It is now official. The Dodgers’ deal with Time Warner Cable, which This Space discussed in Sunday’s column, was announced Monday, and while
the terms were not announced, between $7 billion and $8 billion over 25
years starting in 2014 seems to be the consensus.
(Also, a subscriber fee of $9 to carry both SportsNet LA, the new Dodgers’ channel, and the existing TWC SportsNet and Deportes outlets
for the Lakers and Galaxy is apparently being floated . and won’t that
thrill DirecTV, Dish Network, and all of those cable providers who
aren’t named Time Warner when the time comes for channel placement next
spring.)
Dianabol powderEssentially, Guggenheim Baseball the Dodgers’ ownership group has created a new entity, American Media Productions LLC, which will run the
network. Time Warner will handle advertising and affiliate sales and
will have “certain branding and programming rights” in addition to being
the charter distributor throughout Southern California and Hawaii,
according to Monday morning’s release (see below).
Most reports are indicating there will not be a special Spanish channel for the Dodgers, which would suggest that TWC’s Deportes channel
will handle Dodgers’ Spanish programming as well as that of the Lakers
and Galaxy.
One bottom line besides, of course, the $7 billion to $8 billion is that the Dodgers will control content to a degree they haven’t during
their relationships with Fox Sports’ Prime Ticket and with KCAL/Channel
9, both of which will last through the end of the 2013 season. (That
could become more of a factor going forward, as we examine a few
paragraphs down.)
The catch is that Major League Baseball still has to sign off on this agreement. You can rest assured Bud Selig’s people will be going over
this contract carefully, since the establishment of a new network
supposedly involving more risk for the team and less guaranteed revenue
is primarily designed to shield money from baseball’s profit sharing
process.
Again, is this potentially a tipping point in the relationship between cable/satellite providers and sports entities? That’s the
initial take in many quarters, although as was noted in The Column,
University of Michigan sports economics professor Rodney Fort thinks we
have a long way to go before we reach that point.
There may in fact be a subtle change happening in the relationship, with the programming provider ultimately dictating terms and now, with
the Dodgers creating an entity to run the network, exercising even
Oxandrolone For Sale Powder more control.
“We should take a step back and wonder, what do the producers of the original programming source see down the horizon, and what are they
thinking about?” Fort said, using the Big Ten Network as an example.
Back in the day, the teams and leagues got the money and ABC or ESPN would Dianabol Australia Price roll into town and Boldenone Acetate
Reddit,Anadrol 50 Cycle,Buy Methandienone Dianabol produce the product.
Now, Fort said, “the universities are producing the signal. It’s their
equipment, their production staff. I think this is the revolution,
because the Big Ten Network says that now there’s a whole variety of
ways we can sell this signal.”
