Bally Sports Plus - You Can Now Watch the Hawks Without Cable.

[marco102]

This is a good thing.

$20 per month or about $16 per month if you pay the $190 annual.

I can't wait for this. It is the only reason I kept direct tv.

Edited August 17, 2022 by marco102

[macdaddy]

I'm wondering if the games can be recorded or if you have to watch live.   But also looks like there is no Roku app for this.   I know i'm old but i watch on TV not on the computer.  

I have high hopes i can ditch directv stream but $20/month for only Hawks is steep.   League Pass is $15.

[AtLaS]

They need to just make a deal with the streaming tv providers. Noone who has directv or cable needs this so this is ONLY a solution for cord-cutters.  Cord-cutters are generally tech savvy people and have already found workarounds to watch Hawks/Braves games, and aren't likely to start forking over another $20/month to add another app.  This will probably get scrapped when enough ppl don't signup.  I think this will be a huge failure.

I'll continue to use a friends login to stream games on the Bally Sports app in exchange for letting them use my Netflix.  

[shakes]

Bally Sports is fvking terrrible!    So insecure they feel the need to cover 40% of the screen with a sports ticker and other graphics.

 

I've noticed that with all the small market teams.  They load up on sports tickers that run constantly like they are afraid people will change the channel if they don't.  Then you go and watch local games from Boston, Chicago, New York and LA and there's no sports ticker and the game score is just a tiny box in the bottom right of the screen.  SO MUCH BETTER.

[marco102]

2 hours ago, macdaddy said:

I'm wondering if the games can be recorded or if you have to watch live.   But also looks like there is no Roku app for this.   I know i'm old but i watch on TV not on the computer.  

I have high hopes i can ditch directv stream but $20/month for only Hawks is steep.   League Pass is $15.

The games won't be recorded, but you can watch them on replay. You can also "start from the beginning" if you start watching the game late. 

[marco102]

2 hours ago, macdaddy said:

I'm wondering if the games can be recorded or if you have to watch live.   But also looks like there is no Roku app for this.   I know i'm old but i watch on TV not on the computer.  

I have high hopes i can ditch directv stream but $20/month for only Hawks is steep.   League Pass is $15.

League pass for the Hawks is blacked out in the Atlanta/Georgia area.  So this is a better option for cord cutters in the Atlanta area. 

[Wretch]

I'm debating this vs. League Pass...

First, the only reason why I would pay for BallySports+ is because of the annoyances that come with getting League Pass to work in blackout areas via VPN.  League Pass was blocking all VPN connections when I first signed up.  It works now with NordVPN, but there's always that concern in the back of my mind that they'll do another round of VPN denials.

Another issue is that I have to watch it on PC and can't cast to other devices in your home because a VPN connects your to a different network.  Lastly, and most importantly for me...I hate when League Pass forces you to watch the opposing team's arena feed.  It's almost as bad as listening to the opposing commentators.

On the flip side of that, I don't want to help Sinclair Broadcasting at all.  Their company is straight garbagio...

[marco102]

3 minutes ago, Wretch said:

I'm debating this vs. League Pass...

First, the only reason why I would pay for BallySports+ is because of the annoyances that come with getting League Pass to work in blackout areas via VPN.  League Pass was blocking all VPN connections when I first signed up.  It works now with NordVPN, but there's always that concern in the back of my mind that they'll do another round of VPN denials.

Another issue is that I have to watch it on PC and can't cast to other devices in your home because a VPN connects your to a different network.  Lastly, and most importantly for me...I hate when League Pass forces you to watch the opposing team's arena feed.  It's almost as bad as listening to the opposing commentators.

On the flip side of that, I don't want to help Sinclair Broadcasting at all.  Their company is straight garbagio...

I can see your points here, but if you're weighing the pros and cons it appears you'll be switching. 

The only draw back is it appears they don't have the braves on plus yet.  I need to Braves too before I fully cut the cord with DirectTV.

[macdaddy]

I'll probably just end up staying with directv stream and paying the extra $50 which gets me 100 channels and hbo.   Especially if there is no roku app.

I usually record the hawks and then i can watch the game in about an hour by skipping all the dead time.  

@Wretch with a amazon fire stick you can get the vpn app on there and use it like you would on a computer.  i've done it with expressvpn but not sure about nord.    Have you tried that?   Of course i've gone all roku so i can't do that anymore.

And my point about league pass being $15 is you can watch all the games in the league vs $20 for just the Hawks.  Makes no sense price wise other than the blackout part.

But i agree i think this will be a massive fail.  

[Wretch]

There's also this:

Quote

(d)      Blackouts. Certain live sporting events and other content available through the Service may be subject to blackouts.  For example, if you are in the home television territory of a team participating in a game, then the game may be blacked-out for viewing or live viewing as part of your Service subscription.  We may use different technologies and methods to verify your geographic location.  If you do not enable location access on your device, you will not be able to access the Service through the App.

I have never completely understood blackouts and I hope someone can clear it up for me.  The way I understood it back in the day was that if you lived within a certain distance of Atlanta, then games would be blacked out on TV - whether local or national I'm unsure.  I live 100+ miles south of Atlanta, so this never affected me and the games were always viewable on local cable.

I DO understand that Sinclair has the regional broadcast rights, so League Pass (even though owned by the NBA) blacks out games in the region that I live in (hence why I'm using VPN).  What I don't understand is why some nationally broadcasted games are blacked out.  The games on NBA TV are ALWAYS unavailable.  The message on the screen references the blackout rules and my viewing area.  However, the TNT games are never affected.  In either scenario, I don't think the games were broadcast on Bally.

Then there's the matter of the subscriber provision quoted above...  Is home television territory defined as within the Atlanta metro area?  Or is it referring to the regional area that Bally has the rights to?  I wouldn't think it was the latter, but again, NBA TV broadcasts are always blacked out here.

 

[Wretch]

15 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

I'll probably just end up staying with directv stream and paying the extra $50 which gets me 100 channels and hbo.   Especially if there is no roku app.

I usually record the hawks and then i can watch the game in about an hour by skipping all the dead time.  

@Wretch with a amazon fire stick you can get the vpn app on there and use it like you would on a computer.  i've done it with expressvpn but not sure about nord.    Have you tried that?   Of course i've gone all roku so i can't do that anymore.

And my point about league pass being $15 is you can watch all the games in the league vs $20 for just the Hawks.  Makes no sense price wise other than the blackout part.

But i agree i think this will be a massive fail.  

I think someone else was telling me about this.  I've seen the support article on Nord, so I'm pretty sure it's feasible.  I may get a Fire Stick just to try it.

I'm also going to experiment with my PlayStation since it has the NBA app.  I'm pretty sure that I can connect to VPN on my phone and set up a hotspot.  I haven't tried it yet because I'm lazy and my PS5 is in another room LOL.

[macdaddy]

2 minutes ago, Wretch said:

I think someone else was telling me about this.  I've seen the support article on Nord, so I'm pretty sure it's feasible.  I may get a Fire Stick just to try it.

I'm also going to experiment with my PlayStation since it has the NBA app.  I'm pretty sure that I can connect to VPN on my phone and set up a hotspot.  I haven't tried it yet because I'm lazy and my PS5 is in another room LOL.

Let me know if you get LP working this way.  I gave up when they started cracking down on vpns but glad to hear it's working again.

 

As for blackouts I think the blackout area for Hawks is at least the whole state of GA and maybe more.  

this is all so antiquated.  They are desperately trying hold onto monopoly revenue and they'll sink trying vs. actually giving people what they want and reaping the rewards that will inevitably come.  They could make so much more but they're too scared of the transition. 

[marco102]

1 hour ago, macdaddy said:

I'll probably just end up staying with directv stream and paying the extra $50 which gets me 100 channels and hbo.   Especially if there is no roku app.

I usually record the hawks and then i can watch the game in about an hour by skipping all the dead time.  

@Wretch with a amazon fire stick you can get the vpn app on there and use it like you would on a computer.  i've done it with expressvpn but not sure about nord.    Have you tried that?   Of course i've gone all roku so i can't do that anymore.

And my point about league pass being $15 is you can watch all the games in the league vs $20 for just the Hawks.  Makes no sense price wise other than the blackout part.

But i agree i think this will be a massive fail.  

There is a Ballysports App for Roku.

[macdaddy]

1 hour ago, marco102 said:

There is a Ballysports App for Roku.

supposedly the bally+ app is different and not yet available.

[GameTime]

20 a month for one channel is ridiculous.

[macdaddy]

14 hours ago, GameTime said:

20 a month for one channel is ridiculous.

And i'd call it half a channel.   You'll be able to see Hawks and i suppose fishing and stuff but no braves.  So you're not even getting everything that's on Bally. 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

On 8/17/2022 at 10:42 AM, AtLaS said:

They need to just make a deal with the streaming tv providers. Noone who has directv or cable needs this so this is ONLY a solution for cord-cutters.  Cord-cutters are generally tech savvy people and have already found workarounds to watch Hawks/Braves games, and aren't likely to start forking over another $20/month to add another app.  This will probably get scrapped when enough ppl don't signup.  I think this will be a huge failure.

I'll continue to use a friends login to stream games on the Bally Sports app in exchange for letting them use my Netflix.  

Its a solution for Hawks fans outside of the Hawks TV market. As of right now, I can't see the Hawks on Bally's cable channel if the Grizzlies are on.

But I can go to the Bally's website to access the feed, unless the Hawks are on the road playing a non-Bally's network team ( BRK, PHI, NYK, WAS, BOS, LAL etc )

With Memphis really blowing up in popularity, I hope they don't make Middle Tennessee exclusively a Memphis Grizzlies TV market, and keep it a hybrid MEM / ATL TV market.

[Final_quest]

On 8/17/2022 at 4:53 PM, macdaddy said:

supposedly the bally+ app is different and not yet available.

So, no good way to watch on a Roku TV unless they change the app?

[macdaddy]

1 hour ago, Final_quest said:

So, no good way to watch on a Roku TV unless they change the app?

yeah but i'm guessing they are working on it since their other app is on Roku.   

[AtLaS]

6 hours ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Its a solution for Hawks fans outside of the Hawks TV market. As of right now, I can't see the Hawks on Bally's cable channel if the Grizzlies are on.

But I can go to the Bally's website to access the feed, unless the Hawks are on the road playing a non-Bally's network team ( BRK, PHI, NYK, WAS, BOS, LAL etc )

With Memphis really blowing up in popularity, I hope they don't make Middle Tennessee exclusively a Memphis Grizzlies TV market, and keep it a hybrid MEM / ATL TV market.

For people who live outside Hawks TV market I'd probably get league pass rather than Bally+.  But I don't know all of the pros/cons of that.