No announced deal for Cablevision yet, but here is an article from Newsday stating that they will have one.
Mets close to TV deal
BY NEIL BEST
STAFF WRITER
SportsNet New York and Cablevision have reached a tentative agreement for
the cable giant to carry the Mets' new regional sports network, a person
familiar with the negotiations said last night.
No contract has been signed, and it is not clear precisely when one will be,
but it appears almost certain that when SNY launches March 16, Cablevision's
3 million customers, most of them on Long Island, will have access to the
channel.
The March 16 fare will feature a Mets-Braves spring training game. Opening
Day is April 3.
It had been believed that SNY was closer to a deal with DirecTV than with
Cablevision, but in recent days, it became increasingly evident that there
would be nothing like the 2002 battle between Cablevision and YES that kept
the Yankees off Cablevision for an entire season.
YES set a precedent by getting placed on expanded basic cable in 2003. Three
years later, SNY and Cablevision primarily were left to haggle over money
rather than any fundamental issues.
SNY is partly owned by Comcast and Time Warner, so it immediately could
count on distribution from those outlets. Cablevision, which until last year
showed the Mets on its MSG and FSNY channels, would have risked alienating
the many Mets fans in its market if it did not carry SNY from the start.
DirecTV most likely will fall into place once the Cablevision agreement is
finalized. Customers of the other major satellite service, Dish Network,
might have a longer wait.
There now will be four regional sports networks in Cablevision's expanded
basic package - YES, SNY, MSG and FSNY.
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
Mets close to TV deal
BY NEIL BEST
STAFF WRITER
SportsNet New York and Cablevision have reached a tentative agreement for
the cable giant to carry the Mets' new regional sports network, a person
familiar with the negotiations said last night.
No contract has been signed, and it is not clear precisely when one will be,
but it appears almost certain that when SNY launches March 16, Cablevision's
3 million customers, most of them on Long Island, will have access to the
channel.
The March 16 fare will feature a Mets-Braves spring training game. Opening
Day is April 3.
It had been believed that SNY was closer to a deal with DirecTV than with
Cablevision, but in recent days, it became increasingly evident that there
would be nothing like the 2002 battle between Cablevision and YES that kept
the Yankees off Cablevision for an entire season.
YES set a precedent by getting placed on expanded basic cable in 2003. Three
years later, SNY and Cablevision primarily were left to haggle over money
rather than any fundamental issues.
SNY is partly owned by Comcast and Time Warner, so it immediately could
count on distribution from those outlets. Cablevision, which until last year
showed the Mets on its MSG and FSNY channels, would have risked alienating
the many Mets fans in its market if it did not carry SNY from the start.
DirecTV most likely will fall into place once the Cablevision agreement is
finalized. Customers of the other major satellite service, Dish Network,
might have a longer wait.
There now will be four regional sports networks in Cablevision's expanded
basic package - YES, SNY, MSG and FSNY.
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.