Posted on 03/27/2026 7:53:41 AM PDT by WhiteHatBobby0701
As subscription streaming services grab more and more games from (broadcast television) and basic cable, many fans are crying foul.
A new Fox News national survey of registered voters finds that majorities of both sports fans (72%) and non-fans (60%) think major sporting events should be required to stay on free broadcast television, not behind streaming paywalls. Only 27% of fans and 38% of non-fans say leagues should be allowed to shift games to paid streaming services.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Most of the cost of basic cable is espn
But if they want espn or any other channel owned by their parent company espn must be part of the basic package
I have Philo because it lacks the expensive sports and news channels that I never watch anyway
How is the bread and the circuses over there?
Per Subscriber Fees. That’s the issue. Everyone knows it.
furthermore, all Federal anti-trust exemptions for sports should be repealed ...
What are new stadiums without luxury box seats for the Taylor Swifts out there? Anyone remember the big sombrero? Wasn’t good enough. The TV deals allow for the owners to pay $50 million to QB’s. Eliminate the subsidies and they’re lucky to earn $10 million. Makes one want to support a wealth tax.
Roman circuses were free, I think.
CBS Paramount+ of Trump’s friend Ellison is cutting into the Fox gravy train. It used to be Fox vs all that left wing MSM. First OAN type media took some of the Fox audience. Now Trump’s friend Ellison is competing head on for the MAGA, sports and common sense audience.
I’m old enough to remember when cable was promoted to be “ad free”
It’s not only that but professional sports have anti-trust exemptions that allow them to negotiate as one for things like TV rights.
If you are going to take taxpayer money for stadiums and get anti-trust exemptions for media rights, it’s hard to understand how the fan has to pay extra to watch their favorite team on TV.
Pay per view major league and college sports is a big NO for me.
The PAC 12 commissioner killed that division by holding out for top dollar from DirectTv.
I called their office and they said I could still watch it on my phone. I told them at the time I have a 65 inch plasma and don’t want to watch it on a 4 inch screen!
Yanks v. Giants was exclusively on NETFLIX.
After not being able to watch my baseball team at all for the last 3 years, I finally ponied up $100 for this season. It’s the only sport I ever watched.
The Atlanta Braves have a limited deal with WANF again this season, and the odds are likely WANF will eventually extend to a full season in 2027 because BravesVision is limited, and WANF, an independent station since August, is pushing for Braves and Hawks games on WANF.
WANF would carry a whole group of Gray Media stations. Charter has a deal for BravesVision for 140 games, but some will be on WIS, and others are on WCSC (”Cheatham Compromise”). WCSC (a CBS affiliate) could be gearing up for a Paramount takeover of WBD TNT Sports.
The NFL has “out of market” rules. Trust me, here in 2001, the Fox ads promoted a game with two teams contending for the top seed in the NFL playoffs. Instead, we got a game that featured the two worst teams in the league. Complaints flew.
The problem now is national games “out of market” are on premium pay as infomercials for their television shows. I’m not for that.
Unfortunately.
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