Bally Sports possible bankruptcy?

[Bob Sheed]

As far as watching the Reds on tv, here's how it will go down, in chronological order.

1. Bally's/Diamond Sports en****ification is coming to an end.
2. Amazon, or MLB or someone, will get the rights to stream the Reds.
3. Let's say it is Amazon. They will initially offer it as part of Prime.
4. Then, they will separate it into an add-on for 10 bucks a month.
5. Then 15, then 20.
6. Then they will no longer offer just the local team for 20/month. You'll have to buy an add-on that gives you all the teams they have the rights to. And it will be 50/month.
7. Then 65. Then 70. Then 85.
8. By then, they will have acquired more teams, in more sports, and it will be an overall "MLB add-on" package. 100/month.
9. Then it will be no longer offered, instead, combined as an overall Amazon Sports add-on, that includes NBA, NFL, MLB, etc. 200/month. Except for your local teams. If you want your local teams, that's a sperate add-on for 35/month.
10. Then it will be required to purchase the 200/month full package, in order to qualify for the 35/month local package.
11. etc, etc, etc.

EDIT: Bonus points if you sticky this thread and follow it to fruition in real-time.

[KYExtemper]

As far as watching the Reds on tv, here's how it will go down, in chronological order.

1. Bally's/Diamond Sports en****ification is coming to an end.
2. Amazon, or MLB or someone, will get the rights to stream the Reds.
3. Let's say it is Amazon. They will initially offer it is part of Prime.
4. Then, they will separate it into an add-on for 10 bucks a month.
5. Then 15, then 20.
6. Then they will no longer offer just the local team for 20/month. You'll have to buy an add-on that gives you all the teams they have the rights to. And it will be 50/month.
7. Then 65. Then 70. Then 85.
8. By then, they will have acquired more teams, in more sports, and it will be an overall "MLB add-on" package. 100/month.
9. Then it will be no longer offered, instead, combined as an overall Amazon Sports add-on, that includes NBA, NFL, MLB, etc. 200/month. Except for your local teams. If you want your local teams, that's a sperate add-on for 35/month.
10. Then it will be required to purchase the 200/month full package, in order to qualify for the 35/month local package.
11. etc, etc, etc.

EDIT: Bonus points if you sticky this thread and follow it to fruition in real-time.

Great advertisement for sticking with the radio!

[Sabo Fan]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/...rangement.html

I found this interesting in light of all the recent issues with RSNs, specifically Diamond.

These numbers seem to be educated guesses/estimations in a lot of instances, but I do think that it paints an accurate depiction of the revenue gaps between markets.

[Kilgore_Trout]

As far as watching the Reds on tv, here's how it will go down, in chronological order.

1. Bally's/Diamond Sports en****ification is coming to an end.
2. Amazon, or MLB or someone, will get the rights to stream the Reds.
3. Let's say it is Amazon. They will initially offer it as part of Prime.
4. Then, they will separate it into an add-on for 10 bucks a month.
5. Then 15, then 20.
6. Then they will no longer offer just the local team for 20/month. You'll have to buy an add-on that gives you all the teams they have the rights to. And it will be 50/month.
7. Then 65. Then 70. Then 85.
8. By then, they will have acquired more teams, in more sports, and it will be an overall "MLB add-on" package. 100/month.
9. Then it will be no longer offered, instead, combined as an overall Amazon Sports add-on, that includes NBA, NFL, MLB, etc. 200/month. Except for your local teams. If you want your local teams, that's a sperate add-on for 35/month.
10. Then it will be required to purchase the 200/month full package, in order to qualify for the 35/month local package.
11. etc, etc, etc.

EDIT: Bonus points if you sticky this thread and follow it to fruition in real-time.

The predatory antics of profit-driven corporations that you’ve pointedly outlined in this thread is very real. Nobody is shocked to hear it, even if they wish not to believe it.

You must remember that these tactics are driven by rampant consumerism. The key being “consumer.” We can go on and on about the psychology behind consumerism, how it came about in the first place, or if it was always here—baked into our DNA and eventually exploited by clever marketing campaigns that target one of our most deep-seated, ancient instincts: consume to survive.

The curve you are describing eventually begins to plateau. It has to. At some point we stop being buffalo hunted to near or complete extinction, and more akin to something like chickens and cows on an industrial farm. These corporations have their own hunger to satiate (profit), and it can’t be done if we’re all or mostly gone. You can only get so much meat out of a dozen cows.

Constant price hikes on frivolous entertainment can lead to irreversible downstream effects that will jeopardize future profits. They must protect their investments. Your scenario has diminishing interest baked into it. It’s part of the system. Cheaper products, higher cost to the consumer, less consumers, equal profits. The fan group will diminish over time as they are forced to pay more, as you said. The glitzy stadiums owners and citizens pay for to build will see less and less butts in the seats. Merchandise sales suffer immensely.

The prospect of growing the sport evaporates. All that money put into inner city outreach initiatives, development schools in Caribbean and Asian nations, etc. All of it will prove meaningless. I do not think those efforts are made in vein. There is a strong push to grow the game, not strangle it until it dies.

MLB and its owners love money and profit. They are for-profit interests. But they also have a strong desire and *need* to grow the game, or at least maintain it. Just as we do in consuming it and other things. Sticking to your model in perpetuity guarantees its demise. I don’t think these guys and gals are that stupid.

In short, I am just as disgusted at certain antics as you are, just less cynical at how bad it gets. I do see a leveling-off point. Not to mention that baseball is a kind of institution in this country. Yes, it is exploited for profit. But there is an interest in maintaining its survival for future generations, some of it having to do with continued profit, and some of it having to do with the fact that it’s the greatest game on the face of the Earth, and humanity would be worse off should it ever go extinct.

[Sea Ray]

As far as watching the Reds on tv, here's how it will go down, in chronological order.

1. Bally's/Diamond Sports en****ification is coming to an end.
2. Amazon, or MLB or someone, will get the rights to stream the Reds.
3. Let's say it is Amazon. They will initially offer it as part of Prime.
4. Then, they will separate it into an add-on for 10 bucks a month.
5. Then 15, then 20.
6. Then they will no longer offer just the local team for 20/month. You'll have to buy an add-on that gives you all the teams they have the rights to. And it will be 50/month.
7. Then 65. Then 70. Then 85.
8. By then, they will have acquired more teams, in more sports, and it will be an overall "MLB add-on" package. 100/month.
9. Then it will be no longer offered, instead, combined as an overall Amazon Sports add-on, that includes NBA, NFL, MLB, etc. 200/month. Except for your local teams. If you want your local teams, that's a sperate add-on for 35/month.
10. Then it will be required to purchase the 200/month full package, in order to qualify for the 35/month local package.
11. etc, etc, etc.

EDIT: Bonus points if you sticky this thread and follow it to fruition in real-time.

MLB won't let it get to that point. They won't let Amazon get that much power 'cause it'd kill their MLB.tv package. They've got an interest to protect and protect it they will

[goreds2]

At the 43 minute mark here at the Reds Caravan, Sam LeCure addressed this issue after being asked a question. He basically said that the word he has gotten is that Bally will televise Reds the games in 2024 but in 2025 it will probably be handed down to another source.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_cRBanwBIWI