The Extra Innings package will be exclusive to DirecTV in 2008

by sanchez96 on Jan 21, 2007 4:48 PM EST

Major League Baseball is close to announcing a deal that will place its Extra Innings package of out-of-market games exclusively on DirecTV, which will also become the only carrier of a long-planned 24-hour baseball channel.
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Extra Innings has been available to 75 million cable households and the two satellite services, DirecTV and the Dish Network. But the new agreement will take it off cable and Dish because DirecTV has agreed to pay $700 million over seven years, according to three executives briefed on the details of the contract but not authorized to speak about them publicly.

InDemand, which has distributed Extra Innings to the cable television industry since 2002, made an estimated $70 million bid to renew its rights, more than triple what it has been paying. Part of its offer included the right to carry the new baseball channel, but not exclusively.

The baseball channel is scheduled to start in 2009.

Here's the link to the story.

This won't make much of a difference to me, I have DirecTV and the Extra Innings package, but how is this going to impact those of you outside the NY region?

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oh well

as long as the YES Network still broadcasts every game that isn't broadcast by FOX or ESPN, then I'm fine.

Yankees win! Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Yankees win! -John Sterling

by goyankees on Jan 21, 2007 5:03 PM EST reply actions

I'm pissed

off. This was the first year I was actually going to get the package, now I can't. I have Time Warner.

Great Success!

by ReLaunch on Jan 21, 2007 6:09 PM EST reply actions

This starts in 2008...

I believe the cables systems can still sell it for the 2007 season.

Scholars see baseball as a force for passing along the essential value of democracy. Baseball reveals significant themes like class and race.

by sanchez96 on Jan 21, 2007 7:12 PM EST up reply actions

Never mind

it starts this season...

Scholars see baseball as a force for passing along the essential value of democracy. Baseball reveals significant themes like class and race.

by sanchez96 on Jan 21, 2007 7:48 PM EST up reply actions

Monopolizing MLB

Maury Brown of BP wrote an article about this last week. An interesting quote below:

All of this sets up an interesting and possibly volatile situation with Congress, and a new and suddenly powerful force in MLB's ranks. An exclusive DirecTV deal with MLB will place the sport in the sights of Congress yet again. If the deal goes forward, it will be one more example of consumer restriction. There is already ill-will amongst those caught up in the convoluted blackout policy as it pertains to out-of-market broadcasts. There were approximately 750,000 subscribers to MLB Extra Innings last season. How do you think fans will react when they find out that not only are they caught in the "Blackout Blues," but that many will also have to jump from cable to DirecTV for that dubious privilege? One might surmise that there will be fewer subscribers this year than last.

This move by DirecTV and MLB likely jeapardizes MLB's antitrust exemption as well.

by Willton on Jan 21, 2007 8:44 PM EST reply actions

MLB.tv

It's quite an excellent service, better if you have--or convince a friend to let you use--a credit card linked to an address outside the NY area (so Yanks games aren't blacked out).

With that and an AppleTV, you're set.

Off the Facade
An interesting alternative to the mainstream.

by PinstripePowerhouse on Jan 21, 2007 11:57 PM EST reply actions