Extra Innings Exclusively on DirecTV

 

By RICHARD SANDOMIR

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.

 

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.

 

M.L.B., DirecTV and InDemand officials declined to comment.

 

DirecTV is also the exclusive outlet for the N.F.L.?s Sunday Ticket package, for which it pays $700 million annually. Sunday Ticket has about 2 million subscribers; Extra Innings about 750,000, according to The Sports Business Journal.

 

Extra Innings lets subscribers, for a fee, watch about 60 games a week from other local markets except their own.

 

The only other way that fans without DirecTV will be able to see Extra Innings will be on MLB.com?s mlb.tv service, but they must have high-speed broadband service. About 28 million homes have high-speed service, less than half the number of cable homes in the country. The picture quality of streamed games is not as good as what is available on cable or satellite.

 

DirecTV is available to about 15 million subscribers.

 

Last month, Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, who was then the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, cited DirecTV?s exclusivity with Sunday Ticket as a reason to strip the N.F.L. of an antitrust exemption to negotiate all TV contracts for its teams. Comcast, which has complained that it cannot carry Sunday Ticket, is a Philadelphia-based company.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/20/sports/b...agewanted=print

 

MLB at least has the MLB.tv product to sell...but going with DirecTV only just sucks. Fact is DirecTV is the worst TV provider I have ever dealt with. Comcast, Dish Network, and dare I say even Time Warner Cable are better in billing, technology, and value than DirecTV.

 

Anyways, at least we have MLB.tv which is the Internet Video Package.

 

Maybe with EMBARQ dumping Earthlink they can strike a deal with MLB and use the previously Earthlink-bound money to include MLB.tv for all EMBARQ DSL subscribers.

 

/pipedream

 

:lol

Damn that does suck!!! I mean MLB.tv is fine with me but I use to get the extra Innings package with Comcast

I actually think you may see the NFL forced to drop their exclusivity with DirecTv thanks to our friends in Congress.

 

 

 

And as much as they ride baseball's balls, good luck in them trying to make that happen long term. Frankly, once DirectTv loses these rights deals, their next step is going belly up.

DirecTV is not in good shape at all.

 

Dish Network is going to win the Direct Broadcast Satellite battle and the Cable Companies are going to then go for a drive against the Telephone Companies and Verizon's FiOs and AT&T's U-Verse.

f***. Don't do it.

DirecTV is not in good shape at all.

 

 

like i said, if not for that sweet NFL package, they are out of business by now.

exclusive right deals ruin everything that is competitive business and turns certain companies into monopolies. i hate it.

 

at least the mlb.tv package keeps things somewhat fair for non directv people unlike the nfl.

Baseball again whoring themselves and giving it to the fan in the rear!

Yeah this sucks immensly.

 

Everyone I know that has/had Direct TV doenst like it as much as say, Comcast.

 

I really enjoyed MLB Extra Innings last year. I found myself really getting into the West Coast games (especially the Dodger broadcasts).

 

 

Maybe you can keep us posted Cape if any new info comes out.

 

:banghead

Well this really sucks. i just looked last week into getting extra innings for the 2007 season on digital cable. Hopefully it doesnt go through for this season.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

 

I can't get satellite, let alone Direct TV. Sons of bitches. I love my digital cable with MLB Extra Innings. I have MLB TV too, but thats only my second option. I hope to god I don't have to put up with lagginess and sh*tty resolution for the entire season.

 

These exclussive rights are such a pain in the ass. First the MLB rights went to the MLB 2k series over EA sports, and now this garbage. Man am I pissed. :banghead

I had digital cable back in California and now that I'm back in Florida, I have DirecTv. It sucks. I wish I could still get digital cable.

DirecTV is not in good shape at all.

Not true.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=DTV&t=...&q=l&c=

 

DirectTV is at historic highs in terms of stock valuation. Their profit margin is high, their ROI is high, their revenue is high, and their year over year quarterly earnings growth is at almost 300%. Also, their net income is more than double that of DISH [$1.19B versus $588.3M]. They are, in fact, one of the better buy opportunities for investors.

 

FWIW, here's an article from last week where Jim Cramer jumps on the DirectTV bandwagon: http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070117/24371_id.html?.v=1

 

You don't have to like the idea, but DirecTV is doing great as a business.

 

Disclosure Statement: Yankeefan21 does not own shares in DTV or DISH as of the publication of this document

is this a done deal? will i be able to get the package thru comcast for the upcoming season?

i actually think cable's bills are way too high, the main reason why we switched to directv back in 2003 when we moved to south florida. maybe cable fix their act, but i'm not likely to change from directv for a while. and plus, they have some of the east-west stations for some channels i like.

 

but i do have exclusive deals.

DirecTV is not in good shape at all.

Not true.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=DTV&t=...&q=l&c=

 

DirectTV is at historic highs in terms of stock valuation. Their profit margin is high, their ROI is high, their revenue is high, and their year over year quarterly earnings growth is at almost 300%. Also, their net income is more than double that of DISH [$1.19B versus $588.3M]. They are, in fact, one of the better buy opportunities for investors.

 

FWIW, here's an article from last week where Jim Cramer jumps on the DirectTV bandwagon: http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070117/24371_id.html?.v=1

 

You don't have to like the idea, but DirecTV is doing great as a business.

 

Disclosure Statement: Yankeefan21 does not own shares in DTV or DISH as of the publication of this document

 

Except News Corp. just dumped the "turdbird" (their word, not mine) to Liberty along with 3 FSN channels in exchange for getting rid of Malone.

 

Hughes was almost killed by DirecTV, GM was dying with it, and now News Corp has passed it on. Problem is DirecTV cannot compete in the two-way market (VOD and Broadband Internet) as efficiently and inexpensively as the cable, telephone, and even Dish Network can.

 

Stock value gives you nothing about the company's costs to aquire a customer.

Problem is DirecTV cannot compete in the two-way market (VOD and Broadband Internet) as efficiently and inexpensively as the cable, telephone, and even Dish Network can.

While not as robust as fiber to the curb, Direct TV and DISH offer competitive broadband internet speeds. Cable and telephone companies have already laid out the initial investment in copper and fiber, so both staellite companies are playing some catchup. With that said, it is no more expensive for Direct TV to launch a new satellite than it is for DISH Network, so they have exactly the same obstacles and costs. And oh, by the way, Direct TV is getting the job done with less than half the workforce required by DISH offering them a substantial savings on salaries and benefits with a clear impact on the bottom line profitibility of the company.

 

They need to start getting into bed with Sirius and XM to maximize the value of a satellite and have some measure of cost sharing. THEN, their profits will soar - no pun intended.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

 

I can't get satellite, let alone Direct TV. Sons of bitches. I love my digital cable with MLB Extra Innings. I have MLB TV too, but thats only my second option. I hope to god I don't have to put up with lagginess and sh*tty resolution for the entire season.

 

These exclussive rights are such a pain in the ass. First the MLB rights went to the MLB 2k series over EA sports, and now this garbage. Man am I pissed. :banghead

This statement reflects nearly my exact sentiment.

I love DirecTv - much more than digital cable

I love DirecTv - much more than digital cable

Thanks for your contribution. Not all of us live in areas where we can get satellite.

 

i grew up in an area where we couldn't get cable and had to rely on a rooftop antenna - really don't feel bad for you

 

i've also lived many places where I couldn't get directv and had cable forced upon me

 

now I have a choice of both and I like DirecTv - if others can say they don't like the company or it's product, I can say that I've been very satisfied

i would really like to know if this is final... extra innings wont be available on comcast for this coming season?

i would really like to know if this is final... extra innings wont be available on comcast for this coming season?

 

Yea me too.. Whats the update on this? Soley to Direct TV or what? Im getting my HD box from comcast but I want to know if I will be able to order the Extra Innings package for this season... CAPE any new news???

Comcast has communicated to me the following:

 

Major League Baseball has chosen to offer the Extra Innings package of out-of-market baseball games exclusively through DirecTV.

so done deal that mean that direct tv getting right to all sport

this is freakin ridiculous........ i cant see myself watching all the games on my computer..... im spitting fire right now wtf

I don't know if it is a done deal, but Comcast is playing it as such.

 

However, nothing is over until the fat lady sings!