I Want My MTV.. I Mean Sports on My TV

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Luke Ranalli

I know it's been coming for years, it's been a hot topic for the last couple, but now it's becoming a reality and I don't like it.

I'm talking of course about streaming services and how they are affecting the way we watch sports these days. Not only do we have providers like DISH dropping AT&T Sports Network because of expenses, but now some games are being broadcasted solely on streaming platforms. 

I've tried to keep up for years with streaming, and when some NFL games were moved to Amazon Prime I made the upgrade. When games are on the NFL Network I use my cousin's subscription. Basically, I've been doing my best over the past few years to make sure I can watch all of the games I want, but now it's just too much of a hassle.

Last Sunday I woke up at about noon and was hungover as all hell. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and watch sports, so I opened FanDuel and saw a Pirates game starting soon and threw a couple of bucks on the game. Much to my dismay when I turned on AT&T Sports Network, no baseball. I pulled my phone back out to see if I read the time wrong in my current state but no, it should have been starting. I checked online to see the channels and there it was, Peacock streaming.

The MLB actually penned a deal this year with Apple TV+ to stream Friday night MLB games, and YouTube has another deal this year with the MLB to have 15 games exclusively on their platform. 

Now, being a Pirates fan, the MLB deals haven't really hit me that hard. I do like to throw a few bucks on the Buccos here and there when I'm bored and have some downtime, but aside from that, I'm not gonna stress over missing a game. That's not to say there hasn't been disappointment when I go to turn a game on and it's not being broadcasted.

The NFL though, that's where I have problems. As mentioned I have been keeping up with the NFL Network, and the Amazon Prime games, but what's next? As of February of this year, it has been reported that Apple is in the works of a $2bil dollar deal for the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. Amazon Prime has secured the Thursday night slot becoming the exclusive way to watch (except for local games). 

Just to name a few services right now, this season you could watch NFL games on Amazon Prime, Sling TV, FuboTV, YouTube TV, Paramount Plus, Fox streaming, Peacock, and most likely Apple TV+. I may have missed some but I think you get where this is going.

I have a ton of concerns about this that I don't have the time to get into, and you probably don't want to read about. However, the issue I see that is the biggest problem is when it comes to local bars and small venues that patrons go to for a bite and a drink on a Thursday to watch the game. The older generation who struggle to get Netflix on their smart TV now has to figure out streaming services to watch their favorite team. The massive headache every week just to know what platform the game you want to watch will be on.

I know TV deals are nothing new, change happens and this was inevitable. I get that this is more lucrative for professional sports because of the revenue coming in from these platforms, but it's not helping out the average Joe. I don't want to sound like I'm shaking my fist at the sky right now yelling "you damn kids and your Netflixs" but that's how I'm starting to feel.

I have a feeling this is only going to get worse before it gets better, so it's best to try and adapt now. I'm dreading the call I get from my dad at 7 P.M. before a Steelers game on a Thursday and spending the better part of the first half of the game trying to help him set up Amazon Prime so he can watch. I think this is going to gatekeep fans more so than it brings in money for the platforms and it's going to cause some disenfranchisement.

All in all only time will tell what transpires over the next few years. Until then, if you have Apple TV+ with the NFL Sunday Ticket package, please DM me your login information.