Now the BS starts

[Chip]

According to the WSJ, News Corp will buy 80% of the YES network. Fox also owns a majority share of the BTN. News Corp will bundle the BTN with its other cable channels like YES and FOX News. Ultimately, they will make the cable companies put the BTN on basic cable if they want YES. So in order for us to watch the Yankees, we are forced to pay for the BTN as our basic cable costs will go up. It will be pay or get neither YES nor the BTN.

Here's something I don't understand. If YES is bundled with BTN, and therefore now the BTN will get the fees for all YES subscribers, then why do you need Rutgers? Doesn't this already accomplish it?

 

[sabach]

Here's something I don't understand. If YES is bundled with BTN, and therefore now the BTN will get the fees for all YES subscribers, then why do you need Rutgers? Doesn't this already accomplish it?

It could be because Rutgers is in the one area of the country where not having YES would be a major issue and this can be used as leverage "you can't get YES without taking BTN". Of course, SU is in the same geographical position relative to YES that Rutgers is in.

 

[Noexcuse]

That's it. No more YES network for me. I will only follow the Yankees on the radio with Suzyn and Sterling . . . oh wait . . . .

 

[Chip]

It could be because Rutgers is in the one area of the country where not having YES would be a major issue and this can be used as leverage "you can't get YES without taking BTN". Of course, SU is in the same geographical position relative to YES that Rutgers is in.

That was going to be my follow up point if your reasoning is correct.

Seems like that would be a tougher sell for, say, BC. Hey if you Sox fans want YES. Ok, sorry, never mind.

 

[sufandu]

Time Warner Cable is the biggest piece of trash there is. Knowing those ass clowns, that'll jack up subscriber fees and force these unwatchable networks on basic cable.

If there was ever a need for Goverment intervention, it could surely be used to control these cable companies.

It's not just TWC, it's all the other cable companies too. I currently have Charter and long for the days of TWC. Comcast is on par with TWC. As someone else said, it's a monopoly. I don't know how it's permitted to exist like that. I think I'll soon be going to satellite.

 

[kyleslamb]

From the WSJ:On Tuesday, Fox is planning to announce its acquisition of a minority stake in the YES Network, which broadcasts most Yankees baseball games.

The deal provides a path for News Corp. to acquire as much as 80% of the YES Network, according to a source with knowledge of the terms.

They're currently only buying a 49% interest. They have future plans to acquire more, if the current owners are willing to sell.

It's an option that can be exercised by FOX within a couple of years. Basically FOX intendeds to buy the other 31%, but the price will depend on the value of the network.

 

[OttoMets]

It's not just TWC, it's all the other cable companies too. I currently have Charter and long for the days of TWC. Comcast is on par with TWC. As someone else said, it's a monopoly. I don't know how it's permitted to exist like that. I think I'll soon be going to satellite.

I'd actually peg Comcast as worse than Time Warner. RCN is a little better than both, but still bad.

They're all crooks.

 

[ithacat]

I don't really get how this all works. We have TW in CNY & already get both YES and BTN. I have not watched a single thing on BTN. How does that count as eyeballs? BTN has as much a chance of getting my eyeballs as the NYS Legislature.

 

[Scooch]

This is why we need UConn in the ACC. Without them, there won't be any ACC news or coverage in the New York area outside of ESPN.

Nah.

Sunday morning I was out and about doing errands and listening to WFAN, who's a pretty good arbiter of NY area sports interest.

During their 2o/20 updates they kept giving the SU-Mizzou results as part of "local scores". And that happens all the time, for both football and hoops. They lead with Syracuse as "local" and then go on to Fordham, Monmouth, Manhattan, Columbia, etc.

As long as Syracuse doesn't move to Raleigh we'll get plenty of NY area coverage.

 

[Fjoinkay]

In my opinion the B1G taking on Rutgers is mostly a distraction because B1G was going to work it's way into the NYC market anyway. Now B1G can seem to use the Rutgers addition as leverage but it's unnecessary in my opinion, and I would guess it serves more as a PR move than anything.

Rutgers is the beneficiary financially, but I'm pretty sure Rutgers will end up a doormat in B1G football and basketball. As time rolls on for Rutgers in the B1G it will be forced to spend much more money on it's athletics programs. My guess is Rutgers will do a poor job managing the money and over time end up right where it started.

 

[TDTOrange]

I don't really get how this all works. We have TW in CNY & already get both YES and BTN. I have not watched a single thing on BTN. How does that count as eyeballs? BTN has as much a chance of getting my eyeballs as the NYS Legislature.

The difference could be how BTN gets packaged to TWCNY (and any other cable operator). In order to continue to carry YES, they may now require that BTN be carried on the same basic tier of service at the time of the next carriage agreement negotiation. So instead of BTN only being available on the Sports Tier and BTN receiving $0.80 per subscriber (or whatever the current rate is) it could now need to be required to be carried on the basic tier at $1.20 per subscriber which means beaucoup bucks for the B1G (more subscribers and more $$ per).

It doesn't matter if anyone is watching the channel locally, you're still paying for it as it will be baked into your cable bill. TWCNY won't mess with the YES network or risk thousands of Yankees fans switching to a provider that does, so as a result you get to pay a higher cable bill to get the Yankees and as a side effect, you also get BTN.

 

[GoCuse08]

I have FIOS and BTN...this really angers me knowing that I am contributing to the B1G revenue stream and future Rutgers revenue stream. Wish I could just get BTN removed and save $0.80, or whatever it is per month, from going to the B1G. I hate this setup.

 

[SaltineWar]

Who do you think owns your internet pipe? You think if cable co's see drops in their TV revenue they simply wont jack your Internet connection fee?

As per my post, the cell carriers are taking care of this. You can already bypass the pipe in many areas by purchasing over the air internet from them.

 

[Crusty]

It is a shame for Yankee to do this to all loyal fans. My prided Yankee in the late 90’s and early 2000’s were long gone. What left are a bunch of gutless and lazy people trying to buy victories and failed miserably. Jeter should just retire to save embarrassment. Why do I have a feeling that New Corp will eventually fail miserably.

CBS owned the Yankees and ran the franchise into the ground and then sold it for $8 million (no zeros m missing - $8 million).