Bally Sports+ Launches Bundles for Customers in Markets with Multiple Regional Sports Networks
Bally Sports+ Launches Bundles for Customers in Markets with Multiple Regional Sports Networks
When Sinclair Media Group soft-launched its in-market sports streaming service Bally Sports+ in June, one of the major concerns with the platform was that customers in certain regions were not able to access all of the sports content via streaming that they could through a pay-TV subscription without paying for multiple packages.
The reason for this was that Bally Sports+ subscriptions are focused on individual regional sports networks (RSNs), meaning that customers are able to sign up for a specific channel that covers their local media market. However, there are a number of regions in the country that are covered by multiple Bally Sports RSNs and sports fans have access to multiple these channels via traditional cable and satellite packages. However, at the service’s soft launch, there was no way for consumers to access their local channels without paying for all of the individual RSNs.
However, when Bally Sports+ launched in full on Monday, Sinclair added the ability to bundle multiple in-market RSNs at a discounted price. It is important to remember that customers will still need to live in the regions that traditionally have access to these specific channels in order to subscribe.
Depending on RSNs available in an individual market, customers can have multiple bundling options, even if some of them are redundant. The bundle prices vary depending on the number of RSNs available and included, but range from $25.99 to $29.99 and can include two or three different channels.
Bundles available in Bally Sports+
| Bally Sports RSN Bundles | Price |
|---|---|
| South and Southeast | $25.99 |
| Florida and Sun | $29.99 |
| West and SoCal | $25.99 |
| West and San Diego | $29.99 |
| Detroit and Ohio | $29.99 |
| Detroit and Great Lakes | $29.99 |
| Detroit, Ohio, and Great Lakes | $29.99 |
| Midwest and North | $29.99 |
| Ohio and Great Lakes | $29.99 |
| Ohio and South | $29.99 |
| Ohio and Southeast | $29.99 |
There are other bundle possibilities — including Bally Sports Wisconsin and North as well as Bally Sports Midwest and Ohio— depending on the overlap of teams that range in price from $25.99-$29.99.
Bally Sports+ costs $19.99 per month and $189.99 for a full year. So, before the bundling options were introduced, to have access to multiple in-region RSNs, customers would have to pay two or three $19.99 monthly or $189.99 annual fees, which seems excessive for fairly limited content offerings.
For its soft launch over the summer, there were five MLB teams available to stream via Bally Sports+: Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, Kansas City Royals, and Tampa Bay Rays. Sinclair has yet to get approval from MLB to stream the rest of the teams that they own the traditional broadcast rights for.
Now that the full service has rolled out, fans will be able to stream local games from 16 NBA teams and 12 NHL teams.
NBA Teams on Bally Sports+
NHL Teams on Bally Sports+
In addition to the live, local MLB, NBA, and NHL broadcasts, Bally Sports+ customers also have access to pre and post-game shows for select teams, regional college and high school contests, and gambling content like “The Rally” and “Live on the Line.”
Bally Sports+
Bally Sports+ was a direct-to-consumer streaming service that provided live, in-market games without requiring a cable or satellite subscription. It allowed fans to watch their local Bally Sports regional sports network (RSN) without a traditional TV package.