Bally Sports Midwest live streaming will cost $16 to $20 per month

This option for those interested in live streaming Bally Sports Midwest, the local telecast of Cardinals and Blues games, could be in effect until the start of the next hockey season. It's set to start much earlier in some markets, including Kansas City for the Royals.

Those wishing to purchase the streaming-only option in increments will be charged $19.99 per month. It was also announced that an annual subscription will be available for $189.99 (an average of $15.83 per month).

Chris Ripley, CEO of Bally Sports parent Sinclair Broadcasting, said on a recent earnings call with financial analysts that the price is set at an “attractive price point compared to other similar (direct-to-consumer) professional sports offerings.”

MLB TV is $24.99 per month, the NBA TV package is $28.99 per month.

Ripley added: “In the months following launch, we expect to release an enhanced (direct-to-consumer) product that will incorporate additional functionality, content and features with incremental ways to monetize the viewer through a more personalized and interactive experience.”

This sounds like gambling options, where they are legal.

Sinclair's regional sports networks, including BSM, will continue to be available on the current cable/satellite/streaming systems that carry it. Cable and satellite service subscribers will also continue to be able to stream the TV shows at no additional charge.

There has been no word on any progress on reaching deals with some major programming providers that do not currently have Sinclair regional sports networks. On that list are Dish Network, Hulu Live, FuboTV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.

The Kentucky Derby is a big draw every year on television in St. Louis, where the local rating has topped the national figure in all but two of the 22 editions of the Run for the Roses this century.

NBCUniversal has the telecast again and is scheduled to show a full day of festivities and has scheduled 7½ hours of programming around a game that has a 5:57 p.m. air time. (St. Louis time) on Saturday and will likely last just a little over two minutes.

Festivities begin at 11am. when USA Network has 2½ hours of Derby preliminaries and other activities at Churchill Downs in Louisville. NBC (KSDK, Channel 5 locally) takes over at 1:30 with Mike Tirico providing coverage that will not only focus on horses and more preliminary races, but also on Derby day pageants. NBC has “lifestyle correspondents” (Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rutledge Wood) as well as “fashion correspondents” (Dylan Dreyer, Zanna Roberts Rassi).

But it won't all be fun and games. NBC is planning a report on the disqualification of last year's winner, Medina Spirit, as well as the subsequent suspension of his trainer and Derby legend Bob Baffert, and the backlash it has had in the sport.

NBC's coverage, which will run until 6:30 p.m., will also be broadcast on the Peacock.