Amazon and the NBA

The NBA has a streaming home: Amazon.

The Atlantic reports that Amazon and the NBA have reached an agreement that would make Amazon a major streaming partner fo the league:

It is expected that Prime Video’s package will include significant regular-season and postseason games, perhaps even some conference finals. The anticipation is that the final contract will be for at least a decade and begin the 2025-2026 season.

ESPN/ABC, as the website Puck reported Thursday, also has a framework of a deal with the expectations that an agreement will be completed. ESPN/ABC is expected to keep the NBA Finals on its networks for the duration of its deals. Like Amazon, ESPN’s new contract also is expected to be at least a decade in length.

All of the details are not finalized yet, but all sides are under the expectations they will get done. The NBA, Amazon and ESPN all declined to comment.

My Streaming Life has never had much basketball as a part. It's not a sport I watch, much as ice hockey and auto racing aren't sports I watch. But for those that are fans of the game, this is big news. Amazon is trying to be a big player in streaming sports. This is just another step in that direction.

Banks and privacy

Did you ever think that visiting your bank could impact  your privacy. Naomi Brockwell has some thoughts on that.

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My Streaming Life is exactly that: MY streaming life. Privacy is important, not just in streaming, but in everything.

A look at Philo

While I don't normally use a vMPVD service -- YouTube TV, Sling TV, Philo, etc. -- I will say that Philo is one of the best bargains of those types of services. But there's a catch.

If you want local channels, or if you want news channels, or if you want sports channels, then Philo isn't for you. But if those aren't needed -- especially if you have an antenna -- then Philo might be the service for you.

Late last year, Luke Bouma of Cord Cutters News did a video breakdown of Philo, and it's worth another look, if you are looking to lower your streaming costs and don't need those expensive channels that are part of the higher priced services.

[YouTube]

My Streaming Life doesn't usually use a streaming cable service -- that's what a vMPD service really is -- but if I were to use one regularly, Philo would be a great choice.

A Disney FAST service?

There was a report last week that Disney may be rolling out a free ad-supported television service, or at least incorporate FAST channels into Disney Plus.

The Information reported that Disney was looking into FAST channels:

Disney is the latest to expand in this market. The company plans to create a series of such channels within its Disney+ streaming service that show programming in specific genres, including either Star Wars or Marvel-branded shows, according to people involved in the planning. Lots of other companies have already launched such channels, although typically as free offerings rather than within a subscription service. That includes Disney, which has launched similar channels within its ABC.com app, such as one dedicated to its "20/20" newsmagazine program and another to the daytime soap opera "General Hospital."

There aren't a lot of details about it. And nothing may come from it.

If Disney Plus does incorporate FAST channels, will this be watchable without a subscription, much like Freestream is with Sling TV?

I have no idea. My Streaming Life would like some new and interesting options. More of what's already available on Pluto TV, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Crackle, Plex, Freestream, and other channels isn't really bringing anything to the table. All it would do is keep Disney eyes within the Disney app. But that's probably the idea anyway.

So what about TiVo?

Remember TiVo? I got my first TiVo in 2006 and loved it. I kept getting new models when they were released until they released that ugly bent one.

You never hear about TiVo anymore. Why?

TV Answer Man Phillip Swann has some thoughts on that:

After the first five years of relentless marketing strategies, TiVo had just 700,000 subscribers.

Yes, subscribers. You had to pay a monthly fee, ranging from $10 to $13 in addition to the cost of the box which was $249 in 2003.

That was problem number one. It was too expensive.

Second, the company placed too much emphasis on retail sales rather than focusing on licensing and partnerships. Consequently, cable TV operators launched their own DVR services, which sharply limited TiVo’s growth potential.

If a cable subscriber already had a DVR service, why buy a TiVo?

They didn’t.

Third, TiVo still had to compete with the dinosaur VCR. In the early 2000s, most consumers were still happy with the VCR, particularly when they heard that TiVo required a monthly subscription. The VCR, which TiVo and DVR rival, ReplayTV, sought to replace, was still in more than 90 percent of U.S. homes.

I have a TiVo streaming device. I don't like it, and don't use it. My Streaming Life left TiVo far behind. I do miss it, though.

Microsoft Windows 11 ads?

Britec posted a video recently about Microsoft's plans to push ads onto users in the Windows start menu.

[YouTube]

My Streaming Life doesn't depend on Windows 11, but I do have a Windows 11 computer. Most people have a Windows computer, including Windows 11 devices. If you're tired of this, consider changing to another operating system. Linux is stable and doesn't do all these things, and it's free. But, yeah, it can be a learning curve.

ChromeOS is stable, easy to use, and free. Yes, ChromeOS is Google, but there aren't all these things happening with it. You don't have to stay with Windows. You have options. Options are good.

Some want you to pay more for TV

Recently, Lon Seidman of Lon.TV took a look at broadcasters desire to get streaming regulated by the FCC, with the effect of raising your costs.

[YouTube]

I think there is too much government involvement in ... well, everything. FCC regulation of streaming will not make things better. My Streaming Life doesn't need more government. In fact, nothing does.