Episode 187 – Inside the disputes keeping Cavs and Browns games off our TVs

As of Monday afternoon, subscribers of YouTube TV, Hulu and Sling in Northeast Ohio were blocked out from watching Cavs games on Fox Sports Ohio. Local DIRECTV and AT&T Uverse subscribers are keeping their fingers crossed that they don’t have to watch the Browns’ Sunday Night Football game on a Spanish network because they are currently blocked from receiving WKYC.

With disputes between cable providers and network operators on the rise, Awful Announcing owner and editor Ben Koo joins The Nail to explain why losing access to big games is becoming a more frequent problem and how soon we can expect deals in these latest fights to be reached. Plus: Sinclair betting big on a reimagined regional sports network model, how much teams and leagues get involved in negotiations between cable companies and networks to ensure their games are available as widely as possible, and other sports broadcasting trends to watch in 2021.

On Awful Announcing: Sports fans are hostages in carriage disputes and we often pay the ransom

On WFNY: Waiting all day for Sunday night no more: Browns flexed to SNF


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Episode 170 – Romo’s millions, YouTube TV vs. Sinclair, and more sports media headlines

The YouTube TV vs. Sinclair battle that threatened to take Cavs and Indians games off TV in some Northeast Ohio houses has been resolved—for now. Was this fight a preview of what subscribers to other TV providers should expect soon? Tony Romo just got an ungodly sum of money to keep calling NFL games for CBS, sending ESPN back to the drawing board as it tries to reinvent Monday Night Football. Will the answer finally include Peyton Manning and a trade with NBC for legendary play-by-play man Al Michaels?

And finally, why have the NBA’s broadcast partners struggled to find their next generation of commentators? Frequent Nail guest Mark Meszoros is back on the show to discuss those sports media topics and more.


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Episode 150 – What the sale of STO and FSO means for Cleveland sports fans

No matter how they’re doing in the standings or at the gate, the Indians and Cavs have proven to be a winner year after year in the local TV ratings department. So, when news about the channels that air their games breaks, it’s a big deal. Earlier this month, Sinclair Broadcast Group reached a deal to acquire 21 regional sports networks, including Fox Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio.

What will that ultimately mean for Northeast Ohioans when they turn on their TVs at 7 p.m. each night to watch their teams? Awful Announcing contributor Holly Wetzel joins the show to explain how Sinclair ended up with channels that started moving in a deal between Disney and Fox and what we can expect with Ohio’s regional sports networks under new ownership.

Plus, early impressions of the ESPN+ subscription service and the best bang for a sports fan’s buck when it comes to picking a streaming alternative to traditional cable.


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Episode 100 – ‘Real players,’ regional NBA broadcasts and Rice Krispie Treats

It’s episode 100 of The Nail, and the guys are keeping it a buck on new Browns GM John Dorsey, how we watch Cavs games, NBA All-Star Games, the Indians’ offseason, Rice Krispie Treats and more. On the anniversary of Mike Holmgren’s infamous “Don’t call me for playoff tickets” diatribe and the disastrous debut of Johnny Football, John Dorsey added a new entry into Browns lore by declaring he wants “real players.” Fair or unfair? … Plus: How do you watch the Cavs? The guys discuss the merits of national TV broadcasts vs. Fox Sports Ohio productions, as well as watching live vs. on DVR.


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Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek