Follow me on Twitter Follow @TheJeremyLaura
Detroit sits in 3rd in their division with a goal differential of +12. The increased scoring and creativity is starting to mesh with more solid goal tending and some more cohesive play defensively. Each year since Yzerman has been at the helm has shown roster changes and players challenged to move forward. Seider (personal opinion) still stands out as the best of what Yzerman has drafted for Detroit and it’s been fantastic to watch the young defenseman continue to grow.
Personally, this iteration is the favorite thus far. Room will have to be made as prospects step up and show themselves ready for “prime time…. Edvinsson and Mazur could well be competing for spots, Sandin-pellikka (though injured) seems to be causing a stir. Let me know who you think will grab a spot next year from the prospect pool.
This is where anyone not interested in the Bally/ESPN news is best served in disengaging. More has happened with both companies in the past few weeks than in previous months. Both are facing financial issues and both are in discussions with partnerships that will permanently alter the landscape of the companies.
For Bally, Amazon has stepped in to “save… the company. This spin is a misnomer and it doesn’t take long to find it. Amazon took a big step into the live sports realm by getting Thursday Night Football as well as exclusive NFL content after Thanksgiving available only via streaming. The opportunity, if it works, would have Amazon partner with Bally and pull the company out of bankruptcy. Then comes the asterisk. Regional Sports Network content will be available via Amazon Prime. For as many streaming companies are losing revenue (Netflix posted a profit last year, it’s still uncertain if any other major streamer did. One lost between 700m and 1B per quarter) the shift still seems inevitable. Why? The infrastructure of traditional broadcasting has essentially been dismantled into digital format. In markets slower to integrate, there is a conversion to allow the content to work on older network interfaces (think VoIP conversion) but internet access has been deemed a “necessary utility… and subsidies are providing access nation wide.
So, why Bally? If Amazon can “save… the Bally name from bankruptcy and retain the markets that it still carries, that contract goes until 2030. Amazon has the pockets to provide the full payments to the teams and will then have around 19 markets with NBA, MLB and NHL teams. They’re already broadcasting the NFL. Youtube has Sunday Ticket (formerly DirectTV) and Apple wants live sports badly. When the NBA bids out its broadcast rights over the next year, the desire to get those away from ESPN could drive the price even higher than the 3x plus that the NBA is looking for (currently gets around 2 billion from ESPN, looking for closer to 7 per season). Apple and Amazon have that money to spend. So Bally, if this is approved, will likely rebrand or be a tab on Amazon Prime. Otherwise the “closure date… for the broadcaster is slated for the end of the MLB season this year.
Now to ESPN. The NFL is apparently deep in talks about a partnership worth 100m. This announcement comes right before the shareholder meeting. My skepticism is this. The NFL has 4 broadcast partners (NBC Sunday, ABC Monday, Amazon Thursday, YoutubeTV Sunday ticket). If the NFL buys into ESPN they will want exclusivity. They will also partially own a gambling entity. (Does anyone else think this is a conflict of interest?). Discovery is interesting. The NBA is going to go where the most money is. ESPN had 3 rounds of layoffs last year. “Cord cutting… is reducing their monthly intake and parent co Disney announced that ESPN should be fully streamed by 2025. IF the NBA leaves ESPN, the NFL is certainly king of sports, but for a 16 game season. That’s a lot of time to fill and the ESPN/NHL deal isn’t drawing like either side hoped.
The fact that both of these major potential mergers are happening at the same time is mind boggling. Regardless, the end game seems to be fully integrated streaming and then likely a consolidation down to 3 or 4 major providers. The work being done behind the scenes is at a furious pace and the announcements will coincide with an effort to increase the value of all the involved leagues and companies. It is a fascinating time in all of entertainment, and sports is going to be no exception. We’ll know a lot more in the coming weeks.