[BC] SB40, commercials....whole game

[Mike McCarthy]

I don't think the migration to subscription will be complete.  Text book 
case: Chicago Black Hawks.

The Wirtz family avoided TV of any kind during the 70's and early 80's 
until cable had any decent penetration and there was a sports only channel 
to carry the games.  Even then, they limited the number of games 
carried.  Why??...they wanted to fill the stadium first.  Noble 
reason.  BUT, you need to have a good team first. Now, for anyone familiar 
with hockey, the Wirtz's are not the most revered in the NHL.  Quite far 
from it....  Unlike some markets where hockey is on par with basketball and 
other major sports, NHL hockey is a minor league sport here because the 
Wirtz's failed to realize they need TV to get the attention of the 
masses.  That and they've had mediocre teams every year I can remember in 
the past 25.

Recently they have opened back up to OTA broadcasts.  But not many.

MLB's efforts parallel the NBA's in gaining control of the total schedule 
and the broadcasts. Remember the law suits from WGN and WTBS fighting the 
NBA's restrictions on them carrying the Bulls and Hawks games on the satellite?

Both the St. Louis and Washington DC franchises will own their radio 
outlets this year as the Chicago Cubs have done for about a decade.  NFL 
teams are increasing their command and control of their broadcasts in radio 
by assuming the network function and simply selling the carriage rights to 
affiliates, including the home city's station.

While MLB has their deal with XM to carry the games, they don't have 
command and control of the local game radio broadcasts.  Only the rights to 
use them. Same with the local TV deals as well.  They have a master 
contract which specifies limitations on the local games and how conflicts 
with national games are resolved.  But those deals are still the teams. 
OTOH, the NFL actually does have command and control of the TV broadcasts 
and three cable networks to augment that. While the NFL is the 800 pound 
gorilla of sports marketing, the media advisors and decision makers of the 
NFL are too smart to let the $2B/year genie get too far out of their sight.

So...do I think NFL is moving towards subscription...yes.  Just look at 
DISH and their deal.  Do I think they'll get rid of OTA, unlikely.

MM


At 12:46 AM 2/6/2006 -0500, FrankGott at aol.com wrote
>In a message dated 2/5/2006 11:55:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, Towers at mre.com
>writes:
>
><< 1) Two teams from below top 10 markets (Seattle 15th, Pittsburgh 3x);
>
>Pittsburgh hasn't fallen that far!  Something like 21st or 23rd.
>
>  I think the networks are going to take a really hard look at the exclusive
>  deals and rates they or the NFL will sign next year to make sure they don't
>  box themselves into the same problem down the road. >>
>
>That's probably why ABC is getting out of the football broadcasting business.
>  Their ESPN division will carry games.  But as you saw in the spots during
>the game the NFL is migrating to cable with their NFL network.  Could this be
>the beginning of the end of free over-the-air football?  And could the 
>same be
>true for baseball as it loses coverage on AM blowtorches?
>
>Frank Gottlieb
>
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