DirectTv taking over the sports world

[L.A. Chieffan]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/la-sp-extrainnings8mar08,1,5106441.story?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=1&cset=true

Looks like you Royals fans living outside the KC area (are there any?) will have to bite the bullett and get directtv for MLB extra innings.

Edit- Gotta have LA times screenname. Synopsis:
A proposed deal by Major League Baseball that would give its Extra Innings pay package exclusively to DirecTV "is imminent," according to two sources close to the negotiations, and could be announced as soon as today.

The deal, in which DirecTV would pay MLB $100 million a year over seven years, has been mired in controversy since it was first reported in January. But with opening day only a few weeks away, there is a growing sense of urgency.


Who cares, baseball sucks in
3
2
1

[Simplex3]

Every sport that does this is one step closer to me not ever watching them again. If it doesn't show up on cable with the first optional tier it won't be showing at casa-de-Simplex3. At my age if I drop something it's not likely to find it's way back into my list of things to do for a long while.

[Adept Havelock]

F them, and F their little monopoly. I can do without.

[cookster50]

This is old news.

[Skip Towne]

Hahahaha. We gotcha, suckers. Pay up.

[Reerun_KC]

What is the Royals?

[crazycoffey]

Royal Fan = Oxymoron

[bogie]

I'm not sure I follow. Correct me if I'm wrong. Regarding football, if I want to watch the Chiefs and I don't have dish, I gotta go to a sports bar, or hope it's network, right? Is there something I'm missing re, baseball? Is this similar to the NFL package? I watch the Chiefs every week. If I'm a Royals fan, with this package can I watch the Royals every week etc.?

[L.A. Chieffan]

I'm not sure I follow. Correct me if I'm wrong. Regarding football, if I want to watch the Chiefs and I don't have dish, I gotta go to a sports bar, or hope it's network, right? Is there something I'm missing re, baseball? Is this similar to the NFL package? I watch the Chiefs every week. If I'm a Royals fan, with this package can I watch the Royals every week etc.?
It's the same thing as NFL Ticket. You can see baseball games of out of market teams.
Personnaly I don't care since all the Dodger games are televised where I live plus I already have directv so if I ever turn into a fantasy degenerate I can still get it.

[Valiant]

So what does this do the Royals network and the Yankees network???

Can those companies still package their games to everyone??

[Valiant]

Dang looks like Cable fought back...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2806948

[Valiant]

Updated: March 21, 2007, 12:51 PM ET
MLB to look into iN Demand's 'Extra Innings' offerAssociated Press


NEW YORK -- Baseball's "Extra Innings" package of out-of-market games might wind up staying on cable television.

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.

As part of the offer, iN Demand also said it would carry The Baseball Channel when it launches in 2009 to at least the same number of subscribers who will get the channel on DirecTV.

"As the current home for 'Extra Innings' for more than 200,000 cable subscribers, we have extended ourselves to do our best to be able to continue to provide this package to baseball fans and our customers," iN Demand president Robert Jacobson said. "This offer meets all the conditions set forth by MLB last week.

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, said he would have to find out details of iN Demand's offer before commenting.

"Extra Innings" had more than 500,000 television subscribers last year plus about 60 percent more on MLB.com, the sport's Web site.

EchoStar Communications Corp.'s Dish Network also has carried the "Extra Innings" package. There was no immediate word whether Dish also would match the offer.

IN Demand is owned by Time Warner Entertainment-Advance/Newhouse Partnership, Comcast iN Demand Holdings Corp and Cox Communications Holdings Inc.