How has your experience been with (sports) streaming apps?

[Déjà Bru]

How has your experience been with (sports) streaming apps?

This is about sports but you can sneak in comments about other streaming services, I think. Primarily sports, though, as we transition to the special streaming services that sports networks are now offering.

Such as the YES app. I flipped on the telly (basic cable plus one tier of channels) and tuned in YES. Finally succumbing to their relentless advertising for the YES app, I grabbed the phone and visited the Google Play store.

And stopped dead in my tracks.



How is it possible for a major streaming app, backed by an organization with bundles of cash, to receive a combined rating of less than 2 stars out of 5? (Over 2,000 reviews with many recent one-stars.)

Yikes. I start wrinkling my nose whenever I see ratings of less than 4 stars in aggregate.

Can you imagine how bad this app is to have earned only 1.9 stars?

How has your experience been with this or other (sports) streaming apps?

[mytreds]

I used sling and fuboTV for my soccer fix when they were cheap, ~25$ a month. I dropped them when they hiked up to 60$+.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by mytreds

I used sling and fuboTV for my soccer fix when they were cheap, ~25$ a month. I dropped them when they hiked up to 60$+.

You know, I wonder if all of the "cord-cutting" will taper off when people realize that, once the intro promo period is over and the cost of individual streaming starts adding up, they realize that they will be spending a lot more than they used to in order to view their sports.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

You know, I wonder if all of the "cord-cutting" will taper off when people realize that, once the intro promo period is over and the cost of individual streaming starts adding up, they realize that they will be spending a lot more than they used to in order to view their sports.

That assumes cable will retain rights to sports. Disney seems to be pushing hard to get sports moved to streaming from cable, given its recent action to pull ESPN from certain cable providers.

[Antonin]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

You know, I wonder if all of the "cord-cutting" will taper off when people realize that, once the intro promo period is over and the cost of individual streaming starts adding up, they realize that they will be spending a lot more than they used to in order to view their sports.

This is one reason I have never been interested in any streaming apps, sports or otherwise. Now that I am retired my main goals are for the wife and I to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible, and to otherwise keep our lives as simple as possible.

I remember when TV was free. I resent that most of the few things we watch are on cable and that we have to pay for them. I resent all the commercials for prescription drugs. And I resent being asked now to pay EVEN MORE for something via a "streaming app."

I sometimes wish I could watch shows that I see advertised as being through some streaming service, but I realize that simpler forms of entertainment are available---reading a book, for example, or taking a walk in the park.

[rudel.dietrich]

So far I have had pretty good success with most of the apps.

The one I use the most often is the NBA League Pass app.
I find the price point more than acceptable to get every game (I have zero blackouts here) and I get high quality and next to no issues.
(110 Euros for the 4K premium edition that includes NBA TV I find it be a very good deal for the entire seasons worth of games)

I also use some apps for European football and while a bit more mixed, I mostly have good success with them.

Price is for sure a concern, but so far I find the value to be good for what I get out of it.


Oddly enough, the one I have had the most issues with is Amazon prime to watch TNF.
I found the video quality to be pretty bad at times last season. It would drop to 600p at times and mostly struggled to get to 1080p, much less 4k.

I am not sure if that is because I am in Europe. But to be a tech company, I hope Amazon has their **** together better this year for video quality.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

That assumes cable will retain rights to sports. Disney seems to be pushing hard to get sports moved to streaming from cable, given its recent action to pull ESPN from certain cable providers.

Originally Posted by Antonin

This is one reason I have never been interested in any streaming apps, sports or otherwise. Now that I am retired my main goals are for the wife and I to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible, and to otherwise keep our lives as simple as possible.

I remember when TV was free. I resent that most of the few things we watch are on cable and that we have to pay for them. I resent all the commercials for prescription drugs. And I resent being asked now to pay EVEN MORE for something via a "streaming app."

I sometimes wish I could watch shows that I see advertised as being through some streaming service, but I realize that simpler forms of entertainment are available---reading a book, for example, or taking a walk in the park.

The aim, of course, is to get you to spend many more dollars in aggregate with the "balkanization" of sports broadcasting. (A fabulous application of the term; unfortunately I forget who used it here first. Syd, maybe?) Perhaps without you ever realizing it. At best, Disney and others don't give a damn what your overall cost would be as long as you sign up for their particular service.

So, take the example mytreds gave us; he dropped his streaming services "when they hiked up to 60$+."

I just took a look at my last Optimum bill. It was $245, which seems like a lot. However, the bill is almost equally divided into Internet (with a bit of a speed boost) and TV (one tier above basic).

So, let's say my current TV expense is around $120 a month, including taxes. If these streaming services are going to charge me "60$+" then only TWO of them will cost what I am paying for cable TV now.

The problem is, if I wanted anymore than two, then I will be further out of pocket. Let's face it: Netflix is only one channel. Hulu is only one channel. Disney+ is only one channel. And so on. So if you are bored with just Netflix, and you can't see the Yankees and the Mets and the Knicks and the Rangers with one subscription because they have all become privatized, then you really are talking major money.

So, Antonin, you are not alone. I feel the same way; I will not sign up for any of this garbage and if my favorite teams disappear into the streaming stratosphere, so be it. For, this is all a wealth transfer system that is designed to milk the middle and lower classes so that people like Aaron Judge and Hal Steinbrenner and Robert Iger can have more money than God.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

So far I have had pretty good success with most of the apps.

The one I use the most of the NBA League Pass app.
I find the price point more than acceptable to get every game (I have zero blackouts here) and I get high quality and next to no issues.
(110 Euros for the 4K premium edition that includes NBA TV I find it be a very good deal for the entire seasons worth of games)

I also use some apps for European football and while a bit more mixed, I mostly have good success with them.

Price is for sure a concern, but so far I find the value to be good for what I get out of it.


Oddly enough, the one I have had the most issues with is Amazon prime to watch TNF.
I found the video quality to be pretty bad at time last season. It would drop to 600p at times and mostly struggled to get to 1080p, much less 4k.

I am not sure if that is because I am in Europe. But to be a tech company, I hope Amazon has their **** together better this year for video quality.

But my rant above notwithstanding, this post gets more to the point of my inquiry. To wit: Set aside what I said before and just concentrate on what you are paying for a typical streaming service. Do you feel like the quality is there? What about content? Do you believe you are getting sufficient value for the money spent? (You are, Rudel. I am directing this at others who may read this thread and care to comment.)