As a Uverse customer, you have Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Comcast SportsNet New England. In Texas, you'll need to have the full Sports Package to see those channels. It's nowhere near unprecedented and a pretty stupid reason not to carry a channel.
How am I supposed to read this? I assume he means several hundred million for the Astros, over the course of the deal.
Sounds like he means several hundred million loss for CSN..of which, the Astros are an interest-holder.
Basic problem is that the Astros don't have cash to keep the network afloat until it become profitable so they decided to pull out. This is because Jim Crane bought the Astros with mostly borrowed money that he probably has to pay at a high interest rate. He probably can't borrow another 200mil waiting for the station to become profitable business. Why didn't he know about all this before he bought the Astros.
I don't think anyone expected the offers to be so poor. Comcast is on record saying the same thing. Their attorneys said the same thing in opening statements today. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Comcast attorney says original hope for CSNH profit "simply isn't attainable. ... It will not be as profitable as all parties had hoped."</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/394850804554670080">October 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Postolos: Astros kept asking Comcast to restructure CSNH as of October 2012 “but there was just no way to get them to come to the table.”</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/394925326251196416">October 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Because the broadcast agreement is enough for the Rockets. And also because they hoped that if DirecTV signed on, that there would be a domino effect...that Uverse and others would have to follow. It's a big assumption with a lot of risk, obviously. Who knows how it would have turned out?
Click his name, view profile, add to ignore list. I've already done it to him and it's made this thread much more tolerable.
max, come on dude, $200MM. $40MM, over five years for a 20% stake holder. that's an avg of $8MM in losses for the rockets.
The deal was for DirecTV alone. With no other carriers signing on. We heard repeatedly that there was a domino effect here..that if one signed, the others would have to. The Rockets apparently put faith in that when the Astros didn't. I have no idea who of them is right. It's entirely possible if the Astros had taken that deal that they'd have obtained other deals with different carriers by now.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Most of this afternoon's CSNH hearing discussion involves offers and counteroffers between NBC, DirecTV and others in 2012-13.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/394927934089068546">October 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>These figures are not being made available for viewing on the courtroom screens because NBC/Comcast demands that they be kept secret.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/394928220144820225">October 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At this point it's hard to say the Astros or anyone that's a part of CSNH, knows why they're having trouble getting a deal. Can't imagine having Comcast in the name is that big of an issue
I don't think either of them want a competitors name on their Network. I agree with Postolos there . These days these network affiliations are forced by the teams.
Of course that's the problem, plus taking verbal revenue projections for a start up company from the guy trying to unload the team as gold. Not factoring in that the current carriage rates for 40% of your potential viewership would drop if you signed carriage deals below their (comcast) rates was stupid too. Cranes defense. I'm new, your honor.
If you can somehow work in a "I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you bad mouth the United States of America....Gentlemen!" quote from Animal House, I'd buy you a year's worth of whatever you want.
