You can believe it, but it is simply not true. It was originally an exclusive deal until fans got upset and congress got involved. Only after that, they opened the deal to anyone who matches DirectTV's offer which seems like a good offer but in reality unmatchable by other providers. I actually think it was a smart business move even though I hate it as a fan shifting the blame on the other providers while knowing that it will eventually be exclusive because no one can match it. If anyone complains they can say everyone had a chance. Look at the details on the latest InDemand offer... MLB and DirectTV want it as an exclusive.
INDEMAND will carry MLB EI? No so fast says MLB... How about E*?
- Thread starter Sean Mota
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I'll let the two of you duke it out - But I re-read the original press releases, and it clearly indicates right from the get-go that the other companies were allowed to negotiate and get in the contract with DirecTV. Take the time to re-read it yourself - the deal was open from day 1.
The thing is the deal is matchable by the other providers.
The sticking point in the deal is MLB will not give the other providers the EXACT SAME deal the D* is getting.
The hang up is the equity ownership in the MLB channel. In the deal with D* MLB is giving 20% ownership in the channel. BUT MLB will not give the same ammount of ownership of the MLB channel to the other providers.
Bottom line is E* has offered to EXACTLY match the D* deal with MLB. BUT MLB does not want to give up any more ownership in the MLB channel than they gave D*.
If MLB offered the EXACT SAME deal that D* got and InDemand and E* took the deal MLB would be a minority owner in the MLB channel. And you're not my Bud Selig will not go for that.
That point is correct. And just to further it, if DirecTV now basically has veto power over any deal that is the bitter pill they said that would make the deal impossible to match. There is no way DirecTV will give any of their competitors equity in that baseball channel, thus they, in effect, will squash any possible settlement. With DirecTV having to approve any deal with a competitor, which was admitted by MLB's Bob DuPuy, it is a defacto exclusive deal with DirecTV. DirecTV will never let a deal happen. You can forget about seeing MLBEI on Dish Network or cable.
MLB will not allow Directv to kill a deal if they want to make one, if there is no deal, Congress will slap the MLB with the anti-trust exemption and that's a position the MLB does not want to be in. MLB may have to hand over some $$ to wiggle out of this deal, but there's no way some deal doesn't get made as much pressure is being put on MLB.
The reality is that unless anyone here has actually seen the contract that MLB and D* has then we're all guessing on what the hold up is.
so should we close the thread and just depend on the good will of MLB and DirecTv to discuss the possibilities or should the reports that come out be just drop....If that previous quote does not indicate something fishy going on then we all need a reality check.
So you have personal knowledge that DirecTV is holding up any contract with InDemand and E*, all I see in that post is D* has the right to approve it? It also says that any extensions to the agreement D* has to agree to, so if they really wanted to they could have shut this down back on 3/31 but didn't.
Again, unless you're in the negotiations you're just guessing as to what the hold up is.
Bob DuPuy of MLB admitted this much. He said they have a contract with DirecTV and they are there partners in this. He said DirecTV would have to agree to any ownership deal with Dish or In Demand. That is the poison pill that was put in the contract with DirecTV. DirecTV obviously has the right to veto any other provider getting any ownership. That is what is apparently holding up any deal, so it is a defacto exclusive deal with DirecTV. MLB and DirecTV know this and they are putting on this phoney negotiation to keep the government off their back so they do not lose their anti trust exemption, as you mentioned.
rad, it is obvious that some one was not telling the truth about the exclusivity of this deal. MBL said to congress that INDEMAND and Dish will have access to the same deal that DirecTv did. This was not true according to the facts that have come out in the press. Neither you or I or anyone else has to be there to see that the hold up is DirecTv and the exclusive that they have on the contract. This whole thing has been just an excuse from the beginning by MLB to pass the mea culpa to someone else. Whether you see it or not, DirecTv has an exclusive clause of the 20% stake in the channel which seems to be the hold up since it is not in the best interest of MLB to give another 40% out of that stake. Neither is in the best interest of DirecTv to dilute the 20% interest in the channel. So where does this leave customers? Here the only losers are customers who care about their games... if you do not see this then I do not think you will ever see.. and again we do not have to be part of the negotiations to understand what is going on and what is at stake here for every party involved --- even customers.
You put it better than I did...It is quite a funny negotation put in a theater by MLB and DirecTv when no one else had a chance to get the deal to beging with.
Latest from Biz of Baseball (At least it sounds like there is still hope)
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Written by The Staff Tuesday, 03 April 2007
Face-to-face meetings are still occurring with the parties as of late Tuesday regarding a deal to keep MLB Extra Innings on cable and DISH Networks.
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Written by The Staff Tuesday, 03 April 2007
“We were hoping and expecting that there could be a deal done the last couple of days. Both sides are involved, and they’re continuing to talk,” In Demand spokeswoman Ellen Cooper said.
As mentioned on The Biz of Baseball, the time in which it would take to get Extra Innings back up and running on cable, and presumably DISH would be nominal. As further reported:
f an agreement is reached, In Demand said it is prepared to supply the games to cable operators immediately. “We would be ready, technically, within an hour,” Cooper said.
Sean, I agree with what you've said in this post, the problem I had is with one of your prior posts where you appear to blame D* for holding up any deal since we on the out side really don't know, all we can do is read the press releases from all sides, which of course spin things to make someone else look bad.
Hey...no one is a bigger fan of baseball than I. I know what the in field fly rule is and the 13 ways to commit a balk, but I am at the point of screwing EI. It isn't that big of a f-ing deal. I do miss watching the Mariners since moving to Cincy, but being on the eastern time zone, I wouldn't watch most of the games anyways, as they would mostly start at 10pm here.
EI isn't that big of a deal for me personally, even though I am a huge fan. I can't explain why.
EI isn't that big of a deal for me personally, even though I am a huge fan. I can't explain why.
They're pushing mlb.tv as an option, however, there's this little sentence that negates the usefulness of the archives....
NOTE: Due to broadcast restrictions, new MLB.TV and Condensed Game archives are limited to a playing time of five minutes in duration until 6 am ET on the day following that on which the applicable game commenced play.
So if I want to watch today's Mets game archive I have to wait until tomorrow to do so. I can't sit down tonight at 8pacific when the game is done and watch.
If Dish doesn't get EI it's listening to XM for me when I can.
What a PITA this is all turning out to be.
NOTE: Due to broadcast restrictions, new MLB.TV and Condensed Game archives are limited to a playing time of five minutes in duration until 6 am ET on the day following that on which the applicable game commenced play.
So if I want to watch today's Mets game archive I have to wait until tomorrow to do so. I can't sit down tonight at 8pacific when the game is done and watch.
If Dish doesn't get EI it's listening to XM for me when I can.
What a PITA this is all turning out to be.
here's also the problem with MLBtv.com.
1- is that you may get lots of buffer problem if Dish and INDEMAND do not get it. There is going to be lots of more customers getting it and they will be dissappointed.
2- I heard one guy on the radio that gave such a misleading information about it on the Radio. The hosts were worse because they knew nothing about it. They guy said that all mlbtv.com games were in High Definition. I was keep guessing what he has talking about. The second thing he said that it was very easy to get your TV connected to an internet connection. O how wrong is that? when we all know some of the major hazzards to have an htpc connected in sync with your TV DVI port....
1- is that you may get lots of buffer problem if Dish and INDEMAND do not get it. There is going to be lots of more customers getting it and they will be dissappointed.
2- I heard one guy on the radio that gave such a misleading information about it on the Radio. The hosts were worse because they knew nothing about it. They guy said that all mlbtv.com games were in High Definition. I was keep guessing what he has talking about. The second thing he said that it was very easy to get your TV connected to an internet connection. O how wrong is that? when we all know some of the major hazzards to have an htpc connected in sync with your TV DVI port....
I don't think the negotations are "phony".. The point I was trying to make was I don't see how MLB can get away with NOT making a deal. If cable and Dish don't get rights to EI, Congress will strip their anti-trust exemption. They HAVE to make a deal whether they want to or not.
