Anthony Davis Discussion: Thanks For The Ring AD!!!

Of course, but if you're not paying for any merchandise, you're not going to factor into their equations.

The Lakers went out and signed the best player on the planet and if you're not excited about that, there's just about nothing they can do to garner your interest and they'll lose interest in trying to cater to you. Their motto will be: play competitive, exciting basketball and people like you will come around.

I tend to agree with them.

 

Maybe, but what are we talking here? A Laker decal? A jersey? Anything? If you're not willing to buy things that the Lakers produce when they've got LeBron James and a great young core, one of their most exciting teams they've had in a decade, when are you going to buy things?

 

I just don’t see how he or anyone in their right mind turns down 5 years $235 million. So yes, the only option I see to get him here is him demanding a trade to the Lakers, because then he’s losing “only” 30-some mil. Coming here as a free agent, only able to get 4 years, losing even more money... With his injury history he might be foolish to turn down the 5 year extension, and even with it I don’t think the Pelicans hesitate on it. He IS a player I trade multiple guys off our young core for though, he’s that good. He was the true MVP of last year’s regular season IMO.

 

No I'm not questioning your fandom at all. I'm saying they're not worried about you as a consumer if after everything that happened, you're not buying gear. That doesn't make you not a fan, it means you're unlikely to be swayed into buying anything pretty much ever if you're not willing to pay for it now.

Right now, I'm with you on purchasing their cable service or purchasing tickets. The cable service isn't worth it and I can stream games for free instead of paying 250 to sit in the 300 section. I will however buy some sort of merchandise so I'm still somewhat in their wheelhouse.

Now let's say Spectrum smartens up and develops a streaming service that's 20 dollars a month and you get every Dodgers/Lakers game along with their broadcast content. Would you be interested in that?

 

Maybe you're right and I misspoke. You're a target, but probably not one they're particularly worried about. Again, if you're not willing to spend now, to watch LeBron James, when would you be willing to watch? They're probably not going to get you.

So they'll adapt their approach and I know for a fact it's coming. Streaming is the future of media. They'll find the price points that work for you and they'll get you or they won't. If you're unwilling to pay 10-20 bucks a month for Laker basketball, then you're not going to be swayed, right? They're not going to lose sleep over you. They'll make money hand over fist with people who are willing to pay. Live anything is the last bastion of these companies and they're going to continue to invest in live events. The kitchy music shows. The talent shows. The sporting events. Those are the last things these companies have that are profitable in the old media and it's going to be the thing they hold on to the longest. Other shows are better served in streaming media anyway, it's why Netflix is so powerful with such a shaky business model. HBO continues to be profitable. Hulu found its footing. Services like PlayStation Vue, Roku, Firestick are the ways people are going to consume shows from now on and that'll eventually include sports content.

 

Now that'll be the real rub. What kind of quality will it be? That'll be the next really important step.

 

Yep, I would too.