The often rancorous dispute between INDemand and MLB over the rights to carry the MLB Extra Innings package was resolved today after the two sides came to an agreement over carrying the MLB Channel that is supposed to start in 2009. Extra Innings will not be exclusively on DirecTV.
INDemand is available on Comcast, Time Warner, and Cox Communications Systems. Local cable systems should be able to make the package available within a day or two.
Score one for MLB. Instead of caving to public pressure and the lobbying power of the cable companies, MLB exercised its leverage and did something not even the NFL could do ...get the cable companies to blink. Now, the MLB Channel will launch to 40 million homes. The revenue opportunity presented by that development cannot be understated.
I think this development is just the beginning for MLB. What baseball has that the NFL doesn't is an abundance of programming. In a network world, the NFL's limited, but high profile content is king, but in an Internet/on-demand world, MLB's extensive content becomes more lucrative.
The only loser in this deal are the cable companies...not because they got a bad deal, but because they weren't able to strong arm like they usually do.
I think this development is just the beginning for MLB. What baseball has that the NFL doesn't is an abundance of programming. In a network world, the NFL's limited, but high profile content is king, but in an Internet/on-demand world, MLB's extensive content becomes more lucrative.
The only loser in this deal are the cable companies...not because they got a bad deal, but because they weren't able to strong arm like they usually do.
Thank you, John Kerry... ;-)
Hey Bob, that swift boat commercial against Chase Carey and his mustache must have worked.
6 Well put.
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