Directv/MLB - Mad about it? Do Something [Archive]

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tierneyrb

01-26-2007, 06:55 AM

Are you very angry that MLB is reducing their viewership by giving exclusive rights to Directv? Do something. Send a message to your favorite team asking for their help. Send a message to Bud Selig's office:

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167

Sometimes it pays to figt city hall!

bluezebra

01-26-2007, 11:33 AM

hubkittel

01-26-2007, 11:43 AM

well, i have dish network, which i really like, and i'm not going to change just to get the baseball package. there's enough baseball on tv as it is between the local cards games on fsn and the yankees/red sox games on espn (:D ). i guess tbs isn't going to carry many, if any, braves games this year so that hurts but wgn still carrys the cubs and white sox. there's plenty to watch without the package.

the thing that really makes me mad is that they're talking about an all baseball channel that will only be on direct tv and that's something i've wanted to see for years now. i'd watch that sucker 24/7. if that comes about, i'll consider switching to direct tv.

from what i understand, mlb wasn't looking to give the package to just one outlet but direct tv made them an offer they couldn't refuse. that's how things go. as long as the owners get to put more money in their pocket, that's the important thing. to heck with the fans. maybe i'll get the internet package.

AutographCollector

01-26-2007, 11:50 AM

I have Directtv and have the Sports package. But I am highly pondering on getting the MLB Extra Innings package this season. How much is it Bob (Bluezebra)?

ChrisLDuncan

01-26-2007, 12:19 PM

I have Directtv and have the Sports package. But I am highly pondering on getting the MLB Extra Innings package this season. How much is it Bob (Bluezebra)?

It's less than 200 bucks but you get 2430 games...so it's kind of worth it, if you have HD I think they're getting abunch of games on HD so that also makes it worth it. I don't see the out rage, if you're a big enough sports fan to spend 200 dollars to watch baseball you should get a dish...with a dish you have much more access to programming than through cable.

KingNothing13

01-26-2007, 02:03 PM

Where did you read this? I have seen NOTHING that states that there will be no televised baseball, except on DirecTV.

I have DirecTV, and also subscribe to their MLB package, so I can watch all the Cubs games. I feel it's well worth it. Open your wallet.

Bob

the Extra Innings package is going to be exclusively on DirecTV now only.

I never got it myself, but that is pretty bad of them to do that. If someone is happy with another TV service, and used to get the package, they should switch just because MLB or you say so?

cincyredfan1972

01-26-2007, 03:40 PM

I had dish, and am switching to Directv for this reason tomorrow. I liked dish........but let's be honest. Why didn't Dish ante up??? If you are baseball, are you going to take less money? I don't think so. No one gripes about the football package being only on Directv. Not that big of a deal for me to switch, it didn't cost me a dime. It doesn't affect any local games on RSN's or anything else, just the extra innings package.

W_Marone

01-27-2007, 09:37 AM

It's all about the cash, if Direct TV offers them a deal for exclusive rights to thier extra innings than so be it, I dont have a dish, nor do I plan on getting one, and I'm fine with that, I'm perfectly content with watching the Phillies and whatever games are on ESPN, not a big deal really, plus saves me 200 dollars I could spend to go see the team play in person.

Whitesoxnut

01-27-2007, 02:06 PM

$200 is kinda a bargain if you like sitting in front of a TV all day watching baseball. Most of all if you have one of those cool HDTVs, "I just bought one". When you compare it to what a day at the ballpark costs then $200 is nothing.

I like watching baseball on TV too but watching the Sox and occasionaly the Cubs is plenty for me. If I was retired then it might be worth it. I cant see MLB going to all TV packages like hockey.

Baseball Guru

01-27-2007, 02:25 PM

Where did you read this? I have seen NOTHING that states that there will be no televised baseball, except on DirecTV.

I have DirecTV, and also subscribe to their MLB package, so I can watch all the Cubs games. I feel it's well worth it. Open your wallet.

Bob

Here's an article via the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/20/sp...l?ref=baseball

By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Published: January 20, 2007
Major League Baseball is close to announcing a deal that will place its Extra Innings package of out-of-market games exclusively on DirecTV, which will also become the only carrier of a long-planned 24-hour baseball channel.

Extra Innings has been available to 75 million cable households and the two satellite services, DirecTV and the Dish Network. But the new agreement will take it off cable and Dish because DirecTV has agreed to pay $700 million over seven years, according to three executives briefed on the details of the contract but not authorized to speak about them publicly.

InDemand, which has distributed Extra Innings to the cable television industry since 2002, made an estimated $70 million bid to renew its rights, more than triple what it has been paying. Part of its offer included the right to carry the new baseball channel, but not exclusively.

The baseball channel is scheduled to start in 2009.

M.L.B., DirecTV and InDemand officials declined to comment.

DirecTV is also the exclusive outlet for the N.F.L.’s Sunday Ticket package, for which it pays $700 million annually. Sunday Ticket has about 2 million subscribers; Extra Innings about 750,000, according to The Sports Business Journal.

Extra Innings lets subscribers, for a fee, watch about 60 games a week from other local markets except their own.

The only other way that fans without DirecTV will be able to see Extra Innings will be on MLB.com’s mlb.tv service, but they must have high-speed broadband service. About 28 million homes have high-speed service, less than half the number of cable homes in the country. The picture quality of streamed games is not as good as what is available on cable or satellite.

DirecTV is available to about 15 million subscribers.

Last month, Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, who was then the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, cited DirecTV’s exclusivity with Sunday Ticket as a reason to strip the N.F.L. of an antitrust exemption to negotiate all TV contracts for its teams. Comcast, which has complained that it cannot carry Sunday Ticket, is a Philadelphia-based company.

Baseball Guru

01-27-2007, 02:39 PM

Chisox73

01-27-2007, 03:20 PM

I've had the Extra Innings package for the last 5 or 6 years and its definitely worth it!

Its about $159 for the whole season but if you get it by opening day or the 1st week there is a $10 or $20 discount....
Also,if you don't get the MLB package on DirecTV,you get a free preview on Opening Week and the week following the All-Star Game.

You can also pay in 4 monthly installments which is not bad at all.The 1st bill usually gets tacked on in March.

bluezebra

01-27-2007, 04:56 PM

I have Directtv and have the Sports package. But I am highly pondering on getting the MLB Extra Innings package this season. How much is it Bob (Bluezebra)?

They aren't set up for purchasing the "MLB EXTRA INNINGS" package yet. If I remember correctly, they add it to your monthly fee over a 4-month period. Check your next invoice for their web site, and go to Sports.

Bob

Spazz

01-27-2007, 05:52 PM

cincyredfan1972

01-27-2007, 07:22 PM

I'm currently with Dish Network but I'll probably end up switching over this. I have a couple of questions for you Direct TV guys...

- Can I record a baseball game on the DVR while my wife watches another program? I can't do this with the Dish Network DVR.

- How many hours of recorded events can I store on the DVR? With Dish Network it is 100 hours.

- Does Harry Kalas do Phillies TV broadcasts or is he pretty much just a radio guy?

Thanks in advance.

Yes you can if you have 2 satellite inputs run to your DVR. Unless you have a very, very old dish dvr, you should be able to do it with one of their models as well, again, unless you don't have 2 satellite lines run to it.

W_Marone

01-27-2007, 07:52 PM

Like I was saying earlier, I go to school and work, so I dont have the time to watch all that baseball, add in the fact taht for 240 bucks I can get 15 games at Citizen's bank Park in good seats....I'd take that any day over 200 some dollars for games I'm not going to be around to watch.