The TV Answer Man answers your TV technology-related questions all day, every day. But today, I am asking the questions. 60 questions, in fact, that set the stage for what might happen in this industry during 2023.
As the days, weeks and months pass, I’m sure I will be answering most, if not all, of them with the facts as they come. But for now, I’m just asking and you can offer your answers/predictions in the Comments section below.
The questions are not in any particular order, or even that orderly. But I think they will give you something to think about on the first day of 2023:
1. Will DIRECTV and Dish merge?
2. If DIRECTV and Dish merge, who would run the company?
3. Will the streaming industry see consolidation? Mergers between major streamers?
4. Will Netflix decide to merge with another media company?
5. How will YouTube TV price the NFL Sunday Ticket?
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6. Will YouTube TV offer Sunday Ticket single-game or team plans?
7. NFL Sunday Ticket: Will YouTube TV keep the RedZone Channel in Sports Plus?
8. Will DIRECTV keep the Sunday Ticket’s Bars & Restaurants business?
9. Will CBS, NBC (and Peacock), Amazon or ESPN do NFL games in 4K?
10. Will Fox do regular season NFL games in 4K?
11. Will Apple pursue more live sports deals after losing the Sunday Ticket?
12. Will Apple’s first season in providing Major League Soccer be a success?
13. Will Netflix finally offer live sports?
14. Will Bally Sports (and its operating unit, Diamond Sports) declare bankruptcy?
15 Will Bally Sports Plus add more MLB teams? (It now has deals with just five.)
16. Will more sports teams launch their own streaming services, following the Red Sox/Bruins on NESN, and the Los Angeles Clippers?
17. Will Marquee Sports, the TV home of the Chicago Cubs, launch a standalone streaming app?
18. Will Major League Baseball modify its local blackout rules?
19. Will NBC add its regional sports networks to Peacock? If so, what would be the price?
20. Will the legal dispute between the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles over the Orioles-owned MASN RSN be resolved?
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21. Will MLB approve robot home plate umpires for the 2024 season?
22. Will the NFL overhaul its NFL Plus mobile streaming service which was slowed by technical and marketing issues in 2022?
23. Will Comcast resolve its carriage disputes with Altitude TV and MSG?
24. Without the Sunday Ticket, will DIRECTV shift its focus to DIRECTV Stream?
25. Will DIRECTV’s management team keep U-verse in business?
26. Will DIRECTV renew its contract with Bally Sports when it expires in the second half of 2023?
27. Will sales of TVs decline as more consumers watch streaming on mobile devices?
28. Will Amazon launch a standalone sports app, which would be separate from its Prime service?
29. Now that Fubo TV has added Bally Sports, will any other live streamer add the RSNs? Hulu? YouTube TV?
30. Which network/streaming service will sign a new media deal with the Pac-12 Network?
31. Will any large cable TV operator decide to end its video business?
32. Will Comcast and Disney find a solution to the Hulu ownership issue?
33. Will more streamers debut their original films in theaters, or bypass the theater for streaming only?
34. Will MLB enter the RSN business?
35. Will live streamers require contracts to reduce their subscriber churn?
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36. Will CBS announce it will do the 2024 Super Bowl in 4K?
37. Will DIRECTV Stream add the NFL Network?
38. Will DIRECTV add the NFL RedZone Channel to keep Sunday Ticket subs from canceling?
39. Will Fox start doing pro and college sports in native 4K?
40. Will the NFL find a company to invest in the RedZone Channel and other media properties?
41. If DIRECTV and Dish merge, would Sling TV and DIRECTV Stream merge as well?
42. Will Comcast require subscribers to pay for Peacock? (They now get it free.)
43. Will Comcast and Charter follow through on plans to launch a joint streaming service?
44. Will Roku be acquired by a larger media company?
45. Will any networks offer a 4K-only channel?
HBO’s Succession.
46. Will David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, cut spending on ‘prestige TV’ at HBO?
47. Will DIRECTV settle its carriage dispute with Mission Broadcasting?
48. Will Dish settle its carriage dispute with Cox Media?
49. Can streamers significantly reduce the time delay in live sports?
50. Will there be streaming bundles requiring subscribers to get multiple services to watch one?
51. Will Netflix stay with its ads-included plan if subscriber totals and/or advertising revenue are disappointing?
52. Will any major subscription Video on Demand services go out of business?
53. Will Disney spin off ESPN?
54. Will Google bid on more live sports after getting the Sunday Ticket?
55. Will any premium channels consolidate or go out of business? (Starz, Epix, Showtime, etc.)
56. Will ESPN+ require a separate subscription for its NHL Power Play plan?
57. Will Turner Sports try to renew its NBA broadcast rights, or allow another company to take over after the 2024-25 season?
58. Can Netflix revive its struggling domestic subscriber totals?
59. Will YouTube TV’s offering of the NFL Sunday Ticket force at least one rival live streamer to exit the business?
60. Will consumers cut back on their streaming subscriptions because of an economic recession? Will that force one or more streamers to shutter?
I have no doubt that you have even more questions. So feel free to include them below in the Comments section.
Happy New Year, Everyone!!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
I predict a banner year for YouTube TV. With the addition of Sunday Ticket, they are poised to do a great deal in subscriptions this year. I think the rates go up $10, but they acquire the A@E, History channels as well. ST will be a $30 month fee or $99 if you buy the season before the 1st week. I think they spin off the sports channels in general as a add on, but include the ones they offer for the additional $10 month. I mean, it’s the Google so they will lose money in over to be brand relevant…
Thanks again Philip. The New Years predictions were the reason I followed you for the past decade plus. Health and happiness to you and your family in 2023.
Many thanks, Patrick. Happy New Year!
The most important question in my mind is will the greed of broadcasters and teams backfire on them. There is only so many pay streaming services that people are going to want to pay for at one time. Most people i believe would be willing to pay a fee for three, four, or even five streaming services. Lets say I sign up for Netflix, Hulu, Paramount +, ESPN +, and Discovery +. That’s almost $50 a month. Am I now going to pay for a NFL stream. And a stream for a MLB team and then the NHL package. But then will I have to pay to watch my favorite college football team? Now what am I paying per month for all these streaming services? $100, $150, $200??? And what if sports teams decide on pay per view? A time will come when the greed destroys the greedy.
My hope is that YTTV adds Sunday Ticket and RSNs to its sports add-on package…and do this in time for baseball season. Seems like a good way to generate revenue year-round and there should be a it if overlap of sports fans who would want both. I know I am.
Will Redbox offer 4K disc rentals in more areas? NYC is the closest to my house in upstate.
The only way Dish/Direct merge is if Charles in charge, Charlie will never cede power., It might not happen.
Pac 12 will be run by ESPN and Amazon , they have to get more $$$ than the big 12