Tonight, Major League Baseball announced that In Demand will now carry Extra Innings out-of-town baseball package, ending the exclusive deal that they had cut with DirecTV.
Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner will pick up Extra Innings immediately, and they also agreed to carry The Baseball Channel, MLB's cable station that will launch in 2009.
Good news all around, but I did not see Cablevision's name among the cable systems picking up Extra Innings yet (although the post on MLB's web site says that other cable companies will follow suit). Cablevision (which is my cable provider) has had a history of terrible negotiations getting cable stations on their systems (like with the YES Network five years ago), so my fingers are crossed it will get done with them quickly.
Here is the post from MLB.com with all the details:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070404&content_id=1879904&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
Thanks to my friend Eddie for passing along the news to me tonight.
Grand News, especially after adding Bud Selig to my "M. Donald Grant" List of various jackasses.
ReplyDeleteI've got to say, the one thing I'd really like to see will probably never come about. That would be a provision that each team must broadcast a set number of its games via a non-cable outlet.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, here in metro Boston, the only way to see even a single Red Sox game (unless carried by Fox) is to buy NESN. I have no problem with this, for me, but my step-father is a huge Sox fan without cable. He's supported the team for 70 years or so, but he gets to see only those games on Fox.
Just a bone to the long-time older fans, you know? Perhaps four or five games on a local outlet.
I absolutely agree, Suldog. Here in NYC, the Mets and the Yankees cut their free TV games down to a precious few last year. Definitely hurts the fans without cable...
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