Baseball Keeps 'Extra Innings' on Cable-What About Cablevision ?

[Lucky]

What does this mean for Cablevision customers ? I see no mention of Cablevision in the story. Are they carrying the package or what ?

Baseball Keeps 'Extra Innings' on Cable
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 10:12 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- After negotiations that went into extra innings, baseball struck a deal to keep its ''Extra Innings'' package of out-of-market games on cable television.

Under pressure from Sen. John Kerry, baseball and iN Demand reached an agreement in principle Wednesday on a seven-year contract, a deal that likely will allow the sport's new TV network to be available in at least 40 million homes when it launches in 2009.

Baseball announced an exclusive $700 million, seven-year agreement with DirecTV on March 8, but viewers who would have lost TV access to the games complained.

''The concern expressed by our fans who would have been forced to switch to alternative carriers or were unable to switch was something we tried to be responsive to,'' baseball chief operating officer Bob DuPuy said.

Kerry had asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate the original deal, and during a hearing last week in Washington he pushed baseball to resume talks with iN Demand, owned by affiliates of Time Warner, Comcast and Cox. While baseball had set a March 31 deadline, the sides kept negotiating and announced a deal Wednesday night, an agreement that still must be finalized.

''All we ever wanted was a victory for the fans, and this outcome is a big step forward,'' Kerry said in a statement. ''Everyone kept talking and pressing until we had a deal that protects the rights of most fans to follow their hometown team.''

IN Demand began making games available to cable systems in progress starting at 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday, president Robert Jacobson said. The package will be available for $159 this year through a free preview period that will extend into next week, he said, but the 2007 price for those subscribing after that has not been set.

''I'm exhausted but happy,'' Jacobson said. ''We always needed to feel like we were treated fairly relative to the other distributor. We felt like got our fair share.''

As part of the agreement, iN Demand and DirecTV each will receive about 16 percent equity in the new network, a person familiar with the deal said, speaking on condition of anonymity because that detail wasn't announced. Under the original agreement, DirecTV was to be a 20 percent owner.

In Demand will make the ''Extra Innings'' package available to other cable companies, which also would be required to carry the MLB channel. Baseball is willing to resume negotiate with Echostar's Dish Network, baseball spokesman Rich Levin said, but DirecTV president Chase Carey said he anticipated for now that his company would be an exclusive satellite carrier.

The dispute was largely over baseball's desire to have a deal that will allow its network to be widely available on a basic cable tier. At 40 million homes, it would be one of the largest launches in cable history.

''It provides both the financial stability and the exposure to ensure a successful launch of the channel and bring the game to as many fans as possible,'' DuPuy said.

Because of the new deal, DirecTV will pay less than it would have under the original agreement.

''The economics are better for us on the `Extra Innings' side,'' Carey said. ''Clearly there were benefits you had in capturing subs (subscribers). We were paying a lot of money to get it. At what price? We weighed all the positives of each.''

 

[cforrest]

If they agree to carry the package from InDemand, they'll have to offer the MLB Channel when it launches. I am sure we'll know by tomorrow what CV is going to do.

 

[Sean Mota]

I heard this morning that Cablevision will have EI up and running soon...

 

[Lucky]

I heard this morning that Cablevision will have EI up and running soon...

I am not questioning you and asking you to reveal your source, but can you tell me where you hear this ? Was it from a reliable source ?

 

[Sean Mota]

I am not questioning you and asking you to reveal your source, but can you tell me where you hear this ? Was it from a reliable source ?

It was on the Radio this morning in MIKE & MIKE show on ESPN Radio.

 

[Lucky]

It was on the Radio this morning in MIKE & MIKE show on ESPN Radio.

They specifically mentioned Cablevision ? How in the world could Mike and Mike know Cablevision's plans ?

 

[Sean Mota]

They specifically mentioned Cablevision ? How in the world could Mike and Mike know Cablevision's plans ?

Yes they did. I do not know how they know.

 

[Sean Mota]

maybe the guys who post around here can give us some type of verification about this...?

 

[Lucky]

maybe the guys who post around here can give us some type of verification about this...?

Yes, I agree. Are any of you cable guys out there ? We need your help here. Do you know what Cablevision's MLB Extra Inning plans are /

Sean, I really don't doubt what you heard, but I just think Mike and Mike could not be privy to such information.

 

[Sean Mota]

no problem... I want more verification about the same as well.

 

[Lucky]

Well, I just got off the phone with a Supervisor in the sales dept. at Cablevision. She said they have been told by corporate they have a deal to carry MLB Extra Innings. The Supervisor also added that they will definitley be carrying MLB Extra Innings this season. She said they are not allowed to take orders yet, so call back in a few days.

The skeptic in me gets a little suspicous when I hear things like this on the phone. I hope she knows what she is talking about.

 

[uroberto]

Are we going to get the EI free preview? The preview is only running until sunday according to the indemand website.

 

[Lucky]

Well, I checked it out with several media people covering this and they all say there is no deal with Cablevision to carry MLB EI. So surprise, surprise more wrong information from a CSR, and a supervisor this time.

I am sure they are fighting over carriage of the baseball channel and will not carry the package.

 

[Harrelson 69]

Cablevision started listing out of town games on the channels it uses for the package. This started yesterday (04/09). No free preview. Does this mean they have agreed to the package and will have the baseball channel in 2009?

 

[Delorean2006]

Cablevision started listing out of town games on the channels it uses for the package. This started yesterday (04/09). No free preview. Does this mean they have agreed to the package and will have the baseball channel in 2009?

They must have because all the channels are running without a free preview which pisses me off, but I just need to order it now.

 

[Lucky]

No, there is still no deal. Sources say they have a deal with In Demand to carry the package. HOWEVER, it is contingent on them agreeing to carry the baseball channel in 2009. As of this afternoon, they still have not agreed to carry the baseball channel, so no MLB EI.

 

[cableguy79]

I got word today from a VERY reliable source that there will be no deal with MLB EI, CV is content with the fact that all subscribers who took the EI package last year will receive a credit for ordering MLB EI on their computers. In other words, if you order MLB EI on your computer, CV will credit your account 15 dollars per month for 6 months(the package on the computer is $90)....this also will hold true if you press your CV CS rep, I was told they have been lenient with new customers ordering EI for the first time. Since most people who have CV are mostly local baseball fans, they see no need to go out on a limb and pay extra for the EI package. Also, MLB is asking that CV put the MLB channel on its Family Cable package, which this person told me would equate to about a $2 hike in all prices.....MLB insists that it be put on this tier of service which is silly, same as in NFL network, they should just put these channels on their sports tier and charge more for it, people would take the channels, but same as in the likes of NFL, MLB is insisting it go on the Family tier, not even iO....Family Basic.
This is what I heard, take it for what you will, just relaying messages....I for one hope we get it.....but its "99.99% unlikely we will be adding the MLB EI."

 

[BuddyK]

I spoke to Cablevision yesterday. It is currently available for $179. It's on channels 420-426.

 

[Cheekydave]

I spoke to Cablevision yesterday. It is currently available for $179. It's on channels 420-426.

??
Just spoke to Cablevision again TODAY, it is NOT available at ALL, and my best guess is it will never be so

 

[roosternj]

Hey, moron this forum is for serious posts,no package is available from Cablevision so stop starting rumors , baseball fans right now are close to tearing down their local CBV outlets, We don't need you to fuel the fire