Indians close to leaving Fox Sports

by JD Arney on Dec 14, 2005 11:19 AM EST in News

This might mean more Reds games on FSN:

The Cleveland Indians appear ready to move from Fox Sports Net Ohio to Time Warner Cable and other television systems in 2006 to make way for an Indians-run TV network distributed by cable and satellite.
The deal was close to completion Monday, although the parties still had some t's to cross and i's to dot.
Indians spokesman Bob DiBiasio would neither confirm nor deny any agreement. After confirming the deal late Monday afternoon, a Time Warner spokesman backed away later in the day, saying an announcement is forthcoming.
The deal involves the airing of more than 100 Indians games on Time Warner each year, for 10 years at $28 million a year.
[...]
A report in Sports Business Journal on Monday said the new deal was part of an Indians plan to set up their own regional sports network.
There has been talk about such a network before, including the possibility that the Indians would buy a local TV station as the launching pad.

$28 million a year buys a lot of pitching. Why are the Reds always so far behind the curve?

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Does anyone know

how much the reds currently get from its deal with FSN?

by TheDude @ Red Reporter on Dec 14, 2005 11:49 AM EST reply actions

Hmm

Good question. I'd be interested in knowing that too.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. --Oscar Wilde

by JD Arney on Dec 14, 2005 11:51 AM EST up reply actions

Here

This is from 2001:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1297

It's from the late Doug Pappas and says that the Reds received around $8 million from local media. I'm sure that's gone up a little, but it has to still be way less than what the Indians are looking at.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. --Oscar Wilde

by JD Arney on Dec 14, 2005 11:54 AM EST up reply actions

this is funny

"Seattle's $3 million in media revenues was MLB's lowest, half of what the Expos earned, and the most prominent local coverage involved bars that tied the price of happy-hour drinks to Dave Valle's anemic batting average. "

by TheDude @ Red Reporter on Dec 14, 2005 12:32 PM EST up reply actions

Seattle

Weren't they broadcasting games to Japan for christ's sake? Sasaki's first year with them was 2000.

by Brian B on Dec 14, 2005 1:01 PM EST up reply actions

new ownership

The Lindner regime's inability to aggresively pursue new streams of revenue (like local TV networks) is a far greater sin than its failure to develop pitching, in my mind.

The reds are marketed and sold in an absolutely lazy, ordinary fashion.

by bobestes on Dec 14, 2005 12:51 PM EST reply actions