Oh no, poor billionaires losing money.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

On 9/1/2023 at 4:56 PM, Warcodered said:

Meanwhile lets put games on 3 different subscription services as the season goes on.

 

Right! Im not feeling bad for them

 

 

[GunnerBill]

On 9/2/2023 at 5:04 PM, Reks Ryan said:

Not a good comparison.   If a store overprices goods they open the door for a competitor to take their business.  The customer who is willing to pay $1.00 for a bag of potatoes, but can't afford $.20 each, can go the grocery store and buy it by the bag, or perhaps a new covenience store.     If there's a market to make a profit on $1.00 bags of potatoes with a little effort consumers will be able to get them.  They dont need to steal, just don't give your business to the  overpriced store.

 

The NFL has a limited anti-trrust exemption and is essentially a monoply.   Of course, customers can choose not to consume NFL football.  But unlike potatoes, you don't have a choice to legally buy it somewhere else. 

 

True, the NFL has a monopoly. But the fundamental point I was trying to make stands. The reason they break the rights up in the way they do is to maximise their profits and they don't care about the impact on the consumer. If the consumers respond by finding ways outside of the law around the monopoly then it is a bit rich for the monopoly to cry about it.

[T&C]

Amazon Prime will cost you more next year if you still want to be ad free:

 

https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2023/09/22/amazon-prime-video-will-soon-come-with-ads-or-monthly-fee-to-dodge-them

[AuntieEm]

On 9/1/2023 at 4:50 PM, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Think they'll sell a gulfstream or two?

 

I'd tell them think if that as your payment share for tax payer funded stadiums.  I'm don't support them in this quest to line their pockets deeper.  Let them inventvir discover something that truly benefits everyone.  

On 9/1/2023 at 5:09 PM, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

 

Exactly the point of this thread

 

as long as they don't care, no one should care about pirate streams

 

 

I don't and if they continue they will find th a twin people b can live c without their entertainment they need new writers for their scripted outcomes.  

[Fleezoid]

On 9/4/2023 at 1:08 AM, Buffalo Barbarian said:

 

Right! Im not feeling bad for them

 

 

 

And as one poster eluded to, they aren't "losing" money. They just aren't making "more" money. 

[blitzboy54]

On 9/1/2023 at 5:14 PM, LabattBlue said:

Oops.  I got sidetracked.   If I was the NFL, I would also do everything possible to shutdown pirated streams.  I pay to watch games on Amazon, Peacock, and ESPN.  So should all the thiefs. 

 

Your probably taking this all to personally. It's a little weird 

[RoyBatty is alive]

On 9/1/2023 at 4:09 PM, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

 

Exactly the point of this thread

 

as long as they don't care, no one should care about pirate streams

 

 

So its ok to steal from someone as long as they are billionaires?

 

Oh the class envy in this thread is palatable.

[PBF81]

Quote

The letter to USPTO says that the sports industry is losing around $28 billion each year because people who watch illegal streams don't have a reason to switch to paid streams or subscriptions

 

Here's a thought, they're not paying for streaming services anyway.  

 

 

[Since1981]

“The average NFL team is now worth a record $5.1 billion, 14% more than last year”

That’s a mere $700M in asset increase per franchise. Not bad 

[appoo]

The Premier League & Champion's League is more accesible than the NFL, and those are European soccer competitions

 

Also, you have Billionaire's extorting taxpayers to pay for their ridiculous stadiums, or threatening to move the franchise out of the state. 

 

Sure don't steal, but lose me with any kind of empathy or sympathy for these modern day oil barons

 

Buffalo Taxpayer Bill for new stadium that costs 1.4B - 850M

Net worth of Terry Pegula: 6.8B

 

Oh and they have the gall to charge you $60 for two hot dogs, some fries and two beers, after y'all pay for over 50% of the stadium

Edited September 22, 2023 by appoo

[RoyBatty is alive]

4 minutes ago, appoo said:

The Premier League & Champion's League is more accesible than the NFL, and those are European soccer competitions

 

Also, you have Billionaire's extorting taxpayers to pay for their ridiculous stadiums, or threatening to move the franchise out of the state. 

 

Sure don't steal, but lose me with any kind of empathy or sympathy for these modern day oil barons

That which I bolded I 100% agree with.

[Albany,n.y.]

The crackdown appears to be working.  In 2020 I could find all the Bills games somewhere on the internet, it was the Covid year & I didn't want to go out & watch them in a crowded place.  Last year I could find all the Thursday night Amazon games available on sites with no sign up.  This year I cannot find any anonymous sites with the Thursday night game.  

[Your Brown Eye]

15 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

So its ok to steal from someone as long as they are billionaires?

 

Oh the class envy in this thread is palatable.

 

Same people are probably all for the looting of stores because "the store owners have insurance to replace and fix the damages, so no harm no foul"

[Back2Buff]

5 minutes ago, Albany,n.y. said:

The crackdown appears to be working.  In 2020 I could find all the Bills games somewhere on the internet, it was the Covid year & I didn't want to go out & watch them in a crowded place.  Last year I could find all the Thursday night Amazon games available on sites with no sign up.  This year I cannot find any anonymous sites with the Thursday night game.  

 

Thursday night football has always been free on the twitch app.  

[thenorthremembers]

22 minutes ago, appoo said:

The Premier League & Champion's League is more accesible than the NFL, and those are European soccer competitions

 

Also, you have Billionaire's extorting taxpayers to pay for their ridiculous stadiums, or threatening to move the franchise out of the state. 

 

Sure don't steal, but lose me with any kind of empathy or sympathy for these modern day oil barons

 

Buffalo Taxpayer Bill for new stadium that costs 1.4B - 850M

Net worth of Terry Pegula: 6.8B

 

Oh and they have the gall to charge you $60 for two hot dogs, some fries and two beers, after y'all pay for over 50% of the stadium

I'll gladly pay the my portion of taxes to keep the Bills here.  I pay for the Jets and Giants, I am about to pay a tax hike to drive on a road thats already been paid for 100 times over.   Last thing I am going to complain about paying taxes on is something I actually enjoy.   Its a futile complaint anyways.

[WotAGuy]

20 minutes ago, Albany,n.y. said:

The crackdown appears to be working.  In 2020 I could find all the Bills games somewhere on the internet, it was the Covid year & I didn't want to go out & watch them in a crowded place.  Last year I could find all the Thursday night Amazon games available on sites with no sign up.  This year I cannot find any anonymous sites with the Thursday night game.  

Want me to tell you the one I use?

 

Not a chance COPPER!

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

10 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

Want me to tell you the one I use?

 

Not a chance COPPER!

[Einstein]

52 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

So its ok to steal from someone as long as they are billionaires?

 

Oh the class envy in this thread is palatable.

 

Agreed.

 

The NFL's media rights contract has an aggregate value of $110 billion, but it's vital to remember that advertising revenue, the single most significant component of this financial basis, is contingent on consistent viewership. If that wanes, the fiscal equilibrium of the entire system is f'ed. Forecasts suggest that the global streaming market's valuation could ascend to approximately $688.7 billion by 2024 however the streaming industry is currently in a state of flux, and if viewership dips, so do profits, putting the NFL's advertising matrix in danger. In short - the networks rely heavily on live sports, and if people are streaming them, they lose value and will not pay the NFL, thus putting in danger the product.

That being said, I do understand and empathize with those with little care for elites (or class envy, as you wrote). Historically, wealth concentration has seen pronounced upward movement, particularly in recent decades. According to the Economic Policy Institute, while the top 1% of American families held roughly 23% of the total wealth in 1989, this percentage surged to 33% by 2019. This can lead to an "us vs them" mentality, exacerbated by folk heroes like Robin Hood who steal from the rich and give to the poor. This mentality often makes people see theft from a higher class as acceptable. 

Back to the Robin Hood effect. There was a study released back during covid times that showed a substantial minority of people do not see a problem with the use of ransomware for Robin Hood purposes (stealing from the rich to give to the poor). Similarly, with the NFL piracy streams, many people recognize the illegality and potential harm of accessing pirated content, however, there is a not insignificant number of fans who are unable to access games due to regional restrictions or high subscription fees or whatever else have you, and have no issue resorting to illegal streams as they view it as a necessary means to an end. It's also class'ist, as you mentioend. In the study, when the cyber attacks were conducted by members of a similar group against another group (citizens of one country against another), they were viewed more favorably. This in-group versus out-group dynamic can also be seen in the NFL piracy issue. Fans might be more forgiving or understanding of fellow fans (in-group) who resort to piracy due to various constraints, while they might be critical of larger, organized piracy operations (out-group) that profit from illegal streaming.

This is where Differential Association comes into play. If you believe in Edwin Sutherland's theory on criminality, then it can argued that criminal behaviors are not inherent but learned. In the case of NFL stream piracy this suggests that people often acquire this knowledge through interactions with others. It could be a friend sharing a link, a recommendation on a forum like this one, or just a casual discussions about the game that night. Common reasoning tactics, such as "Everyones doing it" or "Official subscriptions are too expensive" becomes deeply ingrained in the persons mindset, blurring boundaries of what they would typically find acceptable. If someone is surrounded by peers who regularly access pirated content it may feel normal or even routine to engage in these activities. Put simply, NFL piracy might be rationalized by fans who feel locked out due to expensive subscription packages by portraying their actions as a response to corporate greed or gatekeeping.

 

On the oter hand, in an environment where legal viewership is highly valued and respected the temptation to resort to piracy diminishes. This aligns with Sutherlands argument that an individuals actions can be swayed by the prevailing definitions of what's legal or illegal, ethical or not ethical. When the voices advocating or even celebrating piracy overpower those championing legal consumption, it tilts the scales towards illegal practices. The other reason is perhaps rooted in a shared passion for the sport and the sense of community that comes with watching games together. However how this desire manifests itself. Such as subscribing to authorized services or resorting to pirated streams. Is influenced by factors explained by the Differential Association theory. In essence while it may seem like an act of disobedience streaming pirated NFL content is actually part of a complex web of social interactions and learned behaviors.

Perhaps most importantly - The NFL's approach to broadcasting rights and distribution channels emerge primarily from consumer behaviors. These decisions are less a reflection of the broader macroeconomic forces behind wealth inequality and more an outcome of the league's strategic choice to give fans what they want. the problem is, while doing so, they lose their intellectual proprerty to pirates. Remember the days when everyone complained about cable packages with a zillion channels of which we cares for or used approximately ten? Many of us wanted more tailored viewing options, and now we have them. It's the market trying to adapt to our demands, albeit imperfectly.  As for black markets, sure, they spring up when organizations miss the mark, or in some cases, where they hit the mark perfectly but at too high of a price. But just because they exist doesn't make them right or sustainable. Remember when music piracy was rampant? Then along came Spotify, Apple Music, etc., and suddenly, most of us are paying for music again because the value and convenience were clear.

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by Einstein

[EasternOHBillsFan]

40 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

I'll gladly pay the my portion of taxes to keep the Bills here.  I pay for the Jets and Giants, I am about to pay a tax hike to drive on a road thats already been paid for 100 times over.   Last thing I am going to complain about paying taxes on is something I actually enjoy.   Its a futile complaint anyways.

 

People who complain about taxes usually have more than enough money to survive and aren't hurting in the least. What gets me is the very same people that do usually support people that allow wealthy people to AVOID paying their fair share of taxes, unless it is a professional sports team owner, then suddenly it's an outrage the public has to fund a stadium.

[Real McClappy]

When I can pay for the individual game/s I want to Stream, I will gladly pay. I don't need an entire package of games all season that I will not watch.  Half the Bills games are free over the air in Saratoga County NY. Why in the hell would I pay a stupid amount of $ for a handful of games?

Until the NFL or any sporting outlet understands this, illegal streaming will only grow more and more.  It's not that hard to port over to other countries servers either even if they somehow lock down the US pirate streams.  I hope the NFL is ready to take on the WWW like Germany tried? Good luck...