ESPN Keeps MLB Through 2021 ($5.6B Deal)

[WhiteSox5187]

Originally Posted by kba

"ESPN also picked up rights to carry games featuring more popular teams, such as the Yankees and Red Sox, more frequently."

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/D.../MLB-ESPN.aspx

I wonder how many Sunday night games this year have not featured either the Yankees or the Red Sox? It seems like those two teams are in at least 90% of Sunday night games.

[kba]

Originally Posted by WhiteSox5187

I wonder how many Sunday night games this year have not featured either the Yankees or the Red Sox? It seems like those two teams are in at least 90% of Sunday night games.

Under ESPN's current "Sunday Night Baseball" contract, no team may appear more than five times per season. From this site, here's the list of the top ten team appearances from 2007 - 2011:

1. Yankees (25 appearances)
2. Red Sox (24)
3. Cubs and Cardinals (23)
5. Mets (22)
6. Phillies (20)
7. Dodgers (18)
8. Braves (17)
9. Angels (12)
10. Tigers (11)

[bunkaroo]

Originally Posted by mrfourni

ESPN can show the Yankees and Red Sox on Sunday night every week for all that I care. I don't usually watch Sunday Night Baseball (Sunday nights are by far the best TV night of the week for me), and I much prefer watching the Sox on Sunday afternoons. I know out of market fans probably disagree, but I just don't understand the appeal of national broadcasts for the White Sox.

Agreed 100%. Sunday nights are crazy for my DVR as is. It's bad enough when there's a Hawks game on Sunday night.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by bunkaroo

Agreed 100%. Sunday nights are crazy for my DVR as is. It's bad enough when there's a Hawks game on Sunday night.

That's not going to be an issue this year

[DumpJerry]

Since ESPN loves baseball so much, the Cub fan in my office and I want to offer them to cover our discussions about MLB for 1% of the price they are paying MLB. We'll even throw in some NFL talk.

[SephClone89]

Originally Posted by TDog

I don't mind ESPN being part of the deal, occasionally showing baseball, although I don't believe baseball should be played on Sunday nights.

I read this post before looking at the username, but after reading this sentiment I just knew it had to be you.

Originally Posted by mrfourni

ESPN can show the Yankees and Red Sox on Sunday night every week for all that I care. I don't usually watch Sunday Night Baseball (Sunday nights are by far the best TV night of the week for me), and I much prefer watching the Sox on Sunday afternoons. I know out of market fans probably disagree, but I just don't understand the appeal of national broadcasts for the White Sox.

Eh? I don't care about whether the Sox are on national TV, though I certainly welcome a Hawk-free night on occasion. But I'm a fan of baseball, and I usually tune in to Sunday Night Baseball for at least part of the game each week, though I've been busy with my new job lately.

But then, I don't watch much TV regularly during baseball season, save Mad Men this year which did interfere with Sunday Night Baseball.

I have no problem with them keeping this deal. I like how much baseball they show on a weekly basis. Get rid of the third man in the booth on Sunday nights--Shulman and Hershiser are a good team.

ESPN is generally fine at covering live sporting events. While they certainly give disproportional coverage to the Yanks and Sawx and that can be annoying, I have no problem with how they cover a game. I think people have trouble compartmentalizing the SportsCenter-Industrial Complex and when they actually air sports. I always enjoy watching baseball, soccer or tennis on ESPN.

[hawkjt]

Adrian Gonzalez of the Red Sox(before the trade) complained about all those Sunday Nite games for Boston,due to the late nite travel and disruption of players schedules... not his problem anymore,but those games are not coveted by players,I would guess.

[kba]

Reportedly, MLB is now taking bids for its other TV package -- the games that currently are split among Fox and TBS, including most of the post-season.

Fox wants the whole package and would split the games between the Fox broadcast network and the Speed motor racing channel (which would become a general all-sports channel). TBS's bid would split the games between TBS and CBS. NBC apparently is an underdog, but might submit a bid.

According to this writer, MLB is looking for $800 million a year for the package -- double what Fox and TBS pay now.

[Viva Medias B's]

Originally Posted by kba

Reportedly, MLB is now taking bids for its other TV package -- the games that currently are split among Fox and TBS, including most of the post-season.

Fox wants the whole package and would split the games between the Fox broadcast network and the Speed motor racing channel (which would become a general all-sports channel). TBS's bid would split the games between TBS and CBS. NBC apparently is an underdog, but might submit a bid.

According to this writer, MLB is looking for $800 million a year for the package -- double what Fox and TBS pay now.

How does NBC expect NBC Sports Network to prosper if it makes no serious effort to get MLB? Furthermore, I think NBC Sports itself would be better served showing MLB on Saturday afternoons instead of the Dew Mountain Tour.

[TDog]

Originally Posted by SephClone89

I read this post before looking at the username, but after reading this sentiment I just knew it had to be you. ...

Sunday is with very few exceptions a getaway day for at least one team in every game. Sunday afternoon baseball is more accessible than Sunday night, on television and in person, to many more people than Sunday night baseball, particularly for younger fans. All the industry stuff I have read indicates that fans have never really treated Sunday night baseball like the event ESPN invented it to be.

I hate it when my team plays on Sunday nights. If I still lived in the Chicago area and had a Sunday ticket plan as I did in the 1970s, it would upset me if one of my games was moved to Sunday night. I probably watch more non-White Sox baseball than most people here, but the only time I ever watch regular-season Sunday night baseball is when the White Sox are playing. Early in the season and when you get into September or October (or San Francisco) it seems ridiculous to play Sunday night baseball when the weather is so much better during the day.

If Sunday night baseball just ignored the White Sox, I could ignore it and wouldn't have a problem with it.

[Hitmen77]

Originally Posted by kba

Reportedly, MLB is now taking bids for its other TV package -- the games that currently are split among Fox and TBS, including most of the post-season.

Fox wants the whole package and would split the games between the Fox broadcast network and the Speed motor racing channel (which would become a general all-sports channel). TBS's bid would split the games between TBS and CBS. NBC apparently is an underdog, but might submit a bid.

According to this writer, MLB is looking for $800 million a year for the package -- double what Fox and TBS pay now.

Ugh. I hope that doesn't happen. Speed is only available with an extra sports package on my system. I would guess that it's generally less available than even the NBC Sports Channel.

Why is TBS's bid tied to CBS?

[Lip Man 1]

Something in Sports Illustrated this week got my attention. According to S.I. if the other TV rights properties get a fee increase comparable to what happened with the ESPN part of the deal, EVERY team in MLB will see their part of the national TV money go up from 25.5 million to 49.6 million.

That starts in 2014. That's an increase of 24.1 million per team.

Just something to keep in mind when a team starts 'talking poor...'

Lip

[SephClone89]

Originally Posted by Lip Man 1

Something in Sports Illustrated this week got my attention. According to S.I. if the other TV rights properties get a fee increase comparable to what happened with the ESPN part of the deal, EVERY team in MLB will see their part of the national TV money go up from 25.5 million to 49.6 million.

That starts in 2014. That's an increase of 24.1 million per team.

Just something to keep in mind when a team starts 'talking poor...'

Lip

Your point? If everyone gets the same increase, what difference does it make?

[RadioheadRocks]

Just keep Boomer out of the booth.

[PKalltheway]

Looks like Fox and Turner are close to renewing their deals with MLB through 2021: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/D...19/MLB-TV.aspx

I think TBS has been pretty solid with their postseason coverage. Sucks that it looks like we're stuck with Joe Buck for the next eight years with Fox, though.