Great Read about possible DTV deal.

[Virginia Giant]

Link

 

 

 

Baseball strikes out

 

Fri Feb 16, 6:54 AM ET

 

 

 

Once upon a time, avid baseball fans had to jiggle transistor radios or sit in their cars to pick up fuzzy broadcasts of faraway games. Today, technology lets followers of, say, the Boston Red Sox get picture-perfect TV reception of Red Sox games from virtually anywhere in the USA.

 

 

 

This gives Major League Baseball a great opportunity to expand its fan base and hold onto fans who've moved away from beloved hometown teams. So what is baseball doing? To grab a quick buck, it's rolling right over many of its most ardent fans.

 

 

Baseball's misguided move involves "Extra Innings," a product beloved by an intense band of half-a-million baseball addicts willing to pay $179 a season to follow out-of-town teams on TV. Extra Innings is now available on both cable and satellite, but a pending deal would give it exclusively to satellite provider DirecTV, which has a similar deal with the NFL. That would force about 230,000 customers to sign up for DirecTV (if they're capable of receiving the signal), or attempt to watch games via broadband Internet connections, if they want to keep watching out-of-market games.

 

 

That's a small audience in TV terms, but the deal is creating a big stir. More than 3,500 fans have signed online petitions to keep the package on digital cable. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has complained to the Federal Communication Commission, and Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., wants to know if baseball is exploiting its antitrust exemption.

 

 

MLB's decision doesn't exactly cry out for an act of Congress, but it does underscore a contradiction: As technology makes more sports programming available, the leagues are limiting where and how fans can see those games. And they're making the experience more expensive.

 

 

Broadcasters and sports leagues are eager to squeeze every last dollar out of each deal. If DirecTV is willing to pay so much for exclusive rights that it's worth turning away cable dollars, that's how it goes. But baseball's owners, five-sixths of whose teams play in publicly subsidized stadiums, are selling out their most devoted fans for a pittance. The DirecTV deal would give MLB about $40 million more annually. That works out to about $1.3 million per club, not even enough to sign a second-rate second baseman.

 

 

A little baseball history should teach the owners what happens when they grab for short-term profits. In the early 1980s, Chicago White Sox co-owner Eddie Einhorn pulled most Sox games off free TV to offer them on a pay-per-view basis at $21.95 per month. Einhorn belittled the fans as "spoiled about what they got for free." Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs continued to air their games locally on free, over-the-air WGN, and nationally via basic cable. The Cubs have been more popular ever since.

 

 

Baseball and other leagues would be wise to treat their most devoted fans better. Forcing them to buy a different platform, like a satellite dish, to get the content they want is both disrespectful and short-sighted.

[Virginia Giant]

This is a statement from MLB, what a crock of shit

 

 

 

 

 

 

We meet fans' demands By Tim Brosnan

 

 

Fri Feb 16, 6:54 AM ET

 

 

 

We offer the following assurances to our fans: Any deal for the Major League Baseball's Extra Innings subscription package, when concluded, will in no way affect a single fan's ability to watch games of his home club in his home market. Major League Baseball will continue to make available on basic cable, satellite and broadcast television more games by far than any other sport (on average, more than 400 games per year are telecast in each market); a subscription package of out-of-market games will continue to be available to a broad segment of our fan base through either MLB Extra Innings or MLB.TV, its broadband counterpart.

 

 

 

MLB has consistently sought to do the best job possible of marketing the game to our fans. Through the ballpark experience, TV, radio, satellite radio, broadband and the Internet, wireless, licensed products and sponsor marketing initiatives, we look to meet the demands of our fans in as many ways as possible for one simple reason: It's good business. We always act according to our belief that if we do what we think is in the fans' best interests, our business will benefit. And, guided by that principle, we have achieved record success in the past five years.

 

 

We have had fair and open negotiations with cable, satellite and telephone company distributors regarding the distribution of a new MLB dedicated channel to all our fans and the continuation of the MLB Extra Innings package. We believe that the launch of an MLB-dedicated channel as part of a basic service will be a great benefit to all of our fans, as it will provide a wide diversity of baseball programming, 24/7. Our goal remains to provide as much MLB programming as we can to the maximum number of viewers, and any consummated deal will reflect that.

 

 

Tim Brosnan is Major League Baseball's executive vice president, business.

[so-cal dub]

As a DTV owner, I dont really care, but for the good of the sport(which is dying now anyway) it's stupid. This is going to destroy the MLB fan base.

[LorfTVP]

As a DTV owner, I dont really care, but for the good of the sport(which is dying now anyway) it's stupid. This is going to destroy the MLB fan base.

 

I was under the impression that baseball was having a bit of a resurgence...especially with so many exciting youngsters and veterans possibly playing their last seasons.

[fringe]

I was under the impression that baseball was having a bit of a resurgence...especially with so many exciting youngsters and veterans possibly playing their last seasons.

well now you know- it's dying...... because the yankees haven't won a world series recently.

[njsmalls]

well now you know- it's dying...... because the yankees haven't won a world series recently.

 

I also agree with Lorf. MLB is doing pretty well right now...just the NFL does so much better than all the other leagues it's rediculous.

 

Honestly, the Yankees failing and failing in New York Giants pathetic fashion has helped baseball grow in spite of the Yankees. Now you have everybody of every fanbase figuring out ways to hate the Yankees like Red Sox fans.

 

Seriously, it's never about baseball with the Yankees.

[Virginia Giant]

 

I also agree with Lorf. MLB is doing pretty well right now...just the NFL does so much better than all the other leagues it's rediculous.

 

Honestly, the Yankees failing and failing in New York Giants pathetic fashion has helped baseball grow in spite of the Yankees. Now you have everybody of every fanbase figuring out ways to hate the Yankees like Red Sox fans.

 

Seriously, it's never about baseball with the Yankees.

I kinda agree, I'm not a Yankee hater, but i know around here if you ain't a Yankee fan, than you hate the Yankees. I know Braves fans who hate the Yankees, ofcourse O's fans.

[fringe]

 

I also agree with Lorf. MLB is doing pretty well right now...just the NFL does so much better than all the other leagues it's rediculous.

 

Honestly, the Yankees failing and failing in New York Giants pathetic fashion has helped baseball grow in spite of the Yankees. Now you have everybody of every fanbase figuring out ways to hate the Yankees like Red Sox fans.

 

Seriously, it's never about baseball with the Yankees.

i guess you didnt sense my sarcasm. glad you got to vent though.

[njsmalls]

i guess you didnt sense my sarcasm. glad you got to vent though.

I should have. Almost all your posts are.

[fringe]

I should have. Almost all your posts are.

we both have traits that define us, yes?

[so-cal dub]

we both have traits that define us, yes?

Yes.

 

 

NJ is a lunatic and you are a blunatic.

[LorfTVP]

 

I also agree with Lorf. MLB is doing pretty well right now...just the NFL does so much better than all the other leagues it's rediculous.

 

 

Although it can be amazing, MLB sort of lacks in the playoffs when top teams aren't playing...but still, get the playoffs off FOX and things could get better. The fact that most teams have a chance now will help during the regular season but come October, who wants to watch the Brewers in playoff baseball?

[Virginia Giant]

Although it can be amazing, MLB sort of lacks in the playoffs when top teams aren't playing...but still, get the playoffs off FOX and things could get better. The fact that most teams have a chance now will help during the regular season but come October, who wants to watch the Brewers in playoff baseball?

MLB sold it's sole when it got the big time Redsox Yankees matchups, now thats the only post season matchup people wanna see. Baseball doesn't do a great job with it's smaller market marketing imo. I mean this is big time O's country and there really much advertising here. this area should be a baseball hot spot with 2 "hometown" teams in the O's and Nats, yet you either have die hard fans or people who don't care, the money they are losing is to the tweeners, people who would follow a team if it were the popular thing to do. Take the NFL, everyone has a favorite team even if they don't follow the sport closely, they'll wear the hats and maybe have a sweatshirt, but don't intently watch games and check daily for any scrap of news about the team they follow.

 

 

Baseball needs to mass market the sport, mix in it's legendary past with todays brightest stars from all markets. Get tweener fans who will follow an out of market team.

 

Baseball will always do good at the gates, it's played in good weather and is family friendly, it's a great place to take the kids so to speak. If they start broadening the appeal of less popular teams, the post season will become interested to more people, so when the Yanks and Sox ain't playing, people still watch.

[LorfTVP]

MLB sold it's sole when it got the big time Redsox Yankees matchups, now thats the only post season matchup people wanna see. Baseball doesn't do a great job with it's smaller market marketing imo. I mean this is big time O's country and there really much advertising here. this area should be a baseball hot spot with 2 "hometown" teams in the O's and Nats, yet you either have die hard fans or people who don't care, the money they are losing is to the tweeners, people who would follow a team if it were the popular thing to do. Take the NFL, everyone has a favorite team even if they don't follow the sport closely, they'll wear the hats and maybe have a sweatshirt, but don't intently watch games and check daily for any scrap of news about the team they follow.

Baseball needs to mass market the sport, mix in it's legendary past with todays brightest stars from all markets. Get tweener fans who will follow an out of market team.

 

Baseball will always do good at the gates, it's played in good weather and is family friendly, it's a great place to take the kids so to speak. If they start broadening the appeal of less popular teams, the post season will become interested to more people, so when the Yanks and Sox ain't playing, people still watch.

 

Agreed! I still think baseball is making the biggest resurgence of the four major sports with, as mentioned above, the influx of new top prospects who will dazzle (Liriano, Alex Gordon, Upton) etc., exciting young players (Reyes, Wright, Howard), veterans (Maddux, Glavine, Clemens, Johnson, Schilling, Smoltz), milestones (Manny, A-rod, and Thomas to 500 HRs, Biggio to 3000 hits, Glavine to 300 wins, etc..., and of course the most controversial milestone and storyline in Barry Bonds. Thing is, as much as people want to see him crash and burn, from what I've been hearing, nobody really cares about the steroid issue anymore because they assume it's dealt with. Sure, it's still around and there are lingering issues, but as far as the common fan knows...it's done with. The fact that every team in the majors except for the Nationals, Royals, and Devil Rays have a chance at the playoffs helps even more. Baseball has it's strong points in Boston, NY, Chicago, LA, etc...but as you said, they just need to spur on fans in smaller markets and their teams' successes could do that.

[njsmalls]

I really wish Marlins fans could start caring. For an organization that gets no support from it's fanbase (in one of the largest metro areas in the US) they do a great job at developing young talent. In the last 11 years the Marlins the the second most successful francise, in terms of championships. Marlins fans make me fucking sick. I mean how do you motivate a fanbase that has won 2 World Series in such a small amount of time? I guess a new stadium should help, but it's no excuse for the abysmal attendance they get. The fucking Devil Rays average more per game! (16,901 to the Marlins 14,384)

[fringe]

I really wish Marlins fans could start caring. For an organization that gets no support from it's fanbase (in one of the largest metro areas in the US) they do a great job at developing young talent. In the last 11 years the Marlins the the second most successful francise, in terms of championships. Marlins fans make me fucking sick. I mean how do you motivate a fanbase that has won 2 World Series in such a small amount of time? I guess a new stadium should help, but it's no excuse for the abysmal attendance they get. The fucking Devil Rays average more per game! (16,901 to the Marlins 14,384)

in that stadium, in that weather , with those site lines? i feel bad for the team bc they try hard but you cannot expect fans to sit through those conditions.