Washington, D.C.
(April 1, 2007)
-- Major League Baseball says it's still talking with
cable TV operators about carrying its 'Extra Innings'
package of out of market games.
That's according to a report in today's New York Times.
The deadline for reaching an agreement was scheduled to expire yesterday. But the newspaper reports that the league decided to extend it by one day based on the progress of the negotiations.
That's according to a report in today's New York Times.
The deadline for reaching an agreement was scheduled to expire yesterday. But the newspaper reports that the league decided to extend it by one day based on the progress of the negotiations.
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“We continue to talk,” MLB's Tim Brosnan told The Times. "And we wouldn’t have extended the deadline if we didn’t think we could bring everybody in.”
However, Sports Business Daily quotes sources as saying that a cable deal is only 50-50 at best.
MLB and DIRECTV signed an agreement this month that said the satcaster could have Extra Innings exclusively if other TV providers did not match the offer. The satcaster plans to show most of the games in High-Definition by 2008.
The major sticking point in the cable talks is believed to be MLB's insistence that operators offer its Baseball Channel in basic programming packages when it launches in 2009.
There is no evidence that satcaster EchoStar is involved in the continued negotiations.
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com
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“We continue to talk,” MLB's Tim Brosnan told The Times. "And we wouldn’t have extended the deadline if we didn’t think we could bring everybody in.”
However, Sports Business Daily quotes sources as saying that a cable deal is only 50-50 at best.
MLB and DIRECTV signed an agreement this month that said the satcaster could have Extra Innings exclusively if other TV providers did not match the offer. The satcaster plans to show most of the games in High-Definition by 2008.
The major sticking point in the cable talks is believed to be MLB's insistence that operators offer its Baseball Channel in basic programming packages when it launches in 2009.
There is no evidence that satcaster EchoStar is involved in the continued negotiations.
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com
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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of
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Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial
Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood
Reporter. He can be reached at
swann@tvpredictions.com
or at 703-505-3064.
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