MavsTV Options this season...

[B2001]

Long time Mavs follower as well as this forum and previous dallasketball forums.

I registered to ask a question. Apologies if this is not the correct place to ask or its been discussed elsewhere.

I am going thru what now seems to be a yearly ritual in trying to get Mavs games on TV because my content provider has dropped Fox Sports Southwest...

Last year it was dish network. I got frustrated with the ongoing dispute and dropped them -> going to an Amazon firestick and Hulu. 

Now, i have found out that many streaming services; at least Youtube and Hulu have dropped all the Fox sports feeds due to the inability to come to an agreement with Sinclair. I understand its just business.

Only option i see right now is AT&T streaming services. I assume it will work on a firestick, have not looked into that at this point.

I really enjoyed Hulu but would have to drop it to pick up AT&T.

How do the two compare? What other options are there(googling seemed to indicate that most streaming services now do not carry Fox Sports and i am not going back to cable).

Thanks for any responses...

[StepBackJay]

So I am in a similar boat. I currently have YouTubeTV and Hulu was my backup option but they also don't have a contract as you mentioned. I am an AT&T customer so I am considering using AT&T TV if they allow month-to-month for a similar price (altho I think they are more expensive?).

One thing to note is that these deals tend to get struck in the 11th hour. There is no incentive to get a deal done until very close to the season start. It's possible that YTV or Hulu strike a deal days before the season starts. For that reason I am coming up with contingency plans but probably won't switch until it's clear that one of my first 2 options won't get a deal done with Sinclair.

[Mavsdemon]

For now, it is only AT&T at $80 per month. But Sinclair, owners of FSSW, apparently lost $3.2 billion in the third quarter of 2020. I suspect that Hulu and YouTube TV will come to some sort of arrangement at the last minute, kind of like YTTV did last March.

[SleepingHero]

If you're not in the Dallas/FT. Worth area, you can grab league pass from the NBA. It's incredibly overpriced, but you'll get every Mavs game for the season and they are DVR'd automatically.

[Hypermav]

If you're not in the Dallas/FT. Worth area, you can grab league pass from the NBA. It's incredibly overpriced, but you'll get every Mavs game for the season and they are DVR'd automatically.

I was thinking about that.  Do I get my Derek Harper for road games?

I will likely sign up for AT&T streaming month to month and hope I can switch back to YouTubeTV if an agreement is struck with Sinclair.

[dirkfansince1998]

If you're not in the Dallas/FT. Worth area, you can grab league pass from the NBA. It's incredibly overpriced, but you'll get every Mavs game for the season and they are DVR'd automatically.

For people outside the US. International league pass is way better than the US version. Was a big suprise for me.

[StepBackJay]

So LeaguePass is really annoying because for someone like me in Arkansas they still say I am in market somehow and can't get the games live. It's insane these network contracts, they make no sense to me whatsoever. So best I could do there is see games like 3 days late lol on DVR.

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For now, it is only AT&T at $80 per month. But Sinclair, owners of FSSW, apparently lost $3.2 billion in the third quarter of 2020. I suspect that Hulu and YouTube TV will come to some sort of arrangement at the last minute, kind of like YTTV did last March.

Ya I think YTV and these other providers have Sinclair by the balls and they know it. 

https://www.fiercevideo.com/video/sincla...hulu-deals

YTV + Hulu represents 10% of their revenue (probably growing given the popularity of streaming TV). Hopefully it gets sorted out soon.

[SleepingHero]

I was thinking about that.  Do I get my Derek Harper for road games?

I will likely sign up for AT&T streaming month to month and hope I can switch back to YouTubeTV if an agreement is struck with Sinclair.

You most definitely get Derek Harper for road games if you so desire. I don't want to give League Pass a ringing endorsement because it isn't always perfect. Sometimes games do not load. Other times games glitch during the live session and stutters, making it unwatchable (support tells me it's because their servers are overloaded). So don't think it's the best option. 

At the end of the day though, I've managed to watch all the games, even if I had to wait a day or two. If I had another option that was more reliable I would. But as of right now, if you don't have another choice, it will get the job done.

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For people outside the US. International league pass is way better than the US version. Was a big suprise for me.

I heard about that! Apparently it's super cheap and there are no blackouts, AND there are no technical issues from what I've read.

I guess the NBA cares more about it's foreign markets where there are no local TV stations to worry about. I know if you get a VPN you can make an international account, but it's too much work for me.

[ballsrchr]

This is a serious problem for me...and I live in Texas!  Just not near Dallas/Fort Worth.  I've always watched the Mavericks on FSSW.  I have cable TV...only because my wife won't let me turn it off...and YouTube TV.  I hope there is a solution soon.  There are a few high jacked sites I may be able to watch.  And I have a VPN I can use to possibly watch it from some foreign site.   I don't want to do that.  I really prefer just using YouTube TV and watch from my big, curved, wrap around monitors.  So...if someone comes up with a viable solution please let us (me!) know.

Ok.  SleepingHero was posting just as I was typing.  I guess I'll check into that International League Pass.  I would still rather use YouTube TV.  It's easy, and I'm lazy...and old.

[omahen]

I heard about that! Apparently it's super cheap and there are no blackouts, AND there are no technical issues from what I've read.

League pass works absolutely perfect in Slovenia. Yearly prescription was 140 $ for last season, but I noticed it is market customized. I noticed price in France was twice as much when I was there.

[IamDougieFresh]

As NBA fans we know deadlines = deals

[SleepingHero]

League pass works absolutely perfect in Slovenia. Yearly prescription was 140 $ for last season, but I noticed it is market customized. I noticed price in France was twice as much when I was there.

Thats great to hear for all of our awesome Slovenia fans! I think the NBA could provide that kind of product in the states but unfortunately I think they intentionally leave a lot to be desired. If you just want to watch the Mavs it's $120, but if you want to be able to watch every team then its $200. 

However, because of local markets, you're unable to watch at least 1-2 teams at all for the entire year. I'm in Florida for school right now and I'm unable to watch any Orlando/Heat game on League pass until after 3 days it was originally shown. Add in all the glitches I experience and just sometimes general poor quality stream, it makes me feel like the NBA is stealing my money. 

But I will say when League Pass works, it works really well.

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Ok.  SleepingHero was posting just as I was typing.  I guess I'll check into that International League Pass.  I would still rather use YouTube TV.  It's easy, and I'm lazy...and old.

https://old.reddit.com/r/DetroitPistons/...bypassing/

Here's a link to a reddit post saying how you can get League Pass for 15 bucks if you connect to India using your VPN!

[KillerLeft]

If someone tries this India thing, be sure to let us know if it works.

[ClutchDirk]

I have AT&T Tv that I got 2 months before moving from Dallas area to Western Ok...I get FSSW and habe had np issues with it...some smart devices have AT&T Tv built in...myself I rent their wireless boxes that only need a power cord.and HDMI cable and work off WiFi...cost more money but I get more channel offerings than other streaming services...

[Hypermav]

I have a VPN I don't use much, I may try the India thing.  I always wanted to spend some Rupees.

[StepBackJay]

I used ExpressVPN briefly bc YTV got hardcore with their FSSW channel, requiring it in Dallas area zip codes. I swear they make this so difficult. I suppose they will stick with that in the future even if they get a new deal. It worked sometimes and not as much other times.

[Reunion Mav Old]

For those who can get Comcast Cable packages, like I do in the Houston area, it is soooo much better than cable in Dallas. If Dallas ever considers switching, support it. 

The biggest advantage of a quality cable connection....it works. I have had 0 problems with League Pass in 7 years now. If a game is blacked out, I have the local cable channels. In Houston, I get FSSW but not for the Mavericks. I do get the Stars and Rangers because a different channel covers the Rockets and Astros.

I know, it is all about money and preferences. But the internet is the fastest and it works. I do not mind spending money on our Mavericks. It helps me get over not having season tickets anymore like I did for 30 years.

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Regarding who are the announcers: For many games, you get to choose either of the two teams home announcers. For others, there is only one available. It is quite clear that Dallas announcers are available more than most all of the other teams when their team is on the road. 

It is interesting to listen to the road announcers. It helps us to appreciate Mark and to a lesser degree, Derek. They are definitely top 5 in the league and would get votes for #1. The passing of Tommy Heinsohn, God Bless him, does get rid of by far the worst announcing team in basketball. Of all the Homers, he took the cake. 

Our team is good for many reasons but it is striking how they seem to understand that people who like the other team watch these broadcasts.

Finally for those who have never seen League Pass, if your game is on the networks, League Pass will not have the game. The same is true for NBA TV broadcasts. 

Thanks for all of the above interesting information, especially the foreign league pass info.

[Tyler]

For those willing to try "unofficial" streaming sites, it has come a long way over the years. There are a couple with exceptional quality if you look around. Cost: $0. So as long as you have an internet connection, you should never be fully without viewing options.

[luka_skywalker_77]

I'll go the unofficial route as i have been for years--that is, if YTTV screws us all over. Tried and true; rarely ever fails.

[LukTheShadow]

https://streampass.org
It's not app, runs in any browser.
I used this service last season without any problems wherever I traveled on smartphone, laptop, at home via cheap android TV box on TV or on smart TV browser.
Register, it's free and review the content inside with all subscription options and free sports 24/7 TV programs. It's not only NBA in.
3 users on one account at the same time, friends sharing option ... Full NBA pre/main/post season all teams all games 50$.
No ads. Online support. But no feed options. Only one blabla option for each game.