# Yankees Net Via a la Carte?



## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

Yankees Net Via a la Carte?

Cablevision, the New York-area cable operator, turned the tables on its carriage negotiations with Yankees Entertainment and Sports (YES) Network. President and CEO James Dolan told YES executives Tuesday that the MSO is willing to carry the channel on an a la carte basis.

In his letter to YES, Dolan said Cablevision will make space available to the network on all its cable systems. YES will set the retail price, and Cablevision will give the network all revenues generated by the channel, Dolan wrote in the letter.

"If this offer is acceptable, we can iron out the details and add The YES Network to all our cable systems in time for opening day," Dolan said.

The letter drew a strong response from YES. Leo Hindery, chairman and CEO at YES, said he was disappointed that "on a matter of such import to the customers of Cablevision and to the fans of the New York Yankees, an alleged personal letter to me from Jim Dolan was given to all of the New York press before I received it."

Hindery went on to say that all YES is asking from the MSO "is that the network be carried by Cablevision in the same manner agreed to by every other multichannel operator in the market, and in the same manner with which the Yankees have been carried throughout the Greater New York area for more than a decade."

Hindery also pointed out that Cablevision "has contractually insisted" that other MSOs carry its sports services - MSG and FOX Sports New York - in basic packages. "Basic carriage provides multichannel viewers with the most favorable economics and with the most reasonable access to diverse and important programming," he said.

YES has seen resistance from multichannel operators about carriage of it programming. DirecTV will offer the network in its packages for New York-area subscribers. But EchoStar has voiced concern about the price YES wants for carriage, and so far hasn't added the channel to its lineup.

Reposted from SKYREPORT Used with Permission


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## Geronimo (Mar 23, 2002)

nobody is an angel here. But I really take issue with the idea that all YES wants is that the network be carried by Cablevision in the same manner agreed to by every other multichannel operator in the market, and in the same manner with which the Yankees have been carried throughout the Greater New York area for more than a decade." 


The Yankees are not being carried in the same manner they have been. They wer once part of a larger RSN. Now the providers must pay for that RSn plus a new one.


And yes I acknowledge that the Cablevision offer is disinfenous. But if YES had dealt with it openly and honestly I would have a lot more sympathy for their position.


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## Kevin (Mar 27, 2002)

I found this in a similar article in the newspaper today:
"YES is seeking to charge Cablevision about $2 a month for each of its 3 million subscribers in the New York-metropolitan area, or a total of $72 million a year. If offered as a premium channel, however, the companies estimate YES will only get $30 million to $36 million."


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