1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:13,373 Speaker 1: from News Talks at b US. 3 00:00:13,413 --> 00:00:17,933 Speaker 2: Sports giant ESPN says that it's TV days are number. 4 00:00:18,013 --> 00:00:19,693 Speaker 2: Don't worry. It's not getting out of the business of 5 00:00:19,733 --> 00:00:21,893 Speaker 2: sports broadcasting, but it might be getting out of the 6 00:00:21,893 --> 00:00:24,853 Speaker 2: business of TV. Our Textbert Paul Stenhouse is here with 7 00:00:24,893 --> 00:00:25,853 Speaker 2: the details. What's happening? 8 00:00:25,853 --> 00:00:29,173 Speaker 3: Paul. Yeah, It's funny, isn't it, Because when I first 9 00:00:29,253 --> 00:00:31,093 Speaker 3: kind of thought about this, it's like, well, haven't we 10 00:00:31,133 --> 00:00:33,653 Speaker 3: already been going direct to the consumer? Haven't all of 11 00:00:33,653 --> 00:00:36,413 Speaker 3: these companies been trying to go direct? And they have, 12 00:00:36,573 --> 00:00:38,813 Speaker 3: but they haven't. And it's a really key point, Jack, 13 00:00:38,893 --> 00:00:42,333 Speaker 3: because they never give you the actual thing you get 14 00:00:43,013 --> 00:00:46,253 Speaker 3: that they had on TV, right, And that's what ESPN 15 00:00:46,333 --> 00:00:48,653 Speaker 3: is actually going to give you right whenever they try 16 00:00:48,693 --> 00:00:51,093 Speaker 3: to do one of these digital things over here in 17 00:00:51,133 --> 00:00:53,853 Speaker 3: the States. They're trying to protect that relationship they have 18 00:00:54,293 --> 00:00:56,093 Speaker 3: with the middleman. They don't want to give up the 19 00:00:56,133 --> 00:00:59,973 Speaker 3: thing that gives them literally billions of dollars, right because 20 00:00:59,973 --> 00:01:02,573 Speaker 3: they buy the rights from the sports companies, they on 21 00:01:02,693 --> 00:01:05,653 Speaker 3: sell that to the PATV operators and that is a lucrative, 22 00:01:05,733 --> 00:01:10,053 Speaker 3: lucrative business. But ESPN is finally bit the bullet and 23 00:01:10,093 --> 00:01:13,253 Speaker 3: they have said that ESPN will go direct to the consumer, 24 00:01:13,373 --> 00:01:16,853 Speaker 3: So they are cutting out that PTV provider who has 25 00:01:16,893 --> 00:01:20,133 Speaker 3: been a friend of theirs maybe friendly foe for a 26 00:01:20,373 --> 00:01:24,733 Speaker 3: very very long time. And if you're a fan of sports, 27 00:01:25,253 --> 00:01:27,733 Speaker 3: you will now just be able to scrap the entire 28 00:01:27,773 --> 00:01:30,173 Speaker 3: TV bundle. You don't have to worry about getting channels 29 00:01:30,213 --> 00:01:33,693 Speaker 3: you don't want. You're just going to get ESPN and 30 00:01:33,733 --> 00:01:35,973 Speaker 3: all your sports. And in the US, it's like thirty 31 00:01:35,973 --> 00:01:38,133 Speaker 3: bucks a month is where it's launching or something like that. 32 00:01:38,813 --> 00:01:42,853 Speaker 3: And it's really interesting, right, yeah, because so many people 33 00:01:43,093 --> 00:01:46,093 Speaker 3: have said, na, cable, don't want it, too hard, too expensive, 34 00:01:46,613 --> 00:01:49,653 Speaker 3: You've got things I don't want although I've never had cable. 35 00:01:49,693 --> 00:01:51,293 Speaker 3: Their kids and they're saying, well, everything I get is 36 00:01:51,333 --> 00:01:54,853 Speaker 3: on my phone. This will be ESPN's way of actually 37 00:01:54,893 --> 00:01:58,373 Speaker 3: being able to now say to those fans who've ditched 38 00:01:58,453 --> 00:02:02,213 Speaker 3: cable or never had cable, come over here, give me 39 00:02:02,253 --> 00:02:04,453 Speaker 3: your credit card and you can actually start watching some 40 00:02:04,533 --> 00:02:04,733 Speaker 3: of this. 41 00:02:04,933 --> 00:02:07,413 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is pretty remarkable, isn't it. I mean, in 42 00:02:07,493 --> 00:02:10,733 Speaker 2: New Zealand, we're kind of, you know, we're halfway there 43 00:02:10,813 --> 00:02:14,053 Speaker 2: in that you can get Sky Sports now, so you 44 00:02:14,053 --> 00:02:16,613 Speaker 2: can just pay for Sky Sport basically and stream it 45 00:02:16,773 --> 00:02:19,973 Speaker 2: rather than paying for all of the Sky channels. You know, 46 00:02:19,973 --> 00:02:22,653 Speaker 2: they've kind of got a breakoff product there where you know, 47 00:02:22,693 --> 00:02:26,413 Speaker 2: where they can and there's you know, there's some scuttle 48 00:02:26,453 --> 00:02:30,653 Speaker 2: but publicly reported scuttle, but that for example, TV and 49 00:02:30,693 --> 00:02:33,693 Speaker 2: Z might be looking at having sports rights and putting 50 00:02:33,693 --> 00:02:35,573 Speaker 2: it behind the paywall in the future. I don't know 51 00:02:35,653 --> 00:02:38,213 Speaker 2: anything about that from being inside TV and Z, but 52 00:02:38,613 --> 00:02:40,573 Speaker 2: you know, that's at least what's been publicly reported. So 53 00:02:40,613 --> 00:02:42,693 Speaker 2: I guess this is kind of a trend that's happening 54 00:02:42,693 --> 00:02:45,333 Speaker 2: in lots of places. But I suppose we could, like, 55 00:02:45,413 --> 00:02:49,173 Speaker 2: if we take this trend to its nth degree, it's 56 00:02:49,213 --> 00:02:52,693 Speaker 2: not unreasonable to think that before too long you will 57 00:02:53,213 --> 00:02:56,413 Speaker 2: just be paying for individual sports, right, so you're just 58 00:02:56,453 --> 00:02:59,213 Speaker 2: going to go like, for example, I am happy to 59 00:02:59,213 --> 00:03:01,853 Speaker 2: pay forty dollars a year for the All Blacks, but 60 00:03:02,093 --> 00:03:05,253 Speaker 2: I'm not going to pay another forty dollars for cricket rights, 61 00:03:05,413 --> 00:03:07,053 Speaker 2: or I'm not going to pay an the thirty dollars 62 00:03:07,133 --> 00:03:09,453 Speaker 2: for other sports. Like you could see how it kind 63 00:03:09,453 --> 00:03:12,493 Speaker 2: of becomes bulcanized, you know, So. 64 00:03:12,493 --> 00:03:14,453 Speaker 3: Here's how it gets. Here's where it gets even crazier. 65 00:03:14,893 --> 00:03:18,133 Speaker 3: So you would think that, but in the States, the 66 00:03:18,293 --> 00:03:20,613 Speaker 3: NFL now wants to get out of the media business. 67 00:03:20,853 --> 00:03:23,133 Speaker 3: They actually used to have a thing called the NFL Network, 68 00:03:23,333 --> 00:03:25,933 Speaker 3: And part of this plan of ESPN going direct to 69 00:03:25,973 --> 00:03:30,093 Speaker 3: the consumer is that NFL Network will give ESPN a 70 00:03:30,133 --> 00:03:33,733 Speaker 3: whole bunch of channels and additional content, even some additional games, 71 00:03:34,213 --> 00:03:36,213 Speaker 3: and in return they're trying to get I think it's 72 00:03:36,253 --> 00:03:39,653 Speaker 3: about ten percent of ESPN, which has to get you know, 73 00:03:39,653 --> 00:03:42,173 Speaker 3: go through the regulators and all that stuff. But what's 74 00:03:42,173 --> 00:03:45,293 Speaker 3: interesting is that it's a sports league who has previously 75 00:03:45,373 --> 00:03:47,253 Speaker 3: really tried to double down and not just be a 76 00:03:47,253 --> 00:03:49,933 Speaker 3: sports league but also be a media company, and now 77 00:03:49,973 --> 00:03:52,813 Speaker 3: they're moving away from it. So I actually think it's 78 00:03:52,813 --> 00:03:55,333 Speaker 3: almost interesting to see if someone like the All Blacks 79 00:03:55,373 --> 00:03:58,493 Speaker 3: would almost do the reverse. Right, Hey, it's too hard. 80 00:03:58,573 --> 00:04:00,173 Speaker 3: We don't want to be a media company. Yeah, we 81 00:04:00,213 --> 00:04:02,613 Speaker 3: don't know if to worry about subscriptions. We are good 82 00:04:02,693 --> 00:04:06,693 Speaker 3: at finding amazing rugby players, bringing them through from high 83 00:04:06,693 --> 00:04:09,813 Speaker 3: school right the way through to pro and we're really 84 00:04:09,853 --> 00:04:13,053 Speaker 3: good at creating an in stadium experience. That's your business. 85 00:04:14,413 --> 00:04:17,893 Speaker 3: So It is interesting because that was absolutely the trend. 86 00:04:18,013 --> 00:04:20,253 Speaker 3: And then what you're starting to see now is that 87 00:04:20,333 --> 00:04:22,293 Speaker 3: as each of these companies decide they want to go 88 00:04:22,373 --> 00:04:24,813 Speaker 3: direct to consumer, especially here in the States, they're now 89 00:04:24,853 --> 00:04:28,693 Speaker 3: starting to bundle, which is kind of like a digital 90 00:04:29,133 --> 00:04:33,013 Speaker 3: effectively cable channel, right where you can buy your Disney 91 00:04:33,013 --> 00:04:35,973 Speaker 3: Plus maybe mixed with your Paramount Plus, mixed with your Peacock, 92 00:04:36,013 --> 00:04:37,613 Speaker 3: and then you pay a set fee, and then you 93 00:04:37,693 --> 00:04:40,053 Speaker 3: can go over here and do an Amazon Prime and 94 00:04:40,093 --> 00:04:42,653 Speaker 3: it's something else in a Discovery Plus. It's like it's 95 00:04:42,693 --> 00:04:46,133 Speaker 3: almost become more confusing for people. It was some simplicity 96 00:04:46,173 --> 00:04:47,813 Speaker 3: that you get Sky, you get all the channels, and 97 00:04:47,813 --> 00:04:48,173 Speaker 3: you got all. 98 00:04:48,093 --> 00:04:50,173 Speaker 2: The ten and that's that. Yeah, that was nice. 99 00:04:50,373 --> 00:04:52,413 Speaker 3: Now it's like, who am I paying? How much? Is 100 00:04:52,453 --> 00:04:53,173 Speaker 3: there a bit of deal? 101 00:04:53,293 --> 00:04:56,453 Speaker 2: Huh? It's gonna be very interesting. All right, Thanks so much, Paul, 102 00:04:56,533 --> 00:04:59,293 Speaker 2: appreciate your time. Our Techsbert Paul Steinhouse. So you know, 103 00:04:59,333 --> 00:05:01,653 Speaker 2: we're still waiting for this press conference with President Trump 104 00:05:01,733 --> 00:05:05,293 Speaker 2: and Vladimir Putin to begin in Alaska. They've set up 105 00:05:05,853 --> 00:05:08,093 Speaker 2: sort of stay area in front of all the media 106 00:05:08,413 --> 00:05:11,293 Speaker 2: and there's a big banner down the back. There's a 107 00:05:11,413 --> 00:05:13,653 Speaker 2: US flag, there's a Russian flag, and there's a couple 108 00:05:13,653 --> 00:05:16,213 Speaker 2: of different podiums, and then there's a big banner down 109 00:05:16,293 --> 00:05:20,053 Speaker 2: the back that says pursuing peace. So we will see 110 00:05:20,053 --> 00:05:22,613 Speaker 2: how they've gone in their one on one meetings this morning. 111 00:05:22,693 --> 00:05:23,293 Speaker 2: Very short lived. 112 00:05:23,933 --> 00:05:27,053 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live 113 00:05:27,133 --> 00:05:29,973 Speaker 1: to News Talks at B from nine am Saturday, or 114 00:05:30,053 --> 00:05:31,933 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.