The Battle Over DirecTV Continues
I’ve written about each round of the DirecTV brouhaha so far, so I might as well keep it updated.
There’s now rumors flying about (from CNN Money, no less) that the still-unannounced exclusive DirecTV deal is about to bite the dust.
From CNN Money:
One source familiar with negotiations said he now believes that the Extra Innings package will remain available to all three services.
“I’d be surprised if the DirecTV deal goes through,” he said.
The key isn’t likely to revolve around more money, but an agreement by the cable operators to provide broader carriage for a Baseball Network which MLB intends to start operating in 2009.
DirecTV had been willing to let all 15 million of its subscribers have the new Baseball Network right from the start, as well as helping with some of the start-up costs, according to multiple sources. It isn’t willing to be as helpful to MLB’s upstart network if it doesn’t gain the advantage of an exclusive deal on Extra Innings, though.
But after initially rebuffing the MLB demands for carriage of the Baseball Network, the cable operators are now coming around, according to the industry source.
“There will be a commitment to carry the Baseball Network (on cable),” said the industry official. “Where it will be placed, that still needs to be sorted out.”
So, much like the NFL Network, it’s all about where the channel is placed. Consumers are caught in the middle, hoping this gets resolved soon and doesn’t end up costing them twice as much as it should.