NHL TV ratings are down across the board on average for Rogers

[Toonage]

To put content exclusively on an OOT service and ignoring the millions of rural subscribers via satellite throughout North America would be quite damaging to any/all of these leagues.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by chedder

My question, because I don't know how it works, is this: does everyone that uses these Android boxes 'pirate' all the content they watch? Or is it all completely above board.

Personally I pay for whatever I can. Netflix, Shomi, HBO Go, Gamecenter, and NFL Gameday.

I do use a program to eliminate blackouts though and have Kodi/Exodus set up for things I don't get.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by bettman

Strange. I hear World Cup of Hockey was a financial success. Also heard Hockey including playoffs earned over 300 million in advertising sales. Game Centre Live was over 150 million. They had over 7.5 million watch their products on Saturday. Btw. David Shoalts works for Bell-Globemedia. Who of course works alongside TSN. Ah, can't let the facts get in the way of good gossip.

hmmmmmmmm

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

Amazon fire tv/Apple TV/Roku are as easy to use as a cable box

No, they're not. My mom knows how to use a cable box, because it's barely changed in 30 years. Give her a Roku box and she'd give up in about 5 minutes. There's still a large faction of people out there scared of anything beyond cable.

To you and me they're just as easy to use, but certainly not to everyone.

Aaaaand just realized I'm a page behind.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

No, they're not. My mom knows how to use a cable box, because it's barely changed in 30 years. Give her a Roku box and she'd give up in about 5 minutes. There's still a large faction of people out there scared of anything beyond cable.

To you and me they're just as easy to use, but certainly not to everyone.

Android boxes are way easier to use than cable boxes. Took my parents years to understand all the 50 buttons on the remote. Don't even get me started on when input settings get changed or the remote only turns the box on and not the TV. Years I say. I still remember the nightmare when HD came out and the channels on Shaw changed to be in the 200's.

Recently got a Mibox for my mom. Thing has four directional buttons, and ok button, and a back button. She picked it up in an hour.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by DJones

Personally I pay for whatever I can. Netflix, Shomi, HBO Go, Gamecenter, and NFL Gameday.

I do use a program to eliminate blackouts though and have Kodi/Exodus set up for things I don't get.

Thanks. So what about regular TV like CTV, NBC etc. Or do people not watch programs on these? News, for example.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by chedder

Thanks. So what about regular TV like CTV, NBC etc. Or do people not watch programs on these? News, for example.

Most of those have apps for free. Some need a cable subscription to get full access. I'd recommend using your parents information haha. Sling TV is a cheaper version of cable that allows app access. That might be an american thing though.

Bloomberg is the only one I watch consistently. I like to read my news.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by DJones

Android boxes are way easier to use than cable boxes.

Until something crashes or needs to be reloaded. I don't have to drive 10 hours to re-load an app on her cable box and I'm okay with that.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Until something crashes or needs to be reloaded. I don't have to drive 10 hours to re-load an app on her cable box and I'm okay with that.

Ya I guess that could be annoying. I'm a tinkerer myself, I love being able to google a problem rather than waiting three days for the cable guy to maybe show up.

The Mi-box came out of the package defaulted to Chinese haha. That took me a while to solve.

If you have a 0 risk/problem threshold stick with Cable.

[CaptainCrunch]

I wonder what the age demographics look like in terms of the decline.

A lot of the older fans might not identify with this more passive hockey and aren't as committed as they used to be.

[polak]

Originally Posted by chedder

Thanks. So what about regular TV like CTV, NBC etc. Or do people not watch programs on these? News, for example.

What do you watch on CTV, NBC... etc?

Cause the idea is you're no longer bound to networks, you just search the show you want to watch and you can watch it. This is SIGNIFICANTLY easier if you're willing to use Kodi with Exodus but Im guessing if you subscribed to all of the streaming apps, one of them will have you covered (don't know how cost effective that would be versus cable though).

If you're watching those for news and events it gets a little dicey.

Honestly its all way easier if you download Kodi and the respective add ons.

Regardless of legality "Event TV" like sports and award ceremonies that are meant to be watched live is still unreliable through streaming most of the time.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by DJones

Ya I guess that could be annoying. I'm a tinkerer myself, I love being able to google a problem rather than waiting three days for the cable guy to maybe show up.

The Mi-box came out of the package defaulted to Chinese haha. That took me a while to solve.

If you have a 0 risk/problem threshold stick with Cable.

Well, there are a lot more low tech customer friendly boxes than the Mi Box :-) I've switched to Sony Vue and watch it on Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku. The Fire TV version is very user friendly, and is probably easier to use than most cable boxes. It even has a live tv grid guide if you are into that kind of thing plus a cloud DVR. Quality is basically the same as Directv on my 55 inch plasma. My $100 directv bill went down to $35 with no equipment fees, taxes or other fees.

Cost is going to be the driving factor, and PS Vue is a pretty sports friendly option. Non sports fans will pick cheaper no-sports options, I'm sure. The OTT options are getting ready to completely take off this year, with every major player brewing up something (Google, Comcast, ATT/Directv,etc).

And hey, none of you have ever had a cable box crash????

[renny]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I wonder what the age demographics look like in terms of the decline.

A lot of the older fans might not identify with this more passive hockey and aren't as committed as they used to be.

I think what you'll find is the younger audience are finding other ways to watch the game than via legitimate methods that are measurable. That's likely what's actually happening here. Cord cutters are gaining massive momentum, in the past people kept their cable/satellite subscription because of "live sports" or "news". But all of that can be found online via legitimate or illegitimate methods nowadays.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by polak

What do you watch on CTV, NBC... etc?

Cause the idea is you're no longer bound to networks, you just search the show you want to watch and you can watch it. This is SIGNIFICANTLY easier if you're willing to use Kodi with Exodus but Im guessing if you subscribed to all of the streaming apps, one of them will have you covered (don't know how cost effective that would be versus cable though).

If you're watching those for news and events it gets a little dicey.

Honestly its all way easier if you download Kodi and the respective add ons.

Regardless of legality "Event TV" like sports and award ceremonies that are meant to be watched live is still unreliable through streaming most of the time.

A few shows. Example, daughters like Supergirl (which is actually on showcase now). Wife watches the odd drama on big networks. I wasn't sure you can get these types of shows on box. Me, I watch sports and HBO, showcase mainly.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I wonder what the age demographics look like in terms of the decline.

A lot of the older fans might not identify with this more passive hockey and aren't as committed as they used to be.

Pretty sure the decline is due mostly to younger demographics finding other sources of entertainment.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Pretty sure the decline is due mostly to younger demographics finding other sources of entertainment.

Anecdotal but I think under 30 are by far the biggest Hockey fans. Problem is half of us don't have cable.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by DJones

Anecdotal but I think under 30 are by far the biggest Hockey fans. Problem is half of us don't have cable.

Really? I always get the feeling that the under 30 group didn't care about sports as much as "we" did when we were younger.

[JerryUnderscore]

I'm 31 and I go for the easiest/most cost effective method of watching hockey.

In university that meant finding pirated streams wherever possible because I had absolutely no money and was willing to put some work into finding a work around.

Now that I'm a little older and have a little more money, I'm willing to pay for GameCentre since it's super easy and still pretty cheap compared to paying $75-90/month for cable or even the $25/month Sportsnet Now.

Not that I want to speak for all millennials in this conversation but I think we value customization and cost effectiveness more than previous generations. Which means we don't see the point in buying an expensive cable package simply for a few sports; certainly not if there's a better option out there.

Really, if there's one fundamental truth, it's that the market will always find a way. If cable kicks the bucket, there's no way sports will be able to convince the casual fan to spend $500+ on GameCentre every year. Which means they will have to figure something out.

Maybe more sports channels will go the way of Sportsnet Now and the price will drop. Maybe GameCentre will stop blacking out commercials and subsidize the cost of the product through advertising. Maybe something new will develop that no one has thought of yet.

[JerryUnderscore]

Originally Posted by Fire

Really? I always get the feeling that the under 30 group didn't care about sports as much as "we" did when we were younger.

I think the under 30 group still cares just as much about sports, but the "local sports team" isn't as much of a thing anymore.

Someone might grow up in Calgary cheering for the Flames, but they will continue to do so even if they move to Toronto or Montreal or New York.

Millennials are much more transient than previous generations (which is neither a good or bad thing, just a thing), which means we take our hockey passion with us wherever we live.

[Coach]

I'd like to see sports (the NHL specifically, since it's the one I follow closest) sell the rights to a streaming service. Each team could have a channel where you could watch live games, games that have finished, highlights, commentary, etc..

But what is it, 10 more years of Sportsnet? Ugh.