Bad news for us out of town Astros fans

How does Directv pull these deals off? Are they pulling in that much money to pay for these exclusive contracts? They must be paying a ton of cash.

 

Have you heard anything new? I'm jonesing for the MLB Extra Innings, like bad. I want to fall asleep listening to Vin Scully call a Dodgers game again. Dude just pwns.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2775761

WASHINGTON -- The government is investigating a proposed deal between Major League Baseball and DirecTV Inc. that has had fans in a tizzy.

MLB reportedly seeks to strike an exclusive deal with the satellite television provider to offer its "Extra Innings" baseball package. Disclosure of the Federal Communications Commission's investigation of any such deal came in a letter from FCC chairman Kevin Martin that Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., released Thursday.

The programming option allows baseball fans who live outside the markets of their favorite teams to watch them play for an extra fee. It is currently available to a number of cable and satellite television providers.

Kerry had asked Martin to investigate the "proposed $700 million television deal that could deny many consumers the ability to watch their favorite teams."

Martin, in reply, wrote Kerry: "I share your concerns regarding this proposed deal."

The chairman added that he understood the package had been available to 75 million cable and satellite viewers for the past several years, and would only be viewable by DirecTV customers if a deal were signed.

"I am concerned whenever consumers cannot purchase the programming they want or are forced to purchase programming they don't want," Martin wrote.

DirecTV has never confirmed that the widely reported deal even exists. Robert Mercer, director of public relations for DirecTV, declined to comment late Thursday.

Martin wrote that the agency has "contacted the parties and requested additional information about their proposed arrangement. Once we have this information, we will report to you on the deal's implications for consumers and any recommended changes to the law to ameliorate any harms to consumers."

 

Time Warner in New York City is offering MLB Extra Innings, btw.

 

I live in Grapevine and last season they showed a lot of the Astros games on ch. 639 for free. It's like a FSN alternate channel that plays Astros games for some reason. They black out the Rockets games on this channel though but let's hope they play the Astros this season.

 

If you're in one of these zip codes (http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/components/video/tv_2003/zip_hou.html) you'll be blacked out of Astros games on TV or via MLB.TV.

I just wish the Mavs played in Arlington as well, maybe they'd show the Rockets games up here too!

 

I bought a slingbox yesterday. I haven't tested it outside my network. The ability to watch the Rockets, Astros, Aggies, Longhorns, and uhh Texans makes me happy in the pants.

 

I'm in one of those zip codes in austin. Is it going to change? in the past we didn't get all the games but we got most

 

Seriously? How are they able to do this if Direct TV and MLB have an agreement?

This is seriously PISSING me off.

 

You will continue to get most of the games on cable.

The blackout is for PPV (Extra Innings).

 

Because it's not exactly an exclusive deal, not yet anyways.

Long story short, Dish Network & the cable companies who carried Extra Innings in the past can still provide that service, they just have to agree to the same rate structure that DTV is paying and also agree to carry the MLB Channel.

Explained here: http://sports.myway.com/news/03082007/v8645.html

There's also a potential go-around by the cable companies: offering free/discounted access to MLBTV, baseball's online game broadcasts.

More here: http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=861&Itemid=52

 

I live in CS and I have Dish Network but I can't get every Stros game ? How do you do it and what do you have (dish ? cable ?)

 

I follow the possible changes for the MLB package.

We are moving to Austin in a few weeks and I am curious about the Houston coverage there.

What % of Astros games are televised there (what network FSN Southwest?) and, if the Rangers and Astros are both playing at the same time, who will we get?

I figure the Spurs will dominate the NBA coverage, are Rockets games shown when the Spurs are not playing? Or are the Mavericks the "backup" team/broadcast?

I do not dare ask about the Texans, I would imagine that we wil be force fed Cowboys and Titans (VY).

Should I go with cable, Dish Network or Direct TV - Austin gets fewer storms/clouds - so satellite might be an option?

Thanks!

 

Cable in Austin (TW) will get you around three quarters of the astros games, if my memory is correct. They are on Fox sports and weird channels. Austin is more of a Astros town than a rangers town.

No Rockets unless its national, this is a spurs market and thats all there is to it. There have been a lot on TW HD this year, but if you really want them you have to have league pass.

You're pretty much right on the football. We're trying to be Texans fans but they aren't making it easy.

 

Everybody's panties may now be unwadded:

IN Demand said Wednesday it will offer to match the terms of DirecTV's $700 million, seven-year deal with Major League Baseball on behalf its owners, who are affiliates of the companies that own Time Warner, Comcast and Cox cable systems.

As part of the offer, iN Demand also said it would carry The Baseball Channel when it launches in 2009 to at least the same number of subscribers who will get the channel on DirecTV.

"As the current home for 'Extra Innings' for more than 200,000 cable subscribers, we have extended ourselves to do our best to be able to continue to provide this package to baseball fans and our customers," iN Demand president Robert Jacobson said. "This offer meets all the conditions set forth by MLB last week. "

http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/10078184/rss

 

LonghornFan does the HAPPY dance! w00t!!

 

I think they punkd us.

Unbelievable.

 

are you going to do a SAD dance now?

 

Yay verily, thou hast been mightily punk-ed.

Still 10 days to negotiate, I'd imagine they'll get something worked out, though I would also not underestimate MLB's ability to create bad pub & engender ill-will amongst it's fanbase.