1. I’ve made it clear that I think Major League Baseball’s exclusive streaming deals are bad for the game.
The league likes to say the streaming deals are in place to help grow the game. The truth is, the streaming deals are in place so the league can make as much money as possible.
Halfway through the season, we haven’t seen much evidence of the exclusive streaming deals being a smash hit for MLB. AppleTV+, which airs games on Friday nights, and Peacock, which airs games on Sunday mornings, haven’t released any viewership numbers.
However, we’ve seen plenty of fans express frustration with not knowing where games are airing and not being able to watch games on the streaming services.
It’s not just fans, now, either. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained on Saturday that he didn’t watch any of the MLB Futures Game played that night because the TVs in the clubhouses don’t have Peacock, where the game aired exclusively.
I know that some of you reading this are getting ready to fire off an email or tweet to me to say that Roberts 1) could’ve watched the game on a laptop or iPad, or 2) could’ve had someone in the clubhouse hook up an Amazon Fire TV Stick or Apple TV box to the clubhouse TV, or 3) Roberts is 50 and it’s his fault he didn’t know how to access the game.
All of those things are true, but the point is that MLB is making harder for people to find games and watch games, and that is the last thing the sport needs.
2. Speaking of problems with streaming services for sports fans, ESPN+ is raising the monthly fee for its product from $6.99 a month to $9.99 a month.
3. In the latest installment of someone apologizing for something that does not warrant an apology, Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan had to do a mea culpa because he said the first thing he thinks of when he hears the name Russell Westbrook is “bricks.”
4. Giannis is the only person in the world who can pull off these dad jokes.
5. ESPN's seven-part docuseries on Derek Jeter begins tonight following Home Run Derby. Here’s a mostly spoiler-free review.
6. My guest on this week's SI Media Podcast is author, reporter and podcast host James Andrew Miller. Topics covered during our conversation include The Washington Post’s recent feature article on Adam Schefter, Matthew Berry leaving ESPN, where the Big Ten football media rights deals stand, LIV golf and much more.
Following Miller, Sal Licata joins me for the weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment. This week, we discuss my review of the upcoming Derek Jeter docuseries on ESPN, the Zach Wilson “scandal” and the recent passing of Tony Sirico from The Sopranos. I also read recent Apple reviews to close out the show.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.
You can also watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: He nailed it.
