# MLB Extra Innings before Senate



## ret26 (Dec 13, 2006)

I've been watching and the MLB representative is lying like a rug. The guy from ECHOSTAR/DISH and Cable gave great opening statements after MLB & directv and are kicking butt so far. I hope Sen. Kerry doesnt fall for MLB's distortions and lies.

According to the dishnetwork representative as I understood is they agreed to pay for EI but there is some sort of snag regarding the MLB Channel.

http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Home


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

Just so Kerry can't watch the Red Sox while he's in DC is a reason for me to support the D*/ MLB dea.


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## ret26 (Dec 13, 2006)

I was thinking that too but he was very helpful and did kind of side with DISH & cable. :nono:


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

Please specifically list the "lies and distortions" with specific links to the actual facts.


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## chopperjc (Oct 2, 2006)

I have DirectV so do I really care? Is the market better by one operator getting the whole package for a price? Is the market better by everyone having it and going for a fixed price? These are questions that I can't answer but I know congress can't either. :lol: 

Is there a constitution issue regarding airwaves. Should sports because of the nature of the monopoly have special rules.

Survival of the fitest? Or the man with the gold makes the rules.  

What are the opinions out there? Someone convince me.


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

My opinion is it’s bad for the MLB. I had every intention of subscribing to Extra Innings this season. I know jack about baseball and wanted to finally get into it and have other options than just the Yankees and Mets. If Extra Innings doesn’t appear on InDemand, oh well, it’s the MLBs loss.


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## ret26 (Dec 13, 2006)

The guy from MLB was spouting off how there are something like 400 games a season on FOX, ESPN, and RSN's. While this is factually correct, the reason people want EI is they want to see THEIR team and because they moved from the area cant watch them full season. I for one am a Met fan and want to watch every single game. I moved from NY and cant. Selected games shown on FOX or NBC is a crock since you might see your favorite team a couple of times. He spewed crap about the games being available on the internet. Yes they are but how many fans want to gather family and friends around a computer moniter when they have a 60+ inch plasma TV and home theater system in the other room. Luckily Sen. Kerry picked up on it and confronted him.


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

"This was not about maximizing profits for us," MLB prez Bob DuPuy said at the hearing. "What this was about was serving the maximum number of fans with the maximum amount of programming."

Since he was talking about making sure that the upcoming baseball channel would be on DirecTV's basic tier, I guess he's sacrificing today's rabid EI subscribers for tomorrow's casual fans.

The quote is from Multichannel News' article on the hearing: http://multichannel.com/article/CA6428250.html


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## ret26 (Dec 13, 2006)

So they start up an MLB channel. What does that do for fans who live in states outside of their teams broadcasts? He never said if ball games were going to be shown on it. And even if they did, we go back to a person like me living in NC not being able to watch the Mets entire season. We are forced to watch the games they put on. From what I gather at the hearing, DISH & Cable agreed to pay the full amount for EI but MLB tossed in some crap about the MLB channel and that is the sticking point. :lol:


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## twotufruff (Mar 27, 2007)

Check out the article in the Biz of Baseball. It seems like Dish might get Extra Innings.


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## NKy.Yall (Apr 8, 2004)

twotufruff said:


> Check out the article in the Biz of Baseball. It seems like Dish might get Extra Innings.


I will believe it when I see it, Charlie has yet to move on the two biggest sports markets in the U.S. by not adding YES let alone YES-HD as well as NESN-HD, so that tells you right there what Charlie thinks when it comes to sports programming. Will he have the Kaunas to step to the plate and offer up what MLB wants. Or will he sit back and let Kerry try and run the ball for him. I have D* and will see all the E.I. games there is. I also hope that others get a deal worked out with different media`s as well so they can view their fav teams. But with cheap ass Charlie and Kerry the clown involved in way I hope MLB shoves it to them. Be interesting to see how it plays out. I see this headed into litigation before it is all settled one way or the other.


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

twotufruff said:


> Check out the article in the Biz of Baseball. It seems like Dish might get Extra Innings.


Here's the link: http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=930&Itemid=52 It's quoting Tuesday's report from John Ourand and Eric Fisher of the Sports Business Journal. As suggested by Charlie's remarks at the Senate hearing, he's willing to do a similar deal if he gets a similar equity stake in the MLB channel when it launches.


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## papa_azteca (Jan 11, 2007)

The only thing Congress can do is look and consider changing the way the law works for ALL sports broadcasting. This is basicly two companies complaining about the POTENTIAL customers that are not going to have access to something that less than half had last year. I would like to see the numbers broken down by each entity for the subscriber growth for the last 5 years and then tell me how it is fair or unfair.

The MLB has a product it wanted to sell. It presented it's product to all three companies with an additional catch: put their new baseball channel on their basic tier for more customer availability and therefore more money for MLB. (This is no different than what other broadcasters do. I didn't know about the Comcast deal with D* concerning G4 and one of the RSNs). The other 2 said "no" and D* saw an opportunity and made an offer that was very appealing to MLB. Now they are crying "foul"?


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## garn9173 (Apr 4, 2005)

Doesn't Congress have more important things to worry about? 

Where I live, the local cable company, Mediacom, doesn't carry MLB EI, nor do they carry NBA League Pass or NHL Center Ice. Having the pro sports packages exclusive to one satellite provider or the other, ensures that everyone in the country, will have access to the pro sports packages. Heck, it wasn't until 3 or 4 years ago that E* even carried MLB EI.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

I want my YES HD! (on Conus)


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## NKy.Yall (Apr 8, 2004)

n3ntj said:


> I want my YES HD! (on Conus)


Several people do from all over the U.S. but you wont get it with E*, But according to goatboy no on gives a rats ass anyway. I am not a Yankee fan myself. I was just trying to prove a point about Cheap a$$ Charlie. One would think he would try and get a piece of the biggest sports markets in the U.S. but that has not happened yet and never will. Yes in my opinion and I`m sure others, Kerry is a clown !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about fighting corporate greed let him go pitch a ***** fit about the high price of gas, prescription drugs cost for the elderly, the war in Iraq etc. Don't grandstand over damn sports programming. If the common fan wants MLB EI switch to D* and get it. Out of all the Congressman and Senators in this county how many are crying foul over this 2 or 3 maybe. Hell most that were on hand walked out of the proceedings the other day shortly after it started. John Kerry and one or two others were the only ones remaining. I guess thats because he really cares about corporate greed after all. As I said I do HOPE it gets worked out so that as MANY baseball fans as possible get to order IE and see there local teams. I just don't think Congress should come to the aid of Charlie and the cable companies after they did not get the exclusive deal that DirecTV did even though they had the same right to bid on that service. Even if E* got the deal and D* did not I would not like it very well, but I would not want a bunch politicians sticking wha- fors and I-cares into the mix. Who knows what angle they are trying to play. If D* got bumped and E* now had the EI deal and I wanted that package I would simply change providers. Dido for those wanting the NFL ST. You mention leave everything as is was !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man I wish we could all do that to a lot of things, but things change and not much we can do about it, right, wrong or in different they are what they are.


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

Can I get the Yankees in HD from the almighty DirecTV, the self proclaimed and so called sports leader? Problem not solved.


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## heavyobjects (Mar 23, 2007)

Steve Mehs said:


> Can I get the Yankees in HD from the almighty DirecTV, the self proclaimed and so called sports leader? Problem not solved.


If you don't know jack about baseball (your words, not mine), I would suggest forgoing watching the Yankees in HD. Buy that Fred McGriff video instead.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

chopperjc said:


> I have DirectV so do I really care?


It depends on how you feel about the price for the package and whether it goes up substantially at some point to cover the lost audience.


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

heavyobjects said:


> If you don't know jack about baseball (your words, not mine), I would suggest forgoing watching the Yankees in HD. Buy that Fred McGriff video instead.


I'd rather learn from watching the game, like I did with the NFL, NHL and NASCAR. Instructional videos arn't my thing


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## DawgLink (Nov 5, 2006)

harsh said:


> It depends on how you feel about the price for the package and whether it goes up substantially at some point to cover the lost audience.


I suspect that IF the D* sats get up soon and they get that bandwidth they want...they will have many more HD games setup for next year' EI....then prices will go up


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## mapod (Feb 9, 2007)

If every Congressman had the package for free there would be no investigation.


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