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Monday, March 12, 2007

The Biz of Baseball: Will Cable Try to Bulk-Buy MLB.TV Subscriptions?

From Will Clark to Will Cable...another thrilling endgame!

In an interesting twist to the Extra Innings / DirecTV deal, cable may opt to go the online route, as opposed to trying to match DirecTV’s offer of placing the MLB Channel on the basic tier.

To compete, iN Demand may take an interesting side route to keep from losing customers to DirecTV: offer free or deeply discounted access to MLB.TV, the MLBAM controlled online version of Extra Innings.

...Such a tactic would surely raise the ire of MLB through MLB Advanced Media. While Ourand and Fisher could not get anyone on record, they did report that a senior MLB official said “we will not allow any of our assets to be used to undermine this deal” through an effort such as bulk buying of MLB.TV subscriptions.

Repoz Posted: March 12, 2007 at 07:16 PM | 26 comment(s)
Related News: General, Media, Television

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1. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: March 12, 2007 at 09:44 PM (#2311072)

If Comcast offered me MLB.TV for $10 a month, I'd seriously consider it.

2. The Orodruin of DOOM Posted: March 12, 2007 at 09:55 PM (#2311076)

Here's what worries me: if MLB is successful in driving lots of customers to MLB.tv, will their service be even slower than it has been in year's past.

3. The Orodruin of DOOM Posted: March 12, 2007 at 09:55 PM (#2311077)

Here's what worries me: if MLB is successful in driving lots of customers to MLB.tv, will the service be even slower than it has been in years past? The better be prepared to handle the bandwidth or I'll be hopping mad.

4. The Orodruin of DOOM Posted: March 12, 2007 at 09:56 PM (#2311080)

Hey! I wasn't done with number 2!

5. rembini06 Posted: March 12, 2007 at 10:43 PM (#2311095)

MLBAM effectively buys a series of big Internet tubes from Akamai. Bandwidth shouldn't be a problem.

6. thedad01 Posted: March 12, 2007 at 10:54 PM (#2311097)

I have MLB-tv on Comcast again this year. It is still streaming video and it still hesitates and jerks regularly during the game even with an AMDx64 Dual Core processor. Tomorrow I am getting DirecTV, interestingly enough, on the recommendation of my 81 year old mother. Goes to show you who is the tekkie in our family.

7. Paul DepoProvera Posted: March 12, 2007 at 11:41 PM (#2311114)

I have MLB-tv on Comcast again this year. It is still streaming video and it still hesitates and jerks regularly during the game even with an AMDx64 Dual Core processor.

Sounds like the Slowskis are running Comcast Cable.

8. Larry Mahnken Posted: March 12, 2007 at 11:44 PM (#2311115)

Sounds like the Slowskis are running Comcast Cable.

Your standing there isn't helping.

9. ST in VA Posted: March 13, 2007 at 12:15 AM (#2311126)

I am a pro business guy, but it is very sickening how Comcast has such cutsie commmercials. They are pure evil, and this is coming from someone who is a Walmart fan.

10. Where's Vince Lloyd Now That We Need Him?(sjs1959) Posted: March 13, 2007 at 12:40 AM (#2311135)

Put it this way: I had Time Warner, I now have comcast thanks to their swapping some markets, and I would LOVE to have Time Warner back.

I can't even pay online any more, the bastards.

11. AJM Misses Brodeur Posted: March 13, 2007 at 12:53 AM (#2311141)

I can't even pay online any more, the bastards.

Same here. I can't even get the channel lineup on their website.

12. seeking a clever screen name since 1999 Posted: March 13, 2007 at 08:24 AM (#2311187)

Ad me to the "Comcast sucks" chorus. They took over my service from Adelphia, and immediately raised rates while the picture quality on a half dozen channels went to hell. But the best part is how they keep sending me promotional literature about all the great new services available in my area that aren't actually available in my area.

13. Randy Jones Posted: March 13, 2007 at 09:11 AM (#2311207)

Comcast does indeed suck, however, I can't complain too much as they have paid my cable bill for me for the past 5 months. Shhh, no one tell them this!

I have MLB-tv on Comcast again this year. It is still streaming video and it still hesitates and jerks regularly during the game even with an AMDx64 Dual Core processor.

For various reasons, your processor doesn't much matter for this sort of thing. It's much more about the bandwidth and if you have a cable connection, the issue is almost assuredly the bandwidth on their end and not yours.

14. Shredder Posted: March 13, 2007 at 10:06 AM (#2311233)

I can't even pay online any more, the bastards.

That's weird. I have Comcast and I have may bill paid automatically every month.

With the season at hand, this author is getting besieged with emails asking when the deal will be in place so that a decision can be made to jump to DirecTV or stay put. The problem is… you may not know until the first pitch on Opening Day is thrown out.

Well, you're guaranteed to have access if you switch to DirecTV, so if you want to make sure you get the package, the sooner you switch, the better.

Personally, I've decided to call MLB's bluff. If something happens and the package is available on cable, I'll get it. If it's exclusive to DirecTV, I won't be watching much, if any, baseball this year. I've been a loyal customer for a few years now, and if baseball no longer wants my business, than so be it. I'll survive.

15. Rafael Bellylard (p8p) Posted: March 13, 2007 at 10:22 AM (#2311242)

I'm with Shredder on this. I'm happy with my cable service here, and was unhappy enough with my DirecTV when I lived in California to cancel it. I feel no need to get them back just for the baseball package.

Between this and the perennially crappy product that is put on the field in St. Pete, I'll probably find myself watching and paying attention to baseball less and less this year. I've gone to at least one game a season since the early 60's, and don't see myself doing that this year.

16. bunyon Posted: March 13, 2007 at 10:26 AM (#2311244)

Statheads are killing baseball!

17. zonk Posted: March 13, 2007 at 10:27 AM (#2311246)

Comcast does suck - but so does every ISP (Comcast is my 6th, counting my university connection and dial-ups from way back). The only good ISPs are the small boutiques - but you (usually) have to pay a premium and have to have the time and patience to handle issues on your own (not to mention the expertise).

If you'll allow me to spread a bit of conspiracy theory - I think they're all sucking on purpose in order to defeat net neutrality so they can start juicing content providers and charge both ends of an internet transaction. It's a big ploy so they can say "See? If you let us run the internet our way - we could fix these problems."

18. TFTIO Posted: March 13, 2007 at 10:29 AM (#2311247)

The problem with that theory, zonk, is that it would require the various loathesome ISPs to act in concert, displaying a level of corporate intelligence that is, fundamentally, alien to them.

19. Randy Jones Posted: March 13, 2007 at 10:30 AM (#2311248)

Comcast does suck - but so does every ISP (Comcast is my 6th, counting my university connection and dial-ups from way back). The only good ISPs are the small boutiques - but you (usually) have to pay a premium and have to have the time and patience to handle issues on your own (not to mention the expertise).

This is not true. I had Cablevision for a long time and their cable modem service was excellent. Also, if it's available in your area, Verizon FIOS is basically unbeatable right now in terms of price and performance.

20. Shredder Posted: March 13, 2007 at 10:34 AM (#2311250)

I've absolutely never had a problem with Comcast internet. I've had a few issues with cable, and the service could be better (the DVR tends to have a mind of its own sometimes), but no moreso than I've ever had with cable.

The internet has been perfect so far, though.

21. TFTIO Posted: March 13, 2007 at 10:37 AM (#2311255)

Comcast quality varies wildly, depending largely on your local franchisee that they bought out. Here in the Bay Area, they're unbelievably bad. DirecTV, on the other, anecdotal hand, has never given me even the tiniest bit of trouble.

22. zonk Posted: March 13, 2007 at 10:53 AM (#2311268)

You guys must be loads of fun at Oliver Stone movies...

23. TWO!-OH!-OH!-OH! CLAP!-CLAP!-CLAP!CLAP!CLAP! Posted: March 13, 2007 at 11:37 AM (#2311294)

Put it this way: I had Time Warner, I now have comcast thanks to their swapping some markets, and I would LOVE to have Time Warner back.

I had Comcast but now have TW, thanks to that same swapping and would love to have Comcast back. TW, at least in Dallas, sucks like a Dyson.

24. Holliday in Alameda (jonathan) Posted: March 13, 2007 at 08:57 PM (#2311623)

Comcast quality varies wildly, depending largely on your local franchisee that they bought out. Here in the Bay Area, they're unbelievably bad.

I was home for Spring Break last week and for like two hours all the cable just went blank. It was the worst thing I've ever seen. Comcast in the Bay is indeed terrible, terrible, terrible.

25. Holliday in Alameda (jonathan) Posted: March 13, 2007 at 08:58 PM (#2311624)

I should also add that during this same week a block of four channels (ESPN-ESPN 2-Fox-TBS) froze for like a half hour during the middle of the Cal-UCLA game.

I mean really, it's powerful bad.

26. mike f Posted: March 13, 2007 at 09:58 PM (#2311646)

I've never had a problem with Cox. Brighthouse has been decent so far, especially because I'm getting free basic cable for some unknown reason. Comcast has been the pits.

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The Biz of Baseball: Will Cable Try to Bulk-Buy MLB.TV Subscriptions?

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