DirecTV exclusive? Wait just a minute...

[HurricaneDavid]

"IN Demand said Wednesday it will offer to match the terms of DirecTV's $700 million, seven-year deal with Major League Baseball on behalf its owners, who are affiliates of the companies that own Time Warner, Comcast and Cox cable systems."

The Link

[MusicMan]

This can't be true... every report I have read has indicated that both Bud Selig and DirecTV are hell-bent on accomplishing more damage to the American lifestyle and competitive practices than anyone since US Steel.

There's just no possiblility that they offered a matching clause, and it was accepted.

[HurricaneDavid]

I'm sure they only offered the matching clause because they assumed it wouldn't be exercised, and that way they could make inDemand out to be the bad guys.  Now that it appears inDemand has offered to match, MLB will have to find a way to turn it down.

Oh, and 11 days until Opening Day.

[MusicMan]

Why?  They get want they want... basic cable exposure for "the baseball channel", and a turnaround of the negative PR.

[HurricaneDavid]

Why?  Because this is MLB we're talking about.  They've gone this far to claim that the monopoly is no big deal and that fans can sign up for DirecTV or MLB.TV.  DirecTV was obviously aiming for exclusivity, just like they have with NFL Sunday Ticket.  I can't imagine DirecTV would have paid what they did if they weren't assured off the record by MLB that they would be the only ones to have Extra Innings.

[Lefty]

Quote:
I can't imagine DirecTV would have paid what they did if they weren't assured off the record by MLB that they would be the only ones to have Extra Innings.

"[DirecTV has] an exclusive arrangement, if that's where it ends up. If these guys (InDemand) take it up in this window, we have a non-exclusive arrangement that works for us.  It's significantly less money for the non-exclusive arrangement." -- DirecTV president Chase Carey, two weeks ago.

[Bench]

Quote:
Why?  Because this is MLB we're talking about.  They've gone this far to claim that the monopoly is no big deal and that fans can sign up for DirecTV or MLB.TV.  DirecTV was obviously aiming for exclusivity, just like they have with NFL Sunday Ticket.  I can't imagine DirecTV would have paid what they did if they weren't assured off the record by MLB that they would be the only ones to have Extra Innings.

Exactly. DirectTV paid a premium just for exclusivity, just like the NFL package, as a way to drum up new business. Obviously, MLB cleared it with them in order to make a matching offer to the other companies, but DirectTV ain't getting what they paid for with this. There's got to be more to it. This is hardly the end of the saga.

[Bench]

Quote:

Quote:
I can't imagine DirecTV would have paid what they did if they weren't assured off the record by MLB that they would be the only ones to have Extra Innings.

"[DirecTV has] an exclusive arrangement, if that's where it ends up. If these guys (InDemand) take it up in this window, we have a non-exclusive arrangement that works for us.  It's significantly less money for the non-exclusive arrangement." -- DirecTV president Chase Carey, two weeks ago.

Well there you have it. This just might work out for everyone afterall.

Thanks.

[Lefty]

Quote:
This just might work out for everyone afterall.

Impossible, not with the Biltburgers, Trilateral Commission & the Gnomes of Zurich trying to bring us down.

[HurricaneDavid]

Update:

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, issued a statement responding to the offer Wednesday.

"The offer to match the terms of the agreement reached by MLB and DirecTV remains open to iN Demand and Dish until the deadline of March 31, 2007," DuPuy said in the statement. "The communication sent to our office today by iN Demand is not responsive to that offer. In spite of their public comments, the response falls short of nearly all of the material conditions (among them requirements for carriage of The Baseball Channel and their share of the rights fees for Extra Innings) set forth in the Major League Baseball offer made to them on March 9."

The Link

[pravata]

Quote:
Update:

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, issued a statement responding to the offer Wednesday.

"The offer to match the terms of the agreement reached by MLB and DirecTV remains open to iN Demand and Dish until the deadline of March 31, 2007," DuPuy said in the statement. "The communication sent to our office today by iN Demand is not responsive to that offer. In spite of their public comments, the response falls short of nearly all of the material conditions (among them requirements for carriage of The Baseball Channel and their share of the rights fees for Extra Innings) set forth in the Major League Baseball offer made to them on March 9."

The Link

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo sports fame hadn't seen DuPuy's slap down when wrote this today 2007 2:17 pm EDT

On Wednesday, iN Demand, a consortium of cable and satellite providers, announced a willingness to match DirecTV's seven-year, $700 million....

(huzzah!)

So if Selig deserved ranting before, he gets raves now. He may have scared the heck out of his fans and risked plenty, but in the end baseball may secure a stronger, more lucrative deal than if he hadn't gambled. It was a cutthroat business maneuver that played out perfectly for him....

Score one for Selig and score a big one for desperate fans.
 Link

Yeah, perfect.  That scamp Selig, all his crazy maneuvers and shenanigans, but it always turns out right for his biggest pals, the fans.  The desperate, desperate fans.

[Lefty]

Quote:
Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, issued a statement responding to the offer Wednesday.

Sounds like a negotiation to me.  They still have 10 days, hopefully it gets worked out.

[pravata]

Quote:

Quote:
Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, issued a statement responding to the offer Wednesday.

Sounds like a negotiation to me.  They still have 10 days, hopefully it gets worked out.

Negotiations are done in private, ass covering is done in the papers.

[Lefty]

True, prav, both MLB & InDemand seem to be setting the other up as the bad guy.

[David in Jackson]

I'm still holding out hope, as I've been a long-time Extra Innings subscriber and won't get Direct TV.  Thanks to John Kerry's saber-rattling?

[JackAstro]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:
Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, issued a statement responding to the offer Wednesday.

Sounds like a negotiation to me.  They still have 10 days, hopefully it gets worked out.

Negotiations are done in private, ass covering is done in the papers.

That's not what The Boras teaches us. No, these are the very best kind of public negotiations. Give it a week, and DuPuy will inform iN Demand through the media that he has received not just matching offers, but significantly higher offers, and from as many as 7 other unnamed television provider  conglomerates. DirecTV then outbids itself by an additional $300 million.

[HurricaneDavid]

From 3/8, but still interesting...

"An Interview with: MLB?s COMMISSIONER ALLAN H. (BUD) SELIG, BOB DuPUY, TIM BROSNAN, AND DIRECTV?S CHASE CAREY"

The Link

[HurricaneDavid]

Just got a letter in the mail today from my cable provider, Cox.  They are offering a free MLB.TV package up to $89.95.  Though I'd still pay the $170 to watch on cable if the inDemand match is somehow approved, I'll take the free MLB.TV... fuck DirecTV.