There are reports that Warner Bros. Discovery is set to eliminate its presence in regional sports.
That would mean AT&T SportsNet would be history and seemingly would leave the Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins without a television home.
The Score’s Travis Sawchik tells the PM Team that he believes that some deal could get done with another cable service if AT&T goes by the wayside.
“I would think eventually, maybe not on Opening Day, but there will be the cable option along with the streaming option,” Sawchik told Poni.
For many Pittsburgher’s that still have cable, AT&T SportsNet, or whatever name and owner it has had going back over 30 years, starting with KBL, that has been the primary home for the Penguins and Pirates.
But even if the teams find another home on cable, it’s only a Band-Aid on a worsening situation with cable.
“The overall trend in cable, it’s hard to see this model surviving like we’ve known it for the past three or four decades,” said Sawchik.
So, what is the solution? While Sawchik doesn’t know exactly what will happen, he says the best option for people that want to see the game is to get the streaming service that will provide games.
Sawchik sees the Pirates and Penguins teaming up to provide some service themselves on cable and/or streaming, but customers will have to pay for it.
The problem is cable subscriptions have dropped significantly over the past decade.
In 2014 , 100 people have cable. At the end of 2022, that number was down to 70 million and continues to fall as people cut the cord.
Advertisers are also seeking out other ways to find an audience, so cable is losing revenue there.
Sawchik says the near-future will be “painful” with a lot of unknowns right now.
Streaming services also generate far less money than cable deals and Sawchik says that will likely bleed onto the field.
“This is affects everything from franchise values to player salaries to the way we watch and we’re going to see this play out over multiple years.”
In general, if you don’t want to miss any games, a streaming service is your best option.
But if you’re willing to miss a few games, possibly, there are promises that games will be on a cable platform, but those deals still have to be made.
The good news? You can still hear every Pirates game on 93.7 The Fan and the Audacy App.