[CABLEVISION] Update: (No Deal Yet for CV)

[Lucky]

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#

 

[Sean Mota]

Also, I was just given the memo sent to CV employees (anonymous source) and look at the similarities:

February 8, 2006 1:00pm
All Areas
All Employees

Recent announcements regarding the launch of SportsNet New York, which will carry telecasts of New York Mets baseball games, may generate inquiries from customers.

In response to a customer inquiry about the company's carriage of SportsNet New York, all customer contact personnel shall provide the following statement, exactly as written.

Cablevision fully expects to carry Mets games this season and beyond.

Customer contact personnel are to provide this information only in response to a customer inquiry. If asked for additional information, respond with the following.

No further information is available at this time.

 

[Lucky]

Sean,

Could you try to verify the Bloomberg story with your source. It sounds like great news, but a little confirmation would not hurt.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Its Bullsh!t!

Well we can just about all count it will not be carried on DISH!

 

[liquidnw]

Its Bullsh!t!

Well we can just about all count it will not be carried on DISH!

Dish also doesn't carry YES so i would doubt they will carry the mets channel. Its not all bad at least you get a kick ass amount of HD channels with more to come. I would trade cv's hd line up for dishes right now.

 

[Sean Mota]

As soon as I hear something, I will post. Right now there has not been any official confirmation from within.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Dish also doesn't carry YES so i would doubt they will carry the mets channel. Its not all bad at least you get a kick ass amount of HD channels with more to come. I would trade cv's hd line up for dishes right now.

Well im in Detroit, but as a retailer we sell in the NY DMA. Atleast before we could offer Mets games, but YES was a big issue when setting up new accounts.

 

[cforrest]

They will announce the agreement tomorrow during Cablevision's earnings conference I bet. We shall see.

 

[uroberto]

They will announce the agreement tomorrow during Cablevision's earnings conference I bet. We shall see.

They didn't mention SNY at all

 

[dm145]

This thread should be unstuck until office announcement is made!

No Mets Deal Yet for Cablevision

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Mike Reynolds 2/27/2006 5:28:00 PMNew York Mets fans serviced by Cablevision Systems Corp. may want to temper their enthusiasm just a tad.

Although a number of published reports, citing Bloomberg, already have the deal as being finalized, a carriage pact between the cable operator, which serves some 3 million homes in the New York DMA, and SportsNet New York, the new cable home of the Major League Baseball team, had yet to be consummated by press time.

SportsNet New York -- owned by the ballclub, Time Warner Cable and Comcast Corp. -- will carry 125 regular-season Mets games during the 2006 season. The service is set to launch March 16.

“We can’t comment on negotiations. We’re in discussions with cable and satellite operators in our footprint,” SportsNet New York spokesman Andrew Fegyveresi said.

Cablevision spokesman Jim Maiella said, “As we’ve said along, we fully expect to telecast Mets games this season and beyond.”

A source familiar with the negotiating process said the parties have “a handshake agreement. An announcement could come next week.”

That would prove to be an upset in the eyes of many area observers. In 2002, Cablevision didn’t carry the rookie season of Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network. YES carries New York Yankees MLB games, which previously aired on Cablevision-owned Madison Square Garden Network.

Many had expected a similarly lengthy and perhaps bitter negotiating period between Cablevision and SportsNet New York, which will carry the Mets games that previously aired on MSGN and FSN New York, which is also owned by Cablevision.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/...=Breaking+News

 

[Lucky]

Am I the only one starting to get concerned that no deal between SNY and Cablevision has been announced ? It has been 10 days since this story appeared and still no deal. The network is only about a week away from launch and still no deal. I am starting to think this original article may not have been so accurate after all. Any else wondering if this is indeed true ?

 

[MergaTroy6]

The network is due for launch in a week, but the first regular season game is a few more away. If CV carries it, they will start on April 3rd. Thats my best guess.

 

[Lucky]

I am not saying that is not accurate, but the Newsday article stating there was a tentative agreement said that it would be available on Cablevision on March 16 starting with the Mets-Braves game.

 

[MergaTroy6]

The problem is this is all speculation. I wouldn't get my hopes up until CV makes their own announcement confirming carriage.