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To: Dilbert San Diego
Somebody told me moving programming to streaming is analogous to how network radio programs migrated to television in the 1950s.

We will see only a few more games move to paid streaming only services. There is money to be made. If the NFL is smart, it won't do more than a little bit of this. Major League Baseball now has only a regional and niche fanbase compared to the glory days because of the fast buck chasing. The dynamic is also different because the individual owners in MLB have more power than in the NFL. By putting everything on pay cable/streaming, MLB has sold the leagues' seed corn, and outside of a few "baseball cities" (Boston, NY, Chicago, St. Louis, etc.), is a shadow of its former self, whereas the NFL relies on TV and numerous teams with a national following, which yields incredible merchandising.

I do not believe this transition is analogous to the transition from radio to TV. In the interim period, completely separate programs were made more each technology during the '50s to early '60s overlap period. That is unnecessary here. In a sense, digital TV is a "streaming service". The NFL wisely avoided pay cable TV, and much streaming NFL product is simulcast. Radio and TV Gunsmoke were different shows. Even now, the pay Peacock/Amazon programming is available in the local markets of the teams playing, even if they are played overseas. That should mute fan complaints as non-local fans are no worse off than they were in the days when not every game was televised outside of local markets.

I checked:

The NFL game between the Packers and Eagles in Brazil will be broadcast on over-the-air television in the Philadelphia and Green Bay markets. Specifically:

In Philadelphia, the game will be available to watch on NBC10, the local NBC affiliate.

NFL football is such a major product that networks will overpay because it puts them on the map. You might recall that Fox TV only had a few nights of programming at first (Married with Children, 21 Jump Street, In Living Color) and was only taken seriously as a fourth network when they landed the NFC contract from CBS.

The NFL is at saturation with broadcast product now, but I don't think that it is going to go all streaming pay, because they don't have to as traditional networks will continue to overpay for rights.
45 posted on 09/04/2024 6:52:37 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: Dr. Sivana

Even St. Louis is having problems with attendance.


46 posted on 09/04/2024 6:53:34 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Dr. Sivana

I believe by rule local markets much have free access to NFL games, usually one of the independent local channels will broadcast the game.


47 posted on 09/04/2024 6:54:33 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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