current group puts a lot of other men their age to shame:

    official-portrait-quorum-twelve-2015-1584058-gallery.jpg

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by LA Ute View Post
    Actually, the current group puts a lot of other men their age to shame:

    official-portrait-quorum-twelve-2015-1584058-gallery.jpg

    They feel wanted and needed. They have a purpose for remaining alive. Take note all of you. Find a purpose. Be needed. You will live longer.

    I just wish they didn't think it was still 1981.

  12. #12
    That's a good point Two Utes. Live for something. That is probably the biggest lesson I'm trying to teach my kids. Find something to live for. Then attack it. Go after it. Do something other than go to work, watch tv, then go to work.

  13. #13
    Back on topic, it looks like MLB will be offering single team streaming subscriptions for $85/year. This is what I'd like for the Utes. Hopefully it's coming soon.

    http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/11/m...anges-lawsuit/

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by SavaUte View Post
    Back on topic, it looks like MLB will be offering single team streaming subscriptions for $85/year. This is what I'd like for the Utes. Hopefully it's coming soon.

    http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/11/m...anges-lawsuit/
    Streaming only works well if every game is archived. I think this is where the Pac-12 Network has really fallen short. They own the content but there's no way to access it until you can watch it live.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Dwight Schr-Ute View Post
    Streaming only works well if every game is archived. I think this is where the Pac-12 Network has really fallen short. They own the content but there's no way to access it until you can watch it live.
    I know the PAC-12 archives all their games that they own. I've watched a couple Football in 60 of Utah from this past year already.

  16. #16
    Missed this announcement in all the hullabullo about storming the court/field:

    http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8...all-games.html

    Less games at 3AM next year! WOO! DnF, you chose the wrong time to head West.

  17. #17
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    The PAC-12 Network has hired someone to help get that Direct TV deal:

    http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/J...2Networks.aspx

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by LA Ute View Post
    The PAC-12 Network has hired someone to help get that Direct TV deal:

    http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/J...2Networks.aspx
    How come all of the titles to those type of positions seem like something from an Onion article?

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  19. #19
    http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...nap-story.html

    Helps explain ESPN and Fox squawking about the Big-12's expansion rumblings.

  20. #20
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by U-Ute View Post
    Anyone here using SlingTV exclusively, and can comment on the quality and price? I'm looking to ditch Comcast, and would rather not go with either of the satellite companies.
    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  22. #22
    Set up the free demo and see what you think. The quality was decent, but I doubt they stream 1080 (let alone 4k ). The interface is kludgy.

    But this is a valid option. I will try it again this year.

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by chrisrenrut View Post
    Anyone here using SlingTV exclusively, and can comment on the quality and price? I'm looking to ditch Comcast, and would rather not go with either of the satellite companies.
    Don't dump comcast to go with a satellite company. Comcast is a million times better. Do dump comcast to go with nothing. I'd be happy with just Netflix, HBO and PAC-12 Network. And now that I can stream the PAC-12 network...I might be done with Comcast as well.

  24. #24
    SlingTV is owned by Dish Networks.

    . Also, when I tried it I couldn't get any better than 720p quality. Granted most sports broadcasts are in 720p, so maybe that is something that will improve later.

    But no feed from Comcast or streaming has ever approached the quality of the OTA feed (e.g. Seahawks games). That is just the nature of the beast, and OTA will always kill everything when it comes to bandwidth (at least within the near future).
    Last edited by NorthwestUteFan; 09-08-2016 at 11:26 AM.

  25. #25
    Administrator U-Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Utah View Post
    Don't dump comcast to go with a satellite company. Comcast is a million times better.
    Man... your experience is significantly different than mine, that's for sure.

  26. #26
    Re Comcast, you need to live in an area where Google Fiber is moving in. We just renewed with Comcast for two years--they upgraded internet speed to 250 and upgraded our modem and router to their fastest avaiable, gave us HBO, Showtime and lots of other channels that we didn't subscribe to before, gave us a DVR, which we didn't have before, and reduced our monthly bill from about $250 to $130, for internet, cable, and landline. CenturyLink is going around our neighborhood making similar offers.

  27. #27
    Five-O Diehard Ute's Avatar
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    Comcast is a game. Always has been, but having had satellite they're certainly no worse.

    My bill jumped 2 months ago. I called and in 10 minutes it was lower than what I had been paying.


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  28. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by concerned View Post
    Re Comcast, you need to live in an area where Google Fiber is moving in. We just renewed with Comcast for two years--they upgraded internet speed to 250 and upgraded our modem and router to their fastest avaiable, gave us HBO, Showtime and lots of other channels that we didn't subscribe to before, gave us a DVR, which we didn't have before, and reduced our monthly bill from about $250 to $130, for internet, cable, and landline. CenturyLink is going around our neighborhood making similar offers.
    Yup, Google Fiber has already saved me a ton of money, and I don't even have it yet.

    I did the same with CenturyLink (threatened to switch to Google Fiber) and I am currently paying $24/mo for 100mbps.

    -------

    For the questions above about quality of SlingTV, I cut the cord a few years back now and have streamed Netflix, done over the air (or wireless TV as I like to call it) and have turned Sling on and off as needed.

    I've been fairly happy with the quality of SlingTV although the user interface is a bit clunky, but that is true of everything that isn't regular TV. I've been streaming HD and the picture is fine. On occasion it will get pixelated, but I'm not sure if that is a Sling problem or a bandwidth problem. Like most streaming media it can be up to 30 seconds behind live TV, so you may want to ditch your phone during the games if you are like my family and text each other during events.

    If those things are issues for you, you may want to wait a bit. I don't get hung up on it myself, but it will be an adjustment.

    For those keeping score, here is my current TV/Phone/Internet expense:

    1. Ooma Landline Phone: One time $99 charge, free* after that (*you still have to pay about $3 in taxes, emergency service fees)
    2. CenturyLink Internet: $24/mo
    3. TV - Netflix: $8.99/mo, SlingTV with sports package, $24.99 month (month to month so I turn it on and off)

    Monthly that is ~$60/mo during sports, ~$35/mo off-season

    Other upfront expenses:
    Roku or AppleTV for each TV (we just have two) $59 to $159 - The newest AppleTV allows for app development and has a SlingTV app, and is my favorite interface. If it had the Amazon Prime player we'd probably drop netflix. It also allows me to easily stream my computer or iPhone onto my TV. Roku is good and has more apps, likely has a screen sharing app for PCs. Amazon Fire Sticks are $30, but a little slow and clunky.

    The best part is my kids have no tolerance for TV ads, can't stand them. When we watch normal TV they are get way irritated that their show has been paused for high intensity noise.

  29. #29
    Five-O Diehard Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    So what's in the sports package? Espn channels, Fox channels? Does it give me the ability to stream on the espn and Fox apps?
    Looks like ESPN comes in the orange package. Fox Sports is in the sports package.

    My big issue would be the lack of major networks. (No CBS no ABC). I DVR everything, it's nice to be able to DVR and watch in whatever room I want.


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  30. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by sancho View Post
    So what's in the sports package? Espn channels, Fox channels? Does it give me the ability to stream on the espn and Fox apps?
    So far as I know, it gets every Sports Network, including all the conference networks, MLB, NFL, NBA, Golf Channel. I stream the Pac-12 network on my laptop. I'm not aware of any sporting event I have been unable to watch that I wanted to.
    In fact, I could stream games on the Pac-12 network that were not on the mountain Network on television. So you could get all the regional networks streamed. Now that's not going to be a problem, because I understand all the feeds will have the national games
    Last edited by concerned; 09-08-2016 at 08:54 PM.

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