BREAKING: Warner Bros. Discovery Leaving RSN Business

[CoopInTheHouse 68]

AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain will close down at the end of the year; Full time employees are now laid off.

 

The Rockies are considering new broadcast rights to Altitude Sports and Entertainment, or just air their games on public access/MLB.TV like the other rejects.

 

The network is temporarily operating as SportsNet Rocky Mountain to last the rest of the year. Here’s the logo:

[A3N 1002]

I'm sure MLB is going to push hard to get them to join the MLB Local bandwagon. Considering the other two MLB takeovers are in the National League West, it makes sense for Colorado to join the pack.

 

Makes me wonder if MLB is considering making local off-shoot of MLB Network for these cities to supply content and have a full time channel for the teams? MLB Network San Diego/Arizona?

[CoopInTheHouse 68]

4 hours ago, A3N said:

Makes me wonder if MLB is considering making local off-shoot of MLB Network for these cities to supply content and have a full time channel for the teams? MLB Network San Diego/Arizona?

Now, how would that even be possible? MLB Network is a PAY TV channel, so it’d be near impossible to make a local version of the channel.

[T.L. Hughes 881]

1 hour ago, CoopInTheHouse said:

Now, how would that even be possible? MLB Network is a PAY TV channel, so it’d be near impossible to make a local version of the channel.

Technically, such a concept could develop localized RSN-like sub-feeds that carry the main MLBN national schedule most of the time, and allow for breakaways for games and team-related programming. However, MLBN carries some live game broadcasts during the MLB regular season and postseason that games from local teams could preempt, so it’s not the most feasible option. Creating a group of local MLBN channels separate from the national version is a non-starter because of the potential impact on carriage fees for carrying both.

Edited October 8, 2023 by T.L. Hughes

[A3N 1002]

1 hour ago, CoopInTheHouse said:

Now, how would that even be possible? MLB Network is a PAY TV channel, so it’d be near impossible to make a local version of the channel.

Well, what San Diego and Arizona have with MLB is still a pay tv channel. Nothing has changed there except who's running it (and that its no longer a 24/7 channel).

 

Who knows if MLB even has an appetite to make games available OTA- for free. Obviously they won't be able to command high sub fees but can get something in return to the clubs and tie-in any carriage deals to the main network. This off season will determine what the future is with MLB and broadcasting locally. They did not exactly create this in-house media department just to be used for less than one season. There must be more to this than meets the eye...

[CoopInTheHouse 68]

On 10/7/2023 at 10:48 AM, CoopInTheHouse said:

AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain will close down at the end of the year; Full time employees are now laid off.

 

The Rockies are considering new broadcast rights to Altitude Sports and Entertainment, or just air their games on public access/MLB.TV like the other rejects.

 

The network is temporarily operating as SportsNet Rocky Mountain to last the rest of the year. Here’s the logo:

SIKE! SportsNet Rocky Mountain actually closed down 2 weeks after I made that post (6 days ago).

[stevieboy247 42]

The Pirates are staying with SportsNet Pittsburgh, and will co-own the network with the Penguins.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/pirates-penguins-to-jointly-own-cable-tv-sports-channel/ar-AA1lsiCI?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=a61a902803924d59bbe9d66d185dea7c&ei=9&fbclid=IwAR1eafXYE1oKJ_FAYxGJcKRSeuFJN7760BjpFbwekDKZrwsTJ_Ie_tqCO1M

[nathannah 2402]

1 hour ago, stevieboy247 said:

The Pirates are staying with SportsNet Pittsburgh, and will co-own the network with the Penguins.

Since the only realistic choice was Sinclair (no way current era Cox would pay to add it to PCNC and KDKA+ isn't quite developed yet), it was the best choice, though hopefully that plain-Jane NESN template is gussied up a bit by next season.

[Georgie56 3293]

MLB will reportedly control the Rockies broadcast next season. No changes to broadcasters.

[CTrey98 31]

Not a good move from a fan prospective. The MLB does better than Bally's when it comes to producing the broadcasts, but their pay to watch structure has been a pain for DBacks and Padres fans. Rockies fans will experience the same thing. It's just as bad as Bally Sports. But with Baseball, TV deals have to become more expensive so teams can build up a higher player salary. The Dodgers are able to build a super team because of their TV deal with Spectrum. The MLB at some point needs to enforce a salary cap if they don't want to lose fans. That way, teams can cut an easier deal with local TV stations so games will be a more available to watch on TV. And it will be more competitive across the league so teams like the Dodgers don't reach the World Series every year.

[nathannah 2402]

1 hour ago, CTrey98 said:

Not a good move from a fan prospective. The MLB does better than Bally's when it comes to producing the broadcasts, but their pay to watch structure has been a pain for DBacks and Padres fans. Rockies fans will experience the same thing. 

MLB has arranged carriage of games on regular cable TV (usually on the spare channel on cable systems carrying news or filler content), and it's only a gametime broadcast rather than wrapped around wobbly Jenga content to create a 24/7 'regional sports network' that's anything but (if that was true, legend's tennis and poker would not have a home). You're paying the same cost for Bally anyways, so it might as well go to a quality game broadcast than countless fishing and poker shows.