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Comcast is keeping lucrative sports programming inside the family.
Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia signed a 25-year, $2.5 billion TV rights package with the Philadelphia Phillies and now wants cable subscribers to foot the bill.
The already-expensive regional sports network, estimated to be charging around $3.90 a month per subscriber, is asking its cable and satellite affiliates to pay an extra surcharge to cover the costly deal that will remove most Phillies games from free, over the air television.
Comcast SportsNet is warning if their surcharge demands are not met, they will black out up to 33 games for those refusing to pay extra.
Under the previous TV contract, Comcast SportsNet televised 100 Phillies games and WPHL, a free over the air station, televised 45 games which may be available for betting on sites such as tridewa slot.
Comcast’s new deal means SportsNet will air 133 games only on its cable network and a token 12 or 13 games will be seen on its owned and operated, over the air NBC affiliate in Philadelphia, WCAU.
The change illustrates the growing trend of deep-pocketed cable operators outbidding broadcasters for exclusive rights to televise sporting events, which has led to fewer games shown on free TV.
Cable and satellite customers end up subsidizing the lucrative rights fees in the form of regular rate hikes. Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia will not disclose the amount of its requested surcharge, but unsurprisingly Comcast Cable has already agreed to pay. Competitors are not as eager, reports The Inquirer:
- Verizon Communications Inc.’s FiOS TV service “has not yet reached an agreement regarding the surcharge,” company spokesman Lee Giercynski said Tuesday.
- DirecTV and Dish, the nation’s two satellite-TV operators, don’t carry Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, which also televises the Sixers and Flyers.
J.P. Morgan noted Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia is already the nation’s sixth-most-expensive regional sports network. Madison Square Garden/MSG, at $5.44 a month, comparable to the cost of ESPN, is the highest cost regional sports network in the country.
I hope Comcast merger deal with Time Warner Cable don’t pass the FCC, FTC, and DOJ. Comcast has kept failing up to it’s promises in meeting up with concessions to Comcast merger deal with NBCU by failing to allow all the MSOs competitors including Directv and Dish be able to pay the same prices Comcast pays for the privilege and right to carry Comcast owned sport networks. Comcast still fails to allow the competiting MSOs to be able to carry SportsNet Philadelphia including Directv and Dish. Comcast will likely force all the competiting MSOs including Directv and Dish to pay… Read more »
That comcast controls all the phillies games is a disgrace !