Author Topic: WP: Nats MASN deal renegotations will have a huge impact (Read 251939 times)

PowerBoater69 · « **Reply #850 on:** February 05, 2014, 08:13:54 pm »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on February 05, 2014, 08:04:32 pm

if he tried that, how.many Providers would just laugh?

They sure wouldn't like it, but why would MASN settle for less than Comcast when they have twice as many games and MLB > NBA + NHL?

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #851 on:** February 05, 2014, 08:21:28 pm »

Quote from: PowerBoater69 on February 05, 2014, 08:13:54 pm

They sure wouldn't like it, but why would MASN settle for less than Comcast when they have twice as many games and MLB > NBA + NHL?

because MASN rating are crap, and providers have been standing up to stations far more often lately. If MASN tried to reopen their fees, is there a reason that Cox or Fios wouldn't chuckle then offer $1.25 per subscriber?

PowerBoater69 · « **Reply #852 on:** February 05, 2014, 08:28:47 pm »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on February 05, 2014, 08:21:28 pm

because MASN rating are crap, and providers have been standing up to stations far more often lately. If MASN tried to reopen their fees, is there a reason that Cox or Fios wouldn't chuckle then offer $1.25 per subscriber?

Teams all over the country are getting huge payouts from cable rights fees and the DC area has tons of cash so why wouldn't MASN be able to get a deal in line with the Phillies or Rangers? Good point about the low ratings though, that is one place where the Lerners going cheap for the first 6-7 years is really biting them now.

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #853 on:** February 05, 2014, 08:34:12 pm »

look at the astro's RSN. A lot of the money is based on future projections by RSNs of the fees they can charge, but Providers are starting to hold the line (just look at masn in NC or try watching weather channel on direct Tv, even CBS got pulled for a while). If the nats were pulled from a provider in Richmond over a fee dispute, would there be any pressure on the provider? even in the DC market, would comcast's phone lines get flooded with cancellations?

PowerBoater69 · « **Reply #854 on:** February 05, 2014, 08:41:47 pm »

Could be, but regardless, the difference between $2.14 and $4.02 is staggering, particularly when two baseball teams should be more valuable than a basketball team and a hockey team.

UMDNats · « **Reply #855 on:** February 05, 2014, 08:44:59 pm »

to be fair CSN has other programming year-round that MASN doesn't. CSN consistently has college basketball (is maryland still on sometimes?) and college football i believe, and CSN also has non-live action programming that is consistent (nightly, weekly, etc.). MASN isn't even close to CSN's level yet outside of baseball season.

welch · « **Reply #856 on:** February 05, 2014, 08:49:57 pm »

Quote from: UMDNats on February 05, 2014, 08:44:59 pm

to be fair CSN has other programming year-round that MASN doesn't. CSN consistently has college basketball (is maryland still on sometimes?) and college football i believe, and CSN also has non-live action programming that is consistent (nightly, weekly, etc.). MASN isn't even close to CSN's level yet outside of baseball season.

Suggests to me that CSN is the RSN; MASN is extra sport network that is not really needed. NYC might be an example of "one network too many": SNY carries the Mets plus some hockey. MSG has the Knicks and Rangers. YES has Yankee games, plus historic Yankee games, plus Yankee-ography...there isn't enough Yankees programming to fill the network.

UMDNats · « **Reply #857 on:** February 05, 2014, 09:02:18 pm »

Quote from: welch on February 05, 2014, 08:49:57 pm

Suggests to me that CSN is the RSN; MASN is extra sport network that is not really needed. NYC might be an example of "one network too many": SNY carries the Mets plus some hockey. MSG has the Knicks and Rangers. YES has Yankee games, plus historic Yankee games, plus Yankee-ography...there isn't enough Yankees programming to fill the network.

what are you talking about?

YES also has the Nets, which dominates their fall coverage, plus a bunch of other random stuff. MSG is the big dog with 3 teams, but YES is not some odd man out. YES also has a new weekly football show, Yankees Magazine, etc etc. Lots of programming for a RSN. (http://web.yesnetwork.com/schedule/index.jsp) If anything SNY is the weakest, because I've never seen a hockey game on SNY. MSG has both the Devils and Rangers.

but overall i agree that MASN is the odd man out right now compared to CSN. not needed, really

comish4lif · « **Reply #858 on:** February 05, 2014, 10:22:48 pm »

Quote from: GMUNat on February 05, 2014, 01:45:21 pm

Interesting:

"For now, the MASN status quo remains. The Nationals aren’t completely helpless, though: According to a source close to the Washington franchise, MLB has sent the team an undisclosed sum every year to help bridge the gap, and to prevent the Lerners from taking matters to court, until the deal becomes more balanced."

I'm surprised that the Orioles and the other MLB teams are ok with Bud paying off the Nats...

PowerBoater69 · « **Reply #859 on:** February 05, 2014, 10:44:05 pm »

Os fan perspective

http://eutawstreetreport.com/jonah-keri-baltimore-orioles-washington-nationals-masn/

OldChelsea · « **Reply #860 on:** February 06, 2014, 07:57:31 am »

Quote from: CALSGR8 on February 05, 2014, 06:31:28 pm

MLB kicks money to the Nationals to keep them from suing over the MASN deal | HardballTalk (via http://ble.ac/teamstream-) http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/05/mlb-kicks-money-to-the-nationals-to-keep-them-from-suing-over-the-masn-deal/

So what it amounts to is 'mutually assured destruction' as they used to say during the Cold War: MASN was created in the first place (and in its current form) to keep Angelos from suing over the move of the Nats (knowing full well Angelos can't lose in a Maryland court)...whilst MLB is subsidising the Nats to keep them from suing over that same MASN deal...kind of an uneasy situation, I'd say.

OldChelsea · « **Reply #861 on:** February 06, 2014, 07:59:09 am »

Quote from: PowerBoater69 on February 05, 2014, 07:58:47 pm

Why would MASN settle for $2.14 per month per cable box when Comcast is getting $4.02? The Nats and Os play a combined 324 games while the Wiz and Caps play 164, a huge difference that should more than make up for Comcast carrying extra programming besides the games. If Angelos were to increase fees to $4 he could easily afford to pay both teams $100 million per year.[...]

And CSN may not even have the Caps and Wizards much longer...wait till Leonsis gets his Monumental Sports network going, whenever those two teams' current deals expire.

RobDibblesGhost · « **Reply #862 on:** February 06, 2014, 08:36:32 am »

Quote from: OldChelsea on February 06, 2014, 07:59:09 am

And CSN may not even have the Caps and Wizards much longer...wait till Leonsis gets his Monumental Sports network going, whenever those two teams' current deals expire.

You're right...that is his plan that was announced last month. Great - we'll have three worthless RSNs in the region...

PowerBoater69 · « **Reply #863 on:** February 06, 2014, 08:39:31 am »

Quote from: RobDibblesGhost on February 06, 2014, 08:36:32 am

You're right...that is his plan that was announced last month. Great - we'll have three worthless RSNs in the region...

CSN will disappear and Monumental will bid against MASN for the Terps, Georgetown, and the Redskins preseason. Puts Mark Lerner in an interesting spot as he is a minority owner of both networks.

spidernat · « **Reply #864 on:** February 06, 2014, 08:52:35 am »

Quote from: PowerBoater69 on February 06, 2014, 08:39:31 am

Puts Mark Lerner in an interesting spot as he is a minority owner of both networks.

He can have his own sports show.

PowerBoater69 · « **Reply #865 on:** February 06, 2014, 08:54:49 am »

Quote from: spidernat on February 06, 2014, 08:52:35 am

He can have his own sports show.

He could put on his uniform and host a remake of the Baseball Bunch.

Minty Fresh · « **Reply #866 on:** February 06, 2014, 09:07:40 am »

Quote from: spidernat on February 06, 2014, 08:52:35 am

He can have his own sports show.

He could break down his ability to shag BP fly balls.

spidernat · « **Reply #867 on:** February 06, 2014, 09:12:54 am »

Quote from: Minty Fresh on February 06, 2014, 09:07:40 am

He could break down his ability to shag BP fly balls.

The video of it could be the opening to his show.

Ray D · « **Reply #868 on:** February 06, 2014, 09:13:41 am »

Quote from: OldChelsea on February 06, 2014, 07:57:31 am

to keep Angelos from suing over the move of the Nats (knowing full well Angelos can't lose in a Maryland court)

Angelos would probably have lost the case, but the suit would have held things up long enough that the Expos would have gone elsewhere. I don't think Maryland would have had jurisdiction. After all the move was to DC.

OldChelsea · « **Reply #869 on:** February 06, 2014, 09:38:14 am »

Quote from: Ray D on February 06, 2014, 09:13:41 am

Angelos would probably have lost the case, but the suit would have held things up long enough that the Expos would have gone elsewhere. I don't think Maryland would have had jurisdiction. After all the move was to DC.

It would be a court in Maryland - either state or federal depending on the law on which the suit would be based - since he would be the plaintiff. And if it were a simple breach-of-contract action it would be a Maryland state court. His odds would be a bit less in federal court, since appeals from the US District Court for the District of Maryland lie to the Fourth Circuit, where not all of the judges are from Maryland (and thus not from the political system Angelos operates in). The state court lawsuit 'keeps it in the family'.

And Angelos is a major power in the state's one-party politics (he was once Democratic state treasurer, and was chosen by the state government to litigate billion-dollar cases against the tobacco and asbestos industries) - he and his allies (Sens. Sarbanes, Mikulski, Cardin) helped put a lot of those judges where they are now. His chances of losing in a Maryland court, either state or federal, are effectively nil.

Ray D · « **Reply #870 on:** February 06, 2014, 09:44:27 am »

A Maryland (State) court could not have jurisdiction in the matter of whether MLB could move a team to DC.

nats2playoffs · « **Reply #871 on:** February 06, 2014, 11:46:30 am »

Today at 12:50 pm, on 106.7 FM the Fan, a Canadian blogger, Jonah Keri, will discuss his findings that Angelos has been receiving 90% of the MASN contract.

RobDibblesGhost · « **Reply #872 on:** February 06, 2014, 12:23:04 pm »

Quote from: PowerBoater69 on February 06, 2014, 08:39:31 am

CSN will disappear and Monumental will bid against MASN for the Terps, Georgetown, and the Redskins preseason. Puts Mark Lerner in an interesting spot as he is a minority owner of both networks.

The Peacock won't go down without a fight. I don't see CSN going away.

PC · « **Reply #873 on:** February 06, 2014, 12:27:13 pm »

What's the point of Anglelos keeping MASN going if it still results in him being a mid-market team?

Other than screwing the Nationals, that is???

PebbleBall · « **Reply #874 on:** February 06, 2014, 12:37:44 pm »

Quote from: PC on February 06, 2014, 12:27:13 pm

What's the point of Anglelos keeping MASN going if it still results in him being a mid-market team?

Other than screwing the Nationals, that is???

That's not what the article was asking, it was asking why he doesn't spend more of what he earns from MASN and speculating that he's preparing for a drastic shift after the rights deal is settled.