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Author Topic: Too complicated for radio – SportsNet/LA debacle.  (Read 2445 times)

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BuryCats

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Too complicated for radio – SportsNet/LA debacle.
« on: April 04, 2014, 01:00:27 pm »
I've been on this topic for a month now, but finally, there are hard numbers in the press that back up and exceed what Crazy Paranoid Brad has been spouting. Even Ramona Shelburne (senior writer, ESPN.com) called me nuts earlier this week on Twitter.

Here's an article about the breakdown in talks with DirecTV.

Although Time Warner Cable has not disclosed the price it is seeking from distributors, industry sources have pegged the fee for the first year of the contract at north of $4 per subscriber, per month with increases throughout the deal.

Other articles peg the number as high as $5/month per subscriber. That's $48 - $60 per year per subscriber. TWC is not offering any option of putting SportsNet/LA on a paid/premium tier. So, like your grandparents who don't give a shit about anything other than Wheel and Jeopardy get "taxed" $50+/year.

It's a horribly dishonest revenue model, and it's important that it fails. Regardless of what the YES network got away with in New York, it can't happen here. I'll double down on the dishonesty charge. TWC is just doing what they do. The Dodgers knew up front how this would have to work, because there is no other way to get that kind of revenue out of TV. They suck for being part of this.

Realistically, DirecTV and cable companies aren't gonna say yes for anything north of $0.50/month per subscriber or (far more likely) as a premium/paid station. The product TWC is trying to force down everyone's throat just isn't worth anywhere near what they think.

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