Cubs TV Deal Stuff

[Guest]

I don't get your question. It seems pretty clear what that means.

I don't get how you people could possibly pretend it is not open to interpretation.

 

The topic is selling TV rights, that's a multi-year thing. I've heard the sprint vs a marathon comparison before, but crawling? No.

 

Because his statement very easy to interpret at first glance.

[Ryne Ween]

I want Theo and Ricketts to stop talking about a world series. Its not an all or nothing porposition especially if you are talking about tv ratings. These past few years are gonna make the selling of the TV rights that much more difficult.

 

The buyers are gonna come to a valuation based on the expected ratings. I assume they will look at historical ratings in that process.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

The Cubs can lose 100 games for the next 10 years and their TV rights would still be worth a bazillion dollars.

[Guest]

The Cubs can lose 100 games for the next 10 years and their TV rights would still be worth a bazillion dollars.

nah

[SouthSideRyan]

The Cubs can lose 100 games for the next 10 years and their TV rights would still be worth a bazillion dollars.

 

Yeah, I have no idea why you wouldn't think the Cubs being [expletive] terrible wouldn't adversely affect ratings, and why terrible ratings wouldn't affect their contract.

[rocket]

so if fox bought up the wgn games, what would happen? is there a fox sports channel for the chicago area, or would one have to be created? i always thought there was just the comcast sports channel for you guys.

[Guest]

so if fox bought up the wgn games, what would happen? is there a fox sports channel for the chicago area, or would one have to be created? i always thought there was just the comcast sports channel for you guys.

 

it would be fox local. they can't broadcast on two competing cable networks.

 

after CSN is up, then fox could conceivably start an RSN for all of the games.

[Banedon]

so if fox bought up the wgn games, what would happen? is there a fox sports channel for the chicago area, or would one have to be created? i always thought there was just the comcast sports channel for you guys.

 

Yeah, no Fox Sports Chicago...just Comcast. I assume they would run on the local Fox station.

[jersey cubs fan]

so if fox bought up the wgn games, what would happen? is there a fox sports channel for the chicago area, or would one have to be created? i always thought there was just the comcast sports channel for you guys.

 

it would be fox local. they can't broadcast on two competing cable networks.

 

after CSN is up, then fox could conceivably start an RSN for all of the games.

 

Fox 32 (it's still 32 right?, even if your cable network has it on a different channel? I remember my parents house had it on Channel 12) would just replace all the channel 9 games.

[Guest]

so if fox bought up the wgn games, what would happen? is there a fox sports channel for the chicago area, or would one have to be created? i always thought there was just the comcast sports channel for you guys.

 

it would be fox local. they can't broadcast on two competing cable networks.

 

after CSN is up, then fox could conceivably start an RSN for all of the games.

 

Fox 32 (it's still 32 right?, even if your cable network has it on a different channel? I remember my parents house had it on Channel 12) would just replace all the channel 9 games.

 

Yep. WFLD.

[WrigleyField 22]

So in that case would a Cubs game in Chicago supercede national programming for FOX? I realize baseball is mostly played at a time of the year when prime time t.v. really isn't scheduled, but if they was a big national t.v. program, I can't imagine them not airing it just for the Cubs.

[SouthSideRyan]

So in that case would a Cubs game in Chicago supercede national programming for FOX? I realize baseball is mostly played at a time of the year when prime time t.v. really isn't scheduled, but if they was a big national t.v. program, I can't imagine them not airing it just for the Cubs.

 

I have no idea how the contracts are structured, but there are probably just enough day games to satisfy the allotment that were shown on WGN.

 

ETA: Quick count has 67 day games this coming season, but there are a handful of TBD games, a few of which are likely to wind up as day games. Though I didn't account for any games picked up by FOX or ESPN on Saturdays and Sundays.

Edited January 15, 2014 by SouthSideRyan

[Banedon]

So in that case would a Cubs game in Chicago supercede national programming for FOX? I realize baseball is mostly played at a time of the year when prime time t.v. really isn't scheduled, but if they was a big national t.v. program, I can't imagine them not airing it just for the Cubs.

 

It happens with other sports in other cities. They'll show other shows at alternate times.

 

The local NBC affiliate sometimes will show Bradley basketball games here in the Central IL area, and then put on the network stuff late night after the news. Granted, it's not a major market like Chicago.

[WrigleyField 22]

So in that case would a Cubs game in Chicago supercede national programming for FOX? I realize baseball is mostly played at a time of the year when prime time t.v. really isn't scheduled, but if they was a big national t.v. program, I can't imagine them not airing it just for the Cubs.

 

I have no idea how the contracts are structured, but there are probably just enough day games to satisfy the allotment that were shown on WGN

Yea I guess so. I suppose CSN probably isn't going to fight getting more night than day games, so it would probably work out okay.

[jersey cubs fan]

So in that case would a Cubs game in Chicago supercede national programming for FOX? I realize baseball is mostly played at a time of the year when prime time t.v. really isn't scheduled, but if they was a big national t.v. program, I can't imagine them not airing it just for the Cubs.

 

I have no idea how the contracts are structured, but there are probably just enough day games to satisfy the allotment that were shown on WGN

 

You'd have day games plus games airing whenever American Idol is not airing. Also, I know that in NY the my9 network is the sister station to Fox5, and I believe Chicago has a similar set-up with My50, WPWR. So, in much the same way that some local games are aired on whatever that other local station is that isn't channel 9, they can air on WPWR when Fox5 is airing something that takes precedence.

[J.R.]

You'd have day games plus games airing whenever American Idol is not airing. Also, I know that in NY the my9 network is the sister station to Fox5, and I believe Chicago has a similar set-up with My50, WPWR. So, in much the same way that some local games are aired on whatever that other local station is that isn't channel 9, they can air on WPWR when Fox5 is airing something that takes precedence.

This. FOX would never accept a huge market like Chicago being out of play in prime time.

 

Edit: when new stuff airs, as Goony implied.

[Guest]

so if fox bought up the wgn games, what would happen? is there a fox sports channel for the chicago area, or would one have to be created? i always thought there was just the comcast sports channel for you guys.

 

it would be fox local. they can't broadcast on two competing cable networks.

 

after CSN is up, then fox could conceivably start an RSN for all of the games.

 

Fox 32 (it's still 32 right?, even if your cable network has it on a different channel? I remember my parents house had it on Channel 12) would just replace all the channel 9 games.

 

Yep. WFLD.

Was that the one that had Son of Svenghouli, or was that channel 44?

[Fro]

As someone outside the local Chicago TV market but in the Cubs' blackout zone of MLB.TV, I'd hope they find some way to syndicate any local Fox games onto another regional network.

 

Fox Sports Indiana could definitely take the day games, for instance. Not sure how you take care of Iowa & downstate Illinois.

[jersey cubs fan]

As someone outside the local Chicago TV market but in the Cubs' blackout zone of MLB.TV, I'd hope they find some way to syndicate any local Fox games onto another regional network.

 

Fox Sports Indiana could definitely take the day games, for instance. Not sure how you take care of Iowa & downstate Illinois.

 

I assume the "cable rights" owned by CSN would make that difficult.

[Guest]

As someone outside the local Chicago TV market but in the Cubs' blackout zone of MLB.TV, I'd hope they find some way to syndicate any local Fox games onto another regional network.

 

Fox Sports Indiana could definitely take the day games, for instance. Not sure how you take care of Iowa & downstate Illinois.

 

I assume the "cable rights" owned by CSN would make that difficult.

 

I think they might be able to do local OTA simulcasts though, like they have in the past with CubsNet.

 

I'm not from down there, so I'm not sure how it works, but I believe some games (WCIU ones maybe?) are broadcast OTA down there.

 

I know there are radio simulcasts on other stations downstate.

[jersey cubs fan]

My guess is that any TV/Cable deal beyond the "WGN games" that are currently on the table, would result in a somewhat disappointing dollar figure.

 

If Fox local was to buy the rights through 2019 with an agreement for Fox Cable to take over after 2019, that money would probably be dwarfed by the agreements that other teams have negotiated for the full package starting in the near future. That would be a sign of desperation on the Cubs part, albeit, potentially well placed desperation. Compare it to an arbitration eligible player signing through his free agency years for a team friendly discount, and the more aggressive player who is willing to go year-to-year and wait until actual free agency to sign a mega deal.

 

My preference is for the Cubs to just agree to a local agreement with a boost in revenue and then prepare their 2020 options. The sports bubble may burst, but it is not going to disappear. Televised games will still draw a lot of money in 2021. This is the USA we are talking about, you can count on the government doing whatever it can to maintain the status quo for established cable companies, such that in 2018 or 2019 somebody will still be willing to pay lots of money for the rights to air Cubs games.

[mul21]

I would think it would be worthwhile to set up some sort of agreement where there's a balloon of the fee once Fox can run with a cable network and they might be willing to pay a premium up front to guarantee they get those rights after the Comcast deal expires. Like a 10 or 12 year deal worth $X million through 2019 and then they pay $3-4X million per year after that.

[jersey cubs fan]

I would think it would be worthwhile to set up some sort of agreement where there's a balloon of the fee once Fox can run with a cable network and they might be willing to pay a premium up front to guarantee they get those rights after the Comcast deal expires. Like a 10 or 12 year deal worth $X million through 2019 and then they pay $3-4X million per year after that.

 

Right, the fee would go up once the deal grows from the 70 WGN games to all 162 (minus national games). But if they are locking themselves into paying for something they won't be able to profit off of until 2020, they are going to get a discount.

[Pool]

I know the ownership looks at checks and balances before they consider the ramifications of their decisions but I hope they think of their fanbase beyond the Illinois state lines. Alot of people grew up watching the Cubs on WGN in many other states. And many of the fans from other states come to Wrigley on a yearly basis to support their team.

[jersey cubs fan]

I know the ownership looks at checks and balances before they consider the ramifications of their decisions but I hope they think of their fanbase beyond the Illinois state lines. Alot of people grew up watching the Cubs on WGN in many other states. And many of the fans from other states come to Wrigley on a yearly basis to support their team.

If they worry about that were screwed.