"Say it Ain't So": Mlb DirecTV deal Update

Bud at MLB job interview?

The battle over out of market baseball access seems to be going into "Extra Innings."

Public pressure could be getting to the MLB, although puppet Bud Selig, the former Br*ves fan , former collusion ringleader, and current so-called Commisioner of Baseball who has given us the Wild Card, called off an All-Star game, presided over the cancellation of an entire season, the rampant use of steroids, and done everything in his power to denegrate the game of baseball and leave it in shambles before his time is up in 2009 including putting images of Spiderman on the bases, isn't making any more friends with his insensitive comments.

According to Multichannel News:

Selig weighed in last week on ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike In the Morning. While no deal has been reached for Extra Innings, he said, reports of baseball fans being greatly disenfranchised if DirecTV got the exclusive arrangement are exaggerated.
“I expect people to understand that we thought all of these issues out, and there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll be quite surprised at how few people are affected,” he said. “When I look at the number of people that would be affected, it’s so small.”


What did Sosa say?



Steroid users never fear, Bud is here!

So is "Extra Innings Still in Play?" It sounds like cable is making concessions to the MLB:

Executives close to several multiple-system operators said the cable industry late last week made a last-minute pitch to significantly increase the industry’s subscriber commitment to the league’s proposed channel, set to launch in 2009 — the major curveball in negotiations to secure the league’s out-of-market package of live games.
But other executives close to the negotiations said MLB could announce an exclusive Extra Innings distribution deal with DirecTV as early as this week.


Bud covers face in what must be shame

Phillip Swann at TVPredictions.com writes:

Concerned that Congress could re-open legislative probes of the league's steroid policies and other sticky issues, MLB officials decided earlier this month to give the 'Extra Innings' package another look before making any announcements. The league has since searched for a plan that would satisfy both congressional critics and maintain DIRECTV's exclusivity over most games in a pay package.In addition, according to sources, cable TV operators have freshened up their bids to keep the pay package which has been available to both cable and satellite operators for several years. The operators are also leaning on congressional supporters such as Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), whose state is the home of Comcast's corporate headquarters, to keep the pressure on the league.The flurry of activity -- and scores of critical commentaries in the press -- is why the DIRECTV deal has been on hold for nearly a month.

Stay Tuned!


ps. Bite me, Bud!