The Big Bad Morning Show, featuring Rob Long, Ed Norris and Jeremy Conn, on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore this morning discussed the upcoming home debut of No. 1 baseball prospect Jackson Holliday. That game will take place tonight, however, for those who cannot make it to the game, they will need Apple TV+ in order to view it.
Host Rob Long said, “I am going to see it because I am going to be there live, but some aren’t going to be able to see it because it is on Apple TV+ tonight instead of on MASN. This is not an Orioles thing folks. This is Major League Baseball. Are they making a mistake with these Apple and Peacock games?”
Co-host Ed Norris said, “I don’t know if they are making a mistake, it’s just the way we live now, it’s the way it is done. I don’t think so because I think by now people have gotten very used to this.”
Jeremy Conn added, “No they are not making a mistake, this is the money-making part of this business, and this is what’s going to keep happening across sports. It’s here guys and it’s either adjust or get left behind. “I’m sorry, I’m not even trying to be rude to people that can’t afford these things. It’s just this is how it’s going to be moving forward. If you don’t get in line and adjust to it, you’re going to be left out.
“It sucks for everyone out there who can’t afford those things and can’t do it, but there’s a reason why Apple is paying so much money to have these games, because people are going to subscribe to watch.”
Rob Long pointed out some statistics showing 4 of the top 10 and 10 of the top 25 shows were carried by networks which exclusively stream. “If these shows are so popular, who doesn’t have streaming?” he said.
Conn then used tonight’s Orioles game as the example of times when we will see people very upset with Major League Baseball even though it is one game out of 162 regular season games the Orioles will play this year. “I’m not trying to be a jerk by saying either get in line or get left behind, because that’s what happening,” said Conn. “…You’ll still be able to see some baseball games…a lot of them…but how pissed would you be…if you didn’t have Apple tonight to watch this?”
The hosts talked about baseball needing to attract the younger audience and pointed out that streaming platforms is where those younger fans can be reached. They also wondered why more heat isn’t thrown at the NFL, where one or two games carried exclusively by a streamer is a much higher percentage of a team’s games than if baseball does the same
Ed Norris added, “The NFL has paved the way for this so people are used to it. I think it sucks a little more in baseball because there’s so many games. I don’t want to have to chase the team all over…if it’s going to be on Apple and Peacock and Prime, I don’t want to be purchasing all of these.”
