I think it's a great idea as a supplement - you can reach all the cord-cutters and out-of-market fans, etc... but as the exclusive broadcast platform, I think it sucks. I have zero interest in adding yet another streaming service. I guess I'll miss most of the away games for the first time ever.
The assumption is that networks are were the team needs to be. Why? Is the income from their collaboration greater? I think DCU gets more income for services rendered from this deal. Totally my gut. Is the reach and availability of their broadcast greater? Maybe for now. Future, I don't think so. In five years streaming most sports will be as much the norm as broadcast driven access is today. I think it's a smart business move going forward.
I would have no problem with the team having a paid streaming deal in addition to a broadcast deal. The team is making itself irrelevant to potential local fans if even they can't watch the games without actively seeking them and paying for them. FloSports isn't espn+ where you might generally browse for sports and watch cricket for days. It's a generally shitty product with track and wrestling and marching bands evidently. I would have had less of a problem if the deal was even with Monumental Sports Network.
I have a Verizon Fios set-up but am off contract and am considering just going the internet route. But, anyone that had the set-up would have witnessed the scuffle between Verizon and Disney/ABC/ESPN and Verizon and the Tegna owned stations over increasing programming costs. Anyway, definitely more food for thought. Interesting timing though. An Austin company signing up DC United before Precourt's Austin team can get off the ground
Flo does leave...much to be desired. I knew nothing of them before they gobbled up the contract for Drum Corps international and WGI. They do strike me as fairly 'bare bones' but trying to grow into more as a 'streaming provider network' as they launched a talking heads show to go with the DCI season the second year around. It was laughably bad though. Literally looked like it was done from a house basement with interns. (There's a theme here...maybe the DCU interns know the FloSports interns and a deal was born?) I get the sense they've been aggressively gobbling other things as well. The Big Ten Network used to have a BTN+ thing for games that were not on their main channel, that is now obtainable through FloSports as well. So they've been increasing their reach in recent years and this seems to be another aggressive reach. I imagine this began with FloSports reaching out to DC and all the MLS clubs on this as a 'stream your team's games' option. If the DC front office took this to be "we'll do this and only this" they're pretty dumb. But then we knew that. The first season of DCI watching had some horrible tech issues with streaming quality but the second season sorted most all of that as they seemed to invest in better tech and staff. BUT it's all very dependent on having good equipment on your end as well. Crappy "high speed" service or a wireless router that blows will make streaming very crappy on your end. Most of my issues with them in the second season were simply their direction issues with having the camera focusing on the wrong things instead of the big moments in shows. The sport stuff I've watched with them is better with shot selection as it seems more 'obvious' perhaps where the camera gaze should be for their camera people.
Gee all of this makes it sound like Hank and Joey will be "broadcasting" (I use that term very loosely) DC United games from their Mom's basement. Let's all go back to 2400K baud modems while we are at it.
I disagree with your assertion about catering to younger fans. I think it's as simple as the FO determining that FloSports put together the best bid package. As in a bid package that actually includes money. Nothing more. FloSports offered to pay DCU rights money and also allow time for additional programming like recap shows, interviews, behind-the-scenes, etc. NBCSN, Channel 7, etc. probably weren't willing to pay any money and probably requested that DCU cover production costs. They also don't offer additional programming. I would prefer Channel 7 or something over the air as it would have better availability. I'm also concerned about DCU being forgotten about due to a lack of a cable/over the air deal. The only silver lining is that DCU is on ESPN/FS1/Univision a lot this season due to having a nice stadium atmosphere, an entertaining style of play, and a global superstar.
I guess we should put Flo stuff in here instead of where it's been going (I get confused) United announce pricing for the plans - STH & SG members will pay $5.99/mo, while the general public will pay $8.99/mo.— Pablo Iglesias Maurer (@MLSist) January 8, 2019 The goods on the Flo deal: https://t.co/41ugCNlkub— RFK Refugees Podcast (@RfkRefugees) January 8, 2019
Another angle to this is that one's product is only as valuable as what someone will pay for it. Before FloSports came along, DCU's local TV rights were worth $0. Now they are worth more than $0. Next year, maybe one of the local cable/TV stations will want to bid against FloSports for an amount greater than what FloSports is paying. Maybe FloSports and hypothetical TV station split the greater than $0 between them and DCU gets on TV and streaming simultaneously. I get why they did it and it makes long-term business sense to establish your product as something that has some monetary value rather than none. I'm guessing that the FO foresaw short-term pain for possible long-term gain. They were going nowhere with getting $0 and paying production costs on Sinclair/local NBCSN so why not shake things up? The cost per month for the DCU fan will be the kicker. The more casual fans who don't know about the FloSports deal will probably see DCU on ESPN/FS1/Univision anyway.
I have been GORGING myself at night/early mornings with the matches between New Zealand and Sri Lanka during this shutdown. Man, the Sri Lankan batsmen SUCK! Anyway, I have to agree with you. The exclusive deal screws me, and I generally think it is a bad idea. I guess I will learn a lot more about the other MLS teams this season.
$6/month for DCU away games? That's better for me than what I had before! Last year, I had no access as I don't have cable. I'd wait until the next day to catch away games on ESPN+ if I was lucky. Not too shabby. Also, giving the $2 discount to SG members who aren't STH's is a classy move. We have members who honestly can't afford the STH and come whenever they can afford to and offering $2 discount to these hardcore but not wealthy fans is a good thing.
Do I NEED FloSports to watch D.C. United in 2019? Yes, you do. D.C. United’s deal with FloSports means that all regionally broadcast MLS games and friendlies will be exclusively live streamed via FloSports. The Black-and-Red’s new media partner will give fans access to high definition coverage in both English and Spanish. D.C. United bar partners will receive access to subscriptions which means you can still watch the Black-and-Red at your local partnered Heineken bar. So, let me understand correctly, DCU games that go on Flo will not be shown on ESPN + ? Isn't ESPN + deal with MLS and not with the single teams? Can they actually blackout DCU from ESPN+ in the DMV? Then the second question, I don't go much anymore to bars, but WTF is a Heineken bar?? Will they be the only ones showing DCU games?
I can still watch Direct Kick on my cable package. I'll pay MLS before I pay Hank and Tony's streaming service.
How many Heineken-partnered DCU bars are there? I think 2, both in DC. I am really not a fan of watching things on my PC (outside of utoob music videos and insta stories) - that's what TV is for - There must be some long-ass cable I can buy to use the TV as a monitor in a pinch - but I intentionally have my PC (which I use for work sometimes) away from the TV. I fear the away-team coverage on DirecKick will somehow be blocked - they go back and forth from year to year on blocking vs not blocking on DK (some years they say they will but don't, others they always do even when they aren't supposed to). Not like you can cancel that mid-season, it's paid for by then. $6 is not $5 or less. I suspect that $6/mo will be for a year's subscription, so 3-4 more months than necessary and $18-24 extra, but they may surprise me and just go month-to-month. I still think it is weird and a bit shady to charge extra for coverage that has always been "free" (with cable/satellite subscription). Unprecedented has always been their goal though
It won't be available on Direct Kick if you live near DC. (I reserve the right to be wrong on this subject.)
This has to be an STM benefit. They can't reasonably think that any STM is going to shell out $48-72 (depending on 8 or 12 mo plan) for the 8-10 games that aren't going to be on major network TV. Those are largely the "rabid" fans they're counting on to buy this and they're not making any kind of value proposition in favor of a purchase. Then again, maybe Tom Hunt went to work for Flo. Champions League on Turner is only $80 for dozens more games than Flo is going to carry. While the YouTubeTV dea for LAFC fans l has its draw backs, at least you get other content that you would want with the price of the package.
At the end of the day I imagine the front office figured 14 of the most notable games would be available on ESPN/FS1/Fox and said screw it, we'll take the cash. They probably feel they get the best of both worlds were casual fans will still be able to see a lot of notable matches on national TV, while the club gets the most TV $$$ available to them.
You might want to look into this... The release yesterday implied the blackout area would be VA down to Richmond, DC, all of Maryland, and Delaware. If that is correct, then DCU games will be blacked out for you on Direct Kick next year. Which I'm sure will make you even more excited about this plan...