Posted June 10, 200618 yr From Broadcasting & Cable on May 10th After years of red ink on pro sports deals, News Corp. President Peter Chernin says Fox Broadcasting will not renew its deal with Major League Baseball unless it breaks even or see some profit from the deal. Speaking during News Corp.?s quarterly earnings call, Chernin said that Fox has a "very straightforward view" of baseball. "We have enjoyed our relationship with them and are more than happy to renew, if we can make money on the contract. We are not prepared to sign a deal that loses money and we are prepared to walk away," Chernin says. Sports has long been a loss leader for TV networks, which pay up then often bleed hundreds of millions of dollars. Fox itself has lost $200 million over the term of its current six-year, $2.6 billion baseball deal, which expires after the 2006 season. I hadn't put up any updates expecting it to be FOX bluffing, but it seems FOX may really be ready to dump MLB unless another network is willing to share rights with FOX. The FOX Saturday Game of the Week is also a big sticking point. MLB wants to keep it for kids to watch (as they always have) and FOX wants to get rid of it because it loses money. NBC was acting similarly before it lost MLB in 2000 to FOX, wouldn't it be something if NBC and ESPN/ABC came back to steal the rights from FOX. A joint bid for 2007 and beyond is likely. No one network can accomodate MLB except for FOX...and none wants to. NBC has NFL Sunday nights and ABC has NASCAR, College Football, and a strong primetime lineup. If NBC and ABC (ESPN is ABC Sports) do win rights, expect it to be like the old days with them alternating the World Series and All Star Game annually and one doing the NLCS while the other does the ALCS and that switching annually. The last time NBC and ABC cooperated with MLB was during The Baseball Network experiment in 1994-1995. The only problem with that experiment was that while it printed cash for NBC, ABC, and MLB....viewers only got to see local teams on the national TV contract, which made NBC/ABC the exclusive broadcaster for the night, cut off ESPN's Baseball Tonight during its windows, and if you were a Mets fan, for example, in New York...and NBC/ABC had the Yanks...you had radio-only for the night. That system would not likely come back because FOX has figured out how to avoid scheduling issues. My expectation if FOX loses all rights is... All Star Game: NBC and ABC alternate annually. (ABC has ASG, NBC has WS...and vice versa the next year) World Series: NBC and ABC alternate annually. (NBC has WS, ABC has ASG...and vice versa the next year) ALCS: NBC and ABC alternate annually. (ABC has ALCS, NBC has NLCS...and vice versa the next year) NLCS: NBC and ABC alternate annually. (NBC has NLCS, ABC has ALCS...and vice versa the next year) Division Series: NBC and ABC hand it off to ESPN for the most part. Regular Season: NBC and ABC have several primetime MLB game specials throughout the season....maybe each network airing a game every other week on Friday or Saturday nights possibly. (Week A: ABC airs game....Week B: NBC airs game...and so on) This would allow ESPN to carry Saturday Afternoon Baseball possibly. Of course...the odds FOX keeps any rights is about 60%....should be interesting to see what MLB comes up with. Expect fans to get a more modern package of games which is easier to follow and more varied announcing crews.
June 10, 200618 yr f*** the Fox Saturday game. Blacks me out every time because the Marlins have to start at 6 instead of 7.
June 10, 200618 yr I'd hate to see Fox lose it, because nationally, the broadcast and overall presentation Fox puts for baseball is amazing. While I'm sure alot of the local FSN networks leave alot to be desired, the national Fox broadcasts are great.
June 10, 200618 yr Author I'd hate to see Fox lose it, because nationally, the broadcast and overall presentation Fox puts for baseball is amazing. While I'm sure alot of the local FSN networks leave alot to be desired, the national Fox broadcasts are great. I agree, FOX put much love into presenting MLB and has done better than anyone before it. But if they are not willing to pay and air regular season games....MLB keeping them doesn't give fans more games.
June 10, 200618 yr I hate the FoX broadcast. I'd like to see more games on a couple of networks rather than all on Fox-which only airs 1 a week.
June 10, 200618 yr Author Networks May Unite for Baseball Rights By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/5/2006 10:11:00 AM News Corp. is considering a partnership with another network, possibly NBC, to cover the cost of new broadcast rights for Major League Baseball. Only last month, President Peter Chernin said Fox would walk away from baseball if the economics didn?t make sense. Fox holds the broadcast rights to baseball?s post-season through this fall?s World Series, when its six-year, $2.6 billion deal expires. The network has lost $200 million in the deal. Partnering with another network could alleviate some of the financial strain for Fox. One scenario being discussed: The network joins forces with NBC for one post-season package, with the networks alternating the World Series and splitting most of the games from the League Championship Series. Both Fox Sports and NBC Sports declined to comment, as did MLB. A package of two or three day games from the League Championship Series, the entire first-round (MLB?s divisional series) and the regular-season Saturday games of the week could then go elsewhere, with ESPN the most likely candidate. CBS has also had preliminary discussions with MLB but is not a likely suitor given its strength in prime time. Fox?s entertainment division is said to still covet the World Series, but it would be happy to jettison the first two rounds of the post-season. Sports consultant and former CBS Sports President Neal Pilson says he does not expect Fox to carry any first-round games as part of a new deal: ?It is too disruptive for their fall schedule, and Fox wants to pay less.? Fox has enjoyed fourth-quarter success with programming, such as Prison Break, that appeals to its baseball audience. Its strategy of launching shows before the playoffs, then promoting them heavily throughout the playoffs, helped the network to a second straight season title in the adult 18-49 demo. ?All I care about is if [News Corp.] delivers it, I know how to work with it,? says Fox Entertainment President Peter Liguori. But some believe that Fox and baseball still need each other. ?Baseball is a challenge on network TV but still represents an opportunity for Fox,? says John Rash, senior VP for media-buying agency Campbell Mithun. ?The economics of baseball lends itself to major-market series more often, which makes the entire package more palatable for the network.? Another advantage to having baseball is that, with fewer weeks to program regular series in the fall, the network runs fewer repeats. Says Rash, ?Viewers have become highly repeat-resistant.? http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/C...y=Breaking+News
June 10, 200618 yr thank god No kidding. Fox was the one of the worst things that ever happened to MLB. All the bulls*it graphics making this great game look like an arcade. Bring back NBC and bring back Bob Costas. Throw in Vin Scully too for the World Series. Send Tim McCarver and Joe Buck somewhere thats really far away and cold. I'd hate to see Fox lose it, because nationally, the broadcast and overall presentation Fox puts for baseball is amazing. While I'm sure alot of the local FSN networks leave alot to be desired, the national Fox broadcasts are great. Why am I not suprised you said that? :banghead :banghead :banghead
June 10, 200618 yr I love the Fox sports broadcast. Maybe it's just that I'm happy to see the games in any form, because we haven't had the Marlins on local TV in Central Florida in years.
June 10, 200618 yr Author I love the Fox sports broadcast. Maybe it's just that I'm happy to see the games in any form, because we haven't had the Marlins on local TV in Central Florida in years. http://fsnflorida.blogspot.com/
June 10, 200618 yr Bring Bob Uecker back. The Costas/Uecker/Morgan team was fantastic. My all-time favorite announcing crew I read this a few days back. I'd be all for it. I'm a little surprised NBC wants to get back in the mix, but whatever works. Fox does do an excellent job in their broadcasts. While it can be annoying to the avid fan it appeals more to the casual fan.
June 10, 200618 yr Wow, NBC going back to sports people care about. I guess they can't carry themselves on the Olympics, Notre Dame football, and the AFL.
June 10, 200618 yr Please, no Joe Morgan. I won't cry over McCarver losing his job. One of the worst announcers ever. I would much rather have a real announcer, like Uecker, Costas, or Scully do it.
June 10, 200618 yr Author If FOX keeps MLB in any capacity, they need to get a third man in that booth to balance McCarver. McCarver is bearable when he has someone to banter with....during the regular season McCarver is fine with Buck...but he tends to think aloud too much during important primetime games. ESPN should get the entire Division Series unless some other cable network comes in out of nowhere to grab it. The sticking point for MLB will be to keep all League Championship Series games on Broadcast TV and keep a Regular Season package on Broadcast TV...even if it is primetime once a month. I watched FOX's Game of the Week today between the A's and Yankees (regularly scheduled for me was the rain delayed Rangers-Red Sox game) and the Buck-McCarver duo was pleasant to listen to and it seemed like the telecast was almost like an FSN Florida/Marlins telecast with talk, banter, and oh yea...a game going on. The FOX studio show could use a third and fourth person alongside....or how about moving Zelasko to report from the field and putting Chris Myers as host?
June 11, 200618 yr Zelasko does a great job though. What they could use though is a third person at least, a former player for one. And I know Kevin is a former player also, but he is more well known for his managerial skills.
June 11, 200618 yr Bring Bob Uecker back. The Costas/Uecker/Morgan team was fantastic. My all-time favorite announcing crew I read this a few days back. I'd be all for it. I'm a little surprised NBC wants to get back in the mix, but whatever works. Fox does do an excellent job in their broadcasts. While it can be annoying to the avid fan it appeals more to the casual fan. NBC is intersted because they probably won't be airing NASCAR next year. Right Cape?
June 11, 200618 yr Author NBC is intersted because they probably won't be airing NASCAR next year. Right Cape? NBC is losing NASCAR, but gaining the NFL...so MLB would have to watch out for Sunday Nights. Turner Sports (TNT & TBS) may also be interested in bidding the Division Series. They tried to get it when it came out and may try again as TBS will only have 45 Braves games a year once the new deal matures, TNT has only the NBA and some mid-summer NASCAR, and Turner just sold Turner South and wants to avoid laying off many of the Turner South Braves crew. CBS and its new network, The CW, would be talking....but not close to winning. ABC has ESPN bidding for them and ESPN would love to have all of the Division Series and any other playoff and regular season games MLB is willing to let go to cable. ABC only wants the World Series basically. MLB wants the All Star Game, League Championship Series, World Series, and Game of the Week on network TV. FOX wants only the World Series and some LCS games....but MLB still demands more on network TV. In Canada, MLB went with Rogers SportsNet (co-owned with the Blue Jays) as their exclusive TV partner....so cable playoff games could fly if ABC and ESPN pay enough. ABC could send the All Star Game to ESPN in exchange for the Home Run Derby if they pay as well.
June 11, 200618 yr Oh I forgot about the NFL... in any case, thanks babii, I knew I could count on you :wub:
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