OLN Still Moving on Other Sports
From Mediaweek:
ESPN, Turner’s TBS, Fox’s FX and Comcast’s OLN are all interested in getting the TV rights to the remaining Major League Baseball American and National League Championship series games that are up for grabs beginning next season and running through the 2013 season.
...snip…
In the latter scenario, OLN might be the network to get the entire package, though it would be a pricey one and maybe too rich for its blood.
...snip…
With ESPN, Turner and Fox already signed to new deals with lots of baseball rights, that would seem to leave Comcast’s OLN as the target for this all-encompassing baseball package. Right now the holdup could be price.
Brosnan would not comment on why OLN did not pony up enough to get the entire Divisional Championship Series package, which went to Turner, but he did say that OLN is a viable option for a baseball rights package, particularly now that parent Comcast having gotten approval to acquire rival cable operator Adelphia. That would put Comcast/OLN in some 30 million cable homes. “OLN is a legitimate outlet for baseball,” Brosnan said.
“We consider it a viable outlet for our programming. The Comcast folks are very smart people.” An OLN spokesperson said the network would have no comment.
Obvously, MLB on OLN/VS would be a big move for the network and more exposure for it could only help the NHL.
There has been a lot of criticism of the NHL’s choice in OLN because of the obscurity of the network, but if OLN can bring baseball over, that plus the acquisition of Adelphia will boost availability and brand. If the NHL hasn’t pushed OLN to make the deal already, now’s the time.
Comments:
OLN apparently has a contract with Top Rank Inc that will allow them to televise a number of matches this summer. I believe they will show the return of Evander Holyfield sometime in August.
Posted by John Chandler on Jul 18, 2006 at 05:05 PM
Next entry: Smith Out, Snow In, Lafontaine Resigns
Previous entry: Nazarov Sounds Like Pound