Welcome to our latest issue Dan Rayburn's Streaming Insights and Intelligenceis a weekly column from StreamTV Insider where industry analysts provide facts and figures on the news you need to know. Join the discussion On LinkedIn Check back each week as he breaks down the biggest happenings in the industry.
During the week of August 28, 2024, Rayburn will track major news updates from YouTube, Disney, DirecTV, Amazon, and more.
- The wait is over. YouTube NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers will be able to customize their multi-view options starting in Week 1, allowing them to watch any combination of two, three or four NFL Sunday Ticket games on their TV, mobile device or tablet, the company announced. YouTube TV Members. Local game broadcasts available to local channel subscribers through YouTube TV will continue to be limited and require a selection of “pre-prepared combinations.” For more information on options for standalone subscribers and those who subscribe via YouTube TV, see YouTube's blog post.
- The judge who granted permission Fubo's Request for preliminary injunction Venu Sports A pretrial conference was ordered to be held in New York on September 12. Disney, Foxand WBD As the move to dismiss the lawsuit continues, the court will consider the possibility of starting a jury trial in February 2025 in the antitrust lawsuit.
- According to Bloomberg: Disney and DirecTV The two companies are in negotiations to extend their broadcast agreement, and if no agreement is reached, channels like ABC and ESPN could be dropped as soon as September 1. Disney is reportedly open to smaller packages and lower minimum subscriber guarantees, while DirecTV has proposed selling smaller packages of channels based on specific genres.
- Disney TV Everywhere apps are TV No More. Disney is shutting down all TV Everywhere apps, including DisneyNOW, Freeform, FXNOW, ABC and National Geographic, on September 23. Notifications have been added to each app's login page and app store. Access to TV Everywhere will still be available via browser. This is similar to what Paramount did earlier this year when it began shutting down its mobile and tablet apps, including for platforms like Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.
- The Sports Business Journal reports: Amazon Diamond's $115 million investment plan is gone Bally SportsThe deal isn't much of a surprise, as it was announced before Amazon struck a direct deal with the NBA and worked with Rogers Communications to license NHL games in Canada.
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Diamond Sports Group The Diamonds said they have agreed to honor traditional television contracts with most of their NBA and NHL partners. The company has inked deals to continue broadcasting games for its 22 NBA and NHL teams in their respective local markets. The agreements require approval from the U.S. bankruptcy judge overseeing the case. Under the terms of the agreements, the Diamonds' NBA partners have agreed to cut their existing broadcast rights fees by 30% to 40%. The reduction in broadcast rights fees for NHL teams is said to be closer to 20%.
- of NBA The NBA has asked the New York State Supreme Court to dismiss a matching rights lawsuit filed by Warner Bros. Discovery against the league. The company argues that Warner Bros. Discovery rewrote long sections of Amazon's $1.93 billion per year bid, effectively submitting a counteroffer rather than a match. In the filing, the NBA said it intends to seek dismissal at a hearing on October 4 in New York City. Warner Bros. Discovery said it will “file an opposition in the coming weeks.”
- From October 1st, Twitch The company plans to increase the price of new Tier 1 and gifted subscriptions to its mobile apps in more than 40 countries. The price of a Tier 1 subscription in the U.S. will increase by $2 to $7.99, after Twitch raised its prices in the U.S. by $1 in July. Tier 2 and 3 subscriptions will remain the same price.
- Paramount In the UK, Channel 5 will no longer integrate its broadcast VOD services. My 5Equipped with FAST platform Pluto TV, As originally planned for the fall, My5 will relaunch next year across linear, streaming and digital platforms under a unified parent brand called 5.
- DoorDash Announced a partnership with Max and introduced its first streaming benefits for DashPass members. Max Ad-supported plans are now included in DashPass annual U.S. plan memberships at no extra cost.
Dan Rayburn is a streaming media industry analyst who appears regularly on television, including CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Schwab Networks. He is conference chair for the annual NAB Show Streaming Summit in Las Vegas and his website, streamingmediablog.com, is one of the most widely read among broadcasters, content owners, OTT providers, Wall Street asset managers and industry executives. He also has a podcast at danrayburnpodcast.com. [email protected]
Dan Rayburn's Streaming Insights & Intelligence is an opinion column and does not necessarily represent the views of StreamTV Insider.