Awful Announcing
"We don’t have any customers calling us on RSNs today. ...We’re not interested in taxing our customers when they don’t watch the channels."
Distribution losses, including with Hulu+Live TV and YouTube TV, played a big role in this write-down.
Sinclair's purchase of the former Fox RSNs from Disney at a $10.6 billion valuation (with $9.6 billion exchanged) had some merit at the time, but those RSNs are facing some dire challenges now.
As per Kevin Kinkead of Crossing Broad, "the NBC Sports Regional Networks are completely doing away with sideline reporters at the end of the season."
On the day of the Cubs' first regular-season game of 2020, Comcast customers in Chicago are finally able to watch Marquee Sports Network.
Not hitting the minimum number of games promised to RSNs could lead to further issues for both teams and those RSNs.
Many YouTube TV subscribers who used to get particular Fox RSNs now don't get those networks under the new Sinclair-YouTube TV deal.
AT&T reportedly received bids of around $500 million rather than the $1 billion they were looking for, and now may not sell the RSNs after all.
After a temporary extension Sunday, the Fox RSNs have now gone dark on Dish and Sling TV. And the sides don't seem close to a deal.
The agreement between the sides expired Sunday, but they've worked out a temporary deal. Will a longer one follow?
Sinclair could possibly add even more RSNs, but these ones might make sense for Comcast as well.
This may help alleviate some of the immediate worries about the RSNs' future carriage under Sinclair.
Many investors are happy with Sinclair's purchase of the RSNs, but distributors are concerned about the negotiations ahead.
