Comcast, Cox and Time Warner say they will carry the package, which includes up to 60 out of market games a week. Other cable operators are likely to announce their plans in the next few days.
However, less clear is whether EchoStar subscribers will have access to the package.
High-Definition plans were also not immediately known, but cable operators have previously shown some Extra Innings games in HD on INHD, which is owned by In Demand, the cable group that negotiated the new deal with the league.
____________________________________________
MLB and DIRECTV signed an agreement last month that said the satcaster could have Extra Innings exclusively if other TV providers did not match the offer by last Saturday. (The satcaster plans to show most of the games in High-Definition by 2008.)
However, under pressure from congressional leaders, MLB agreed to extend negotiations with other TV providers past the Saturday deadline. In Demand and the league announced the new agreement last night.
As part of the deal, cable TV's top systems and DIRECTV, will carry MLB's Baseball Channel when it launches in 2009. In Demand, which is owned by Comcast, Cox and Time Warner, agreed that the cable operators would offer the channel to 80 percent of its digital cable subscribers.
That provision means that roughly 40 million cable and satellite viewers will have access to the Baseball Channel in 2009.
In Demand and DIRECTV will also both have an equity stake in the new channel.
"Our chief goal
throughout the process was to ensure that fans would
have access to as many baseball games and as much
baseball coverage as possible," MLB President Bob
DuPuy said in a statement. "With this agreement, the
MLB Channel will launch with an unprecedented
platform."
Rob Jacobson, president of In Demand, echoed that
sentiment:
"We couldn't be happier that we have reached an
agreement with Major League Baseball and are able to
make these games available to baseball fans as we
have for the past five years," he said.
DIRECTV issued a statement saying it was pleased
that the cable agreement will provide the satcaster
with "unique financial benefits." However, DIRECTV
now loses the exclusive rights to the Extra Innings
package.
A MLB spokesman said the league would continue to
negotiate with satcaster EchoStar, according to the
Associated Press. But DIRECTV said it expected
to be the exclusive satellite carrier of the
package.
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