WP: Nats MASN deal renegotations will have a huge impact

[comish4lif]

How long has this saga been going on?

Since the Winter before the 2012 season.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2012/05/07/Media/MASN-Nationals.aspx

[The Chief]

How long has this saga been going on?

Many moons.

[OldChelsea]

How long has this saga been going on?

Too long. Way too long.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/astros-regional-sports-network-awash-in-losses-and-lawsuits/

The beginning of the end of Regional Sports networks?

The question for Major League Baseball and the teams that have TV deals set to expire in the next few years — including the Phillies, Rockies and Diamondbacks — is whether the situation in Houston is particular to those teams (Astros and Rockets) and that market (Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arkansas) or a sign that the sports-rights fees bubble is losing air. Howard Megdal reported on Oct, 21 for Sports on Earth that a new, lucrative Phillies TV deal was expected to be announced within 30 days. We’re now five days past that window, and there’s been no such announcement. It’s a holiday week and all, so an announcement just before baseball’s Winter Meetings is still possible. It’s also possible the situation in Houston has given several parties pause.

So for now, we wait. We wait to see what happens in the bankruptcy court. We wait to see what happens in Texas state court. We wait to see what happens in Philadelphia.

[PowerBoater69]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/astros-regional-sports-network-awash-in-losses-and-lawsuits/

The beginning of the end of Regional Sports networks?

Nice! Pop that bubble.

[PC]

The Astros are a special case of awfulness.

[jhuterp]

The Astros are a special case of awfulness.

Houston is still a top 10 DMA, just a little smaller than DC.  Maybe rumblings of a bubble bursting might prod the toad in baltimore into selling (let's hope).

[PowerBoater69]

Houston is still a top 10 DMA, just a little smaller than DC.  Maybe rumblings of a bubble bursting might prod the toad in baltimore into selling (let's hope).

That would be Nats luck, they buy out Angelos for $300 million, then the market shifts and they end up settling for less per year from Fox or Comcast that they are currently pulling in from MASN.  Practically inevitable.

[mitlen]

That would be Nats luck, they buy out Angelos for $300 million, then the market shifts and they end up settling for less per year from Fox or Comcast that they are currently pulling in from MASN.  Practically inevitable.

Hell, they can buy a roof for that.

[PowerBoater69]

Hell, they can buy a roof for that.

Or a 2nd baseman, seems to be the price for everything these days.

[mitlen]

Or a 2nd baseman, seems to be the price for everything these days.

Gotta tell the missus we can't afford a new washer.

[Five Banners]

The clock is ticking for the Lerners to force the issue and get a deal done before the bubble bursts:

Will Consumer Anger Over Sports TV Costs Boil Over In 2014?
http://www.deadline.com/2013/12/cable-tv-sports-costs-what-will-happen-in-2014/

[PowerBoater69]

So if the bubble bursts and ala carte pricing comes to cable, I'd have to think that the cable companies have an out clause in their contracts with the various sports franchises, otherwise they'd all go bankrupt.  This must happen. 

[JPC]

We need to get a TV deal like the Phillies just got, 25 years 2.5 billion plus equity stake and ad revenue. 

Got this info off of mlbtraderumors

[PowerBoater69]

We need to get a TV deal like the Phillies just got, 25 years 2.5 billion plus equity stake and ad revenue. 

Got this info off of mlbtraderumors

The Nats should have also gone all-in for the 2012 WS considering that they were aware of Philly's financial situation.

[NatsDad14]

The Nats should have also gone all-in for the 2012 WS considering that they were aware of Philly's financial situation.

Another reason why shutting down Strasburg made little sense. Now the team has no buzz for this season and will lose a lot in attendance. The Miami Heat made a killing in their TV deal recently since they timed the end of it to them winning titles. We should do the same.

[Terpfan76]

Another reason why shutting down Strasburg made little sense. Now the team has no buzz for this season and will lose a lot in attendance. The Miami Heat made a killing in their TV deal recently since they timed the end of it to them winning titles. We should do the same.

wow... Just wow

[Jordanz Meatballz]

I agree the team lacks buzz, but wtf it has to do with the MASN negotiations I have no idea.

Mortgaging the future makes no sense, especially if you're a small market team.

To say the Nationals have no chance to win the World Series this year is laughable. Look at the damn roster and look at the Phillies'.

[stiffler]

no doubt most people around baseball might have nats to win the division again

[NatsDad14]

no doubt most people around baseball might have nats to win the division again

How did that work out for us last season when they not only had us winning the division, but winning the WS?

[Dave301]

How did that work out for us last season when they not only had us winning the division, but winning the WS?

Do you have a point? You said earlier the Nats have "no buzz", which is not true. The Nats are still contenders, and people are still picking them to win as long as they have the talent they have. So they still have "buzz".

[Mattionals]

Let's put this all to rest.  The Nats aren't a small market team.  They aren't a huge market like NYC, LA, Chicago or Philly, but they aren't small market like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Kansas City or Cincy.  There certainly is enough "casual fan" support going around as it is becoming quite trendy to go to a Nats game.  The Nats will likely never be as big as the Skins, so I think a fair comparison is Seattle in its heyday in the early oughts (2000's). 

This MASN deal has been a long time coming, and hopefully this bubble finally bursts.  A healthy infusion of TV revenue should help the team keep the players it intends to keep under contract.

[DCsOwn]

Let's put this all to rest.  The Nats aren't a small market team.  They aren't a huge market like NYC, LA, Chicago or Philly, but they aren't small market like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Kansas City or Cincy.  There certainly is enough "casual fan" support going around as it is becoming quite trendy to go to a Nats game.  The Nats will likely never be as big as the Skins, so I think a fair comparison is Seattle in its heyday in the early oughts (2000's). 

This MASN deal has been a long time coming, and hopefully this bubble finally bursts.  A healthy infusion of TV revenue should help the team keep the players it intends to keep under contract.

Philly as a market isn't in the same class as NYC, LA or Chicago for that matter. Metro DC is actually just about the size of metro Philly and as a regional market (DC/Balt), this population center is the fourth largest population center in the country (so if Nats games are going to continue to be broadcasted throughout the entire literal DMV, the Nats should be compensated for that). The DC market is also awash in disposable income (something advertisers care about), extremely fast growing (growing at a much faster rate than Philly's metro area), and an economically more stable region.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/richard-florida-calls-washington-a-boom-town-of-the-new-economy/2013/10/17/e489e8ac-368b-11e3-80c6-7e6dd8d22d8f_story.html

None of that is to say that we should expect a tv contract that's comparable or greater than Philly's considering the fact that there are multiple variables associated with these type of agreements and we're not expected to benefit from free market forces, but the Lerner's position in any argument about rights fees is actually significantly stronger than most people seem to think at least on the basis of merit. That position would be greatly enhanced with a special season this year too as I have no doubt that interest in the team would explode throughout the area.

[Mattionals]

Philly as a market isn't in the same class as NYC, LA or Chicago for that matter. Metro DC is actually just about the size of metro Philly and as a regional market (DC/Balt), this population center is the fourth largest population center in the country (so if Nats games are going to continue to be broadcasted throughout the entire literal DMV, the Nats should be compensated for that). The DC market is also awash in disposable income (something advertisers care about), extremely fast growing (growing at a much faster rate than Philly's metro area), and an economically more stable region.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/richard-florida-calls-washington-a-boom-town-of-the-new-economy/2013/10/17/e489e8ac-368b-11e3-80c6-7e6dd8d22d8f_story.html

None of that is to say that we should expect a tv contract that's comparable or greater than Philly's considering the fact that there are multiple variables associated with these type of agreements and we're not expected to benefit from free market forces, but the Lerner's position in any argument about rights fees is actually significantly stronger than most people seem to think at least on the basis of merit. That position would be greatly enhanced with a special season this year too as I have no doubt that interest in the team would explode throughout the area.

When discussing market, it's off of TV Market size.  Philadelphia is 4th in the country behind NYC, LA and Chicago.  DC is 9th.  It doesn't matter what Philly got in their deal as comparable, but what to NOT compare to in saying that the Nats are "small market".

[NatsDad14]

Doesn't the Nats market include baltimore since Bud forced them to watch our games on MASN?