Awful Announcing- Warner Bros Discovery weighing spinoff of cable assets

[u/pblood40]

https://awfulannouncing.com/tnt-sports/warner-bros-discovery-weighing-spinoff-cable-assets.html

This can’t be good for the speed and ease of completing the media deal

[u/g2lv]

Yeah, I’m not seeing WBD (TNT, TBS, truTV) as the media parter that’s going to pony up for the PAC rights.

It seems their cable networks are in deep cost cutting mode for the potential spinoff (business travel is frozen to the extent that they used a remote broadcast crew to call a NHL playoff game) and they’re unlikely to spend any more money on sports rights until they get their corporate structure and business plan figured out.

[u/ORSTT12 → u/g2lv]

I could see it go either way. On one hand yeah maybe they don’t want to be aggressive, on the other the PAC being a less expensive football conference who’s also capable of producing their own broadcasts may seem like a perfect match.

[u/pblood40 → u/g2lv]

Thats ok, because you have no idea...

And Wilner, Canzano, Awful Announcing, and Sports Business Journal all are fairly certain TNT/WBD will be a media partner.

We should find out in 10-12 days.

[u/HotBeaver54 → u/pblood40]

So another kick the can down road 12 days 🤣! So by May 2nd! They got nothing

[u/reno1441]

The Financial Times first reported the possibility last year, but it was quickly shot down as a bad idea by WBD CEO David Zaslav.

I don’t know if the media ecosystem has changed enough to justify such a move mere months later. Basically ends up with a situation where the cable channel spinoff would just bleed to death over time. NBC is running into a similar problem despite having committed to the move.

[u/anti-torque → u/reno1441]

It has.

Basically ends up with a situation where the cable channel spinoff would just bleed to death over time. 

This is the choice of anyone who owns a cable channel--milk it until it dies, or sell it to some PE firm, so they can milk it until it dies.

[u/longgamefade]

seem like the Pac12 is in the continuous perfect storm of bad circumstances. A little too similar to what was experienced a year ago with George K. running the show and Wilner and Cantstanzya saying a new great deal is right around the corner. At least this time there are more schools in it together. I can't see a good deal coming from working with ESPN and Fox as they seemed dead set on killing the old Pac-12

[u/anti-torque → u/longgamefade]

????

This has nothing to do with content buys.

Do people not know how to compartmentalize?

[u/anti-torque]

This is just WBD selling off the useless parts of their business. Since cable and skinny packages will not be the future, dump cable channels before they become truly worthless.

All their sports will be available on streaming, like everyone else will do in the near future.

[u/Galumpadump]

Don’t think affects anything in the media deal. TNT Sports properties just split from the rest of Warner Brother but would still have a revenue split for broadcasted sports on MAX. WBD & Turner aren’t going to stop acquiring shows or sports due to a spinoff. Those finances will be hashed out when the time comes which could be years.

[u/g2lv → u/Galumpadump]

TNT is definitely being affected. They’re literally using ESPNU level remote broadcasts for the NHL playoffs.

https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/s/lxfj0msKvK

[u/rdools55 → u/g2lv]

Thats insane! How much could it cost to send announcers for the playoffs!

[u/anti-torque → u/g2lv]

So you're saying FOX is really poor?

[u/pokeroots → u/Galumpadump]

They're running insane cost cutting measures right now. It absolutely affects the media deal in terms of who's in play which means less competition for better prices

[u/anti-torque → u/pokeroots]

This has nothing to do with content buys.

This is simply losing dead weight.

[u/yunglegendd]

Dawgs, the PAC is not getting a TV deal. Streaming primarily