Cleveland Indians Will Soon Be The Cleveland Guardians, But Will They Become Easier to Stream?
The [Cleveland Indians] will become the Cleveland Guardians for the 2022 MLB season, but despite the name change – it is unlikely they will be easier to stream. The Indians/Guardians currently have a TV deal with Sinclair which offers the games on Bally Sports Great Lakes, which had a name change of its own (it used to be SportsTime Ohio).
Unlike some RSNs like NBC Sports RSNs, MSG, NESN, [AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh], and AT&T SportsNet Southwest – with Bally Sports Great Lakes your options are limited. Currently, the only way to stream the channel is with AT&T TV “Choice” plan for $84.99 a month.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| Bally Sports Great Lakes | + $29 | ✓ | - | - | - | - | - | |
While Sinclair has said they are planning to launch a Direct-to-Consumer service, which reportedly would cost ~$25 a month, ahead of the 2022 MLB season – there are many skeptics that will happen.
During a guest spot on “Spotlight SBJ,” Sports Business Journal media reporter John Ourand was asked about the chance we actually see Sinclair’s sports streaming service launch before next year’s MLB season, to which Ourand said, “not good.”
“I would be really surprised if Sinclair gets everything in place to where they can get this done,” Ourand said during the interview, citing Sinclair’s need to negotiate streaming rights with each NBA, NHL, and MLB team of which they own broadcasting rights — a steep hill to climb in just under a year, especially when Ourand says outright that the leagues “don’t like Sinclair” and the way they’ve been doing business, though he admits the relationship could be repaired over time.