Cubs TV broadcast rights

[Bear Cub]

The first time Rush shows up to sing the Seventh Inning Stretch, I am done.

[weis21]

The first time Rush shows up to sing the Seventh Inning Stretch, I am done.

personally i wouldn't mind. i mean they're Canadian so i figured they'd be more likely to show up at a hockey game. I was always a big fan of Tom Sawyer, personally.

[jersey cubs fan]

[Bluescale]

 

So...is the company referred to here the Cubs or Sinclair? Which evil empire is making that $40M-$50M?

[ConstableRabbit]

 

So...is the company referred to here the Cubs or Sinclair? Which evil empire is making that $40M-$50M?

Since it's on Sinclair's earnings call, my guess is $40m to $50m to Sinclair.

[Brian]

I think that states that Sinclair expect to make 40-50 per year. Which if i'm understanding the partnership correctly the Cubs would also make 40-50 plus whatever they would get in licensing fees for the games and other original programming they'll create for the network.

[ConstableRabbit]

I think that states that Sinclair expect to make 40-50 per year. Which if i'm understanding the partnership correctly the Cubs would also make 40-50 plus whatever they would get in licensing fees for the games and other original programming they'll create for the network.

Were terms summarized somewhere?

[Brian]

He said that Sinclair and the Cubs will be “equity partners” in the new network, that both will invest in the channel. The new network will, as do most other regional sports networks (RSNs), pay the Cubs a rights fee, and he added, “if the network makes a profit, we split the profit with Sinclair.” It’s not yet clear how much the rights fee paid to the Cubs will be from this channel. Both the Cubs and Sinclair will have seats on the board of the Marquee Network, though Ricketts wouldn’t say how many each would have, only that “we will have control of our content.”

 

From that blogger Q&A with Ricketts that Al Yellon was at

 

https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/2/18/18229926/tom-ricketts-cubs-tv-network-emails-addison-russell-player-payroll-more

[David]

Cubs are kicking around the idea of having alternate broadcasts on the new network... i.e. maybe a sports betting oriented one, or an advanced stats oriented one.

 

Also will be debuting a new YouTube channel on Monday which will offer a preview of the sort of in house programming that will be on the network.

 

They anticipate carriage in some areas that CSN wasn't being carried that would have an "appetite" for the Cubs but wouldn't for the White Sox, or a Bulls team that might be blacked out in a given market, or what have you.

[Sammy Sofa]

Cubs are kicking around the idea of having alternate broadcasts on the new network... i.e. maybe a sports betting oriented one, or an advanced stats oriented one.

 

Also will be debuting a new YouTube channel on Monday which will offer a preview of the sort of in house programming that will be on the network.

 

They anticipate carriage in some areas that CSN wasn't being carried that would have an "appetite" for the Cubs but wouldn't for the White Sox, or a Bulls team that might be blacked out in a given market, or what have you.

 

http://www.wigderson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Baghdad-Bob.gif

[David]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[David]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Brian]

Bryant's first child is definitely going to be named Adidas.

[jersey cubs fan]

Bryant's first child is definitely going to be named Adidas.

[Bertz]

I'm pretty here for this Willson Contreras as John Marston content

[Brian]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Bertz]

I feel bad for my friends and family because I am going to overuse the horsefeathers out of that Strop gif

[Brian]

With all the baggage already on Marquee/Cubs network, at least it will be @thekapman free

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Clem Fandango]

Related: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/how-sinclairs-purchase-of-baseball-sports-networks-will-affect-you/

[Cubswin11]

 

For years, the Cubs pointed to their upcoming TV mega-deal as a way to turbocharge their payroll, which will still surpass $200 million this year and set a franchise record.....In nine months, the Cubs and Sinclair Broadcast Group are planning to launch Marquee Sports Network, right around the time the 2020 team reports to spring training in Arizona.

 

Already there are rumblings about how much work the Cubs and Sinclair have yet to do with this startup project and it’s starting to sound like that annual offseason rumor about how Wrigley Field might not be ready for Opening Day during the early days of the renovations. But the Cubs always managed to get it done, even if they had to improvise a little.

 

“Right on schedule,” Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney said Monday during a wide-ranging interview about the team’s vision for Marquee. “We’ll be ready for February.”

 

Not only that, but Kenney said the Cubs’ payroll should immediately see a boost. After this season, there should be money for Theo Epstein and his staff to sign free agents or their own players to big-money extensions. That’s good news for the baseball operations department, which dealt with a well-publicized budget crunch this past winter.

 

“Those additional resources are available immediately next year,” Kenney said. “The team has a rights fee significantly higher than what they’re receiving today, so that’s from the start. Then there’s the question on the network side of what profits are enjoyed, if any, (so) they could also be used for investment in the team or other assets around the ballpark or other interests of the (Ricketts) family. That’s probably a little further down the road. But from the team’s perspective, the rights agreement that they’ve got in place with (Marquee) will give them more resources next year than they had today.”

[Bryants Disco Ball]

Keeping Len and JD is the biggest part of all this.

 

As for the extra money, if true, it's going to have to be used for extensions, right? Like, the free agent crop is going to suck if I remember correctly. Unless Betts is a free agent after this season? I guess Rendon, but he seems to be a lucrative free agent Theo signing that would immediately get hurt or start to regress/suck.

[Andy]

Keeping Len and JD is the biggest part of all this.

 

As for the extra money, if true, it's going to have to be used for extensions, right? Like, the free agent crop is going to suck if I remember correctly. Unless Betts is a free agent after this season? I guess Rendon, but he seems to be a lucrative free agent Theo signing that would immediately get hurt or start to regress/suck.

Extensions and inevitable mid-market FA signings, yes.

 

If the Cubs know/knew money was coming next year, it's really stupid that they didn't make any real additions to the roster.

[Cubswin11]

Keeping Len and JD is the biggest part of all this.

 

As for the extra money, if true, it's going to have to be used for extensions, right? Like, the free agent crop is going to suck if I remember correctly. Unless Betts is a free agent after this season? I guess Rendon, but he seems to be a lucrative free agent Theo signing that would immediately get hurt or start to regress/suck.

Yeah the Len and JD part is huge and glad they’re staying. There’s like $50-60 mil coming off next year (Hamels, Zobrist, Morrow, Cishek, Pedro, Kintzler off top of my head). The whole bullpen pretty much needs to be rebuilt (I’d rather we throw like $30-40 mil at this with multiple options vs just one guy) plus another starter needs to be added and between the money coming off and whatever bump we get that the article mentions there should be enough money to do an extension or 2 and do a decent level signing or two as well.

[stitchface]

so conflicted.

[entbird79]

 

or other assets around the ballpark or other interests of the (Ricketts) family.