Cablevision Reaches Agreement to Show New York Mets, People Say
Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Cablevision Systems Corp., the New York-area's No. 1 cable television operator, reached agreement to carry the network that shows Mets baseball games, people familiar with the negotiations said.
The accord between Bethpage, New York-based Cablevision and SportsNet New York ensures that the company's 3 million customers will be able to see the Mets when they open the season April 3 against the Washington Nationals.
The agreement allows the sides to avoid a pricing standoff like the one in 2002 between Cablevision and Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network, which shows baseball's Yankees.
``We fully expect to carry Mets games this season and beyond,'' Cablevision spokesman Jim Maiella said in a telephone interview, declining to say whether an agreement had been reached. Andrew Fegyveresi, a spokesman for SportsNet New York, which is scheduled to go on the air March 16, said ``we're in discussions with all cable and satellite providers.''
SportsNet New York is jointly owned by Comcast, the world's largest cable-TV operator; Time Warner Inc., the world's largest media company; and Sterling Entertainment Enterprises LCC, a company formed by the Mets. SportsNet New York also will be carried on Time Warner and Comcast cable systems.
There is no timetable for an announcement, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the contract isn't signed.
Two-Year Battle
Cablevision and the YES Network staged a two-year battle over pricing. The dispute kept the Yankees from being seen by Cablevision's customers during the 2002 season.
Their differences were settled by an arbitration panel, which ruled Cablevision had to carry YES as part of its basic service, meaning all of the company's customers had to pay for it whether or not they wanted to watch the Yankees. Cablevision wanted YES placed on a digital tier, meaning only those who wanted it would pay for it.
``Cablevision got burned last time,'' says former CBS Sports President Neal Pilson, who is now an industry consultant. ``It left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
The agreement benefits both SportsNet New York, which can charge advertisers more because it reaches more people, and Cablevision, which won't lose any Mets fans to satellite or other cable operators.
The Mets had been on both Fox Sports New York since 1996 and MSG Network since 2002. The team paid $54 million to those Cablevision-owned networks to end their contracts after the 2005 season.
Cablevision also owns basketball's New York Knicks, hockey's Rangers and their arena, Madison Square Garden.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: February 26, 2006 13:33 EST
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aJebLE_8zq_I&refer=us#
Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Cablevision Systems Corp., the New York-area's No. 1 cable television operator, reached agreement to carry the network that shows Mets baseball games, people familiar with the negotiations said.
The accord between Bethpage, New York-based Cablevision and SportsNet New York ensures that the company's 3 million customers will be able to see the Mets when they open the season April 3 against the Washington Nationals.
The agreement allows the sides to avoid a pricing standoff like the one in 2002 between Cablevision and Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network, which shows baseball's Yankees.
``We fully expect to carry Mets games this season and beyond,'' Cablevision spokesman Jim Maiella said in a telephone interview, declining to say whether an agreement had been reached. Andrew Fegyveresi, a spokesman for SportsNet New York, which is scheduled to go on the air March 16, said ``we're in discussions with all cable and satellite providers.''
SportsNet New York is jointly owned by Comcast, the world's largest cable-TV operator; Time Warner Inc., the world's largest media company; and Sterling Entertainment Enterprises LCC, a company formed by the Mets. SportsNet New York also will be carried on Time Warner and Comcast cable systems.
There is no timetable for an announcement, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the contract isn't signed.
Two-Year Battle
Cablevision and the YES Network staged a two-year battle over pricing. The dispute kept the Yankees from being seen by Cablevision's customers during the 2002 season.
Their differences were settled by an arbitration panel, which ruled Cablevision had to carry YES as part of its basic service, meaning all of the company's customers had to pay for it whether or not they wanted to watch the Yankees. Cablevision wanted YES placed on a digital tier, meaning only those who wanted it would pay for it.
``Cablevision got burned last time,'' says former CBS Sports President Neal Pilson, who is now an industry consultant. ``It left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
The agreement benefits both SportsNet New York, which can charge advertisers more because it reaches more people, and Cablevision, which won't lose any Mets fans to satellite or other cable operators.
The Mets had been on both Fox Sports New York since 1996 and MSG Network since 2002. The team paid $54 million to those Cablevision-owned networks to end their contracts after the 2005 season.
Cablevision also owns basketball's New York Knicks, hockey's Rangers and their arena, Madison Square Garden.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: February 26, 2006 13:33 EST
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aJebLE_8zq_I&refer=us#