MLB Extra Innings

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MLB Extra Innings is an Out-of-Market Sports Package distributed by most cable and satellite providers in North America. The package allows its subscribers to see up to 60 out-of-market Major League Baseball games a week using local and national television networks.

As of the 2008 season, the feeds from both teams' broadcasts are available for each game, except if a team is showing the game locally on a broadcast station, because this package relies on satellite uplink paths. (For the same reason, the Philadelphia Phillies' feed is never available, as CSN Philadelphia also has no uplink path.) Previously, only one feed was available, usually the home team's.

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[edit] Availability

MLB Extra Innings is available with these cable and satellite providers:

  • Chile
      • DirecTV Chile

[edit] New contract and controversy

On March 6, 2007, DirecTV signed a new seven-year carriage contract with the MLB. At first, it was to be an exclusive deal worth $700 million. However, as a result of viewer complaints and antitrust concerns - voiced by, among others, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry - MLB agreed to offer the package for renewal by cable systems and Dish Network. By March 9, negotiations had begun to try to settle the dispute, with a deadline of April 1, the first day of the MLB regular season.[1] MLB demanded that the cable systems bundle the renewal of the Extra Innings package with the MLB Network, a proposed 24-hour network in the vein of NFL Network or NBA TV that MLB hopes to launch by 2009. Furthermore, these systems were asked to place the channel on an expanded digital tier. At least one major system, Time Warner Cable, balked at the terms.[2]

The offer from the cable consortium to MLB would have matched the financing portion, but cable was only willing to put the MLB Network on a premium tier. Cable systems did guarantee to reach at least as many viewers of MLB Network as DirecTV will reach. MLB was not satisfied with the offer, and publicly claimed that the cable companies failed to meet more of the criteria for the deal than they had actually met.[3] However, while MLB wanted the cable systems to match the same offer as DirecTV, MLB would be providing more generous benefits to DirecTV for the very same offer: DirecTV would be receiving a stake in MLB Network, thereby barring cable systems from receiving the telecasts. Hence, MLB was accused of claiming that cable would not meet the same terms as DirecTV, while not offering the same deal to the cable consortium.[4]

As of the start of the season on April 2, only DirecTV had agreed to those terms and was able to retain Extra Innings. It would not be available on any cable system until after the deadline was extended and agreements were reached.

On April 4, MLB and iN DEMAND finally reached an agreement similar to the one that MLB reached with DirecTV. Cable companies that carry iN DEMAND resumed carrying MLB Extra Innings and also agreed to add the MLB Network upon its launch. iN DEMAND only had the authority to negotiate directly for and agree to add the Baseball Channel on their owners' cable systems which are made up by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Advance/Newhouse as (Bright House Networks) in turn iN DEMAND got an equity stake in the Baseball Channel about the same as the one DirecTV received. Cablevision which had been asking for their own equity stake as terms for them to agree to add the MLB Network came to terms with iN DEMAND and Major League Baseball on May 4, 2007 which was iN DEMAND and MLB's deadline for cable companies and Dish Network to reach a deal. Cablevision agreed to carry the MLB Network without getting the equity stake in it. Charter Communications also reached an agreement with MLB. [5]

A few cable providers like Comcast and Suddenlink Communications may not offer all 14 MLB game channels, while a few game channels shares channel space with NHL Center Ice thus excluding a certain amount of games from their customers. Because of hockey games shown on the same channels, some nights on Comcast and Suddenlink no more than 2 or 3 games are shown. Some Comcast cable systems do carry all 14 game channels while some systems have limited number of channels. Direct TV customers do not have this problem, as their 15 channels are dedicated solely to baseball.

[edit] Additional "Superfan" feature

MLB Extra Innings on DirecTV has launched a "Superfan" premium package similar to that available from NFL Sunday Ticket. This includes a "Game Mix" with eight games on the same channel, and a "Strike Zone Channel" with cut-ins to the night's highlights.

DirecTV subscribers with the Superfan package for the 2008 season also get access to up to 40 games in HD each week. In 2007, at least 10 games each week were in HD. HD equipment is required.

[edit] Blackout restrictions

Game broadcasts of a major league team in its home market are blacked out in that area if the same game is on the Extra Innings schedule. In most cases, these games can be seen locally on a broadcast or cable/satellite network. (If both feeds are available, as noted above, they are both blacked out.)

Nationally-broadcast games on FOX, ESPN or TBS are not made available on Extra Innings. Chicago Cubs and White Sox games broadcasted nationally on Superstation WGN are also blacked out occasionally.

FOX has exclusive broadcasting rights for Saturday afternoon games. Any game starting prior to 7:00 Eastern time on Saturdays will not be broadcast on MLB Extra Innings.

ESPN has exclusive broadcast rights for Sunday evening games. Any game starting after 8:00 PM Eastern time on Sundays will not be broadcast on MLB Extra Innings. ESPN also televises a number of other games throughout the week. These, however, are not blacked out.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Major League Baseball on national television
Contract history: Sports television broadcast contracts | Television contracts
Broadcast partners: ABC | CBS | ESPN | FOX | NBC | TBS | USA
Major League Baseball owned and operated entites: The Baseball Network | Extra Innings | MLB Network
General media: Game of the Week | Monday Night | DayGame | Wednesday Night | Thursday Night | Sunday Night | Baseball Night in America
Local broadcasters: Regional sports networks | Superstations | Current announcers | Braves TBS Baseball | Marlins Television Network
News television series: Baseball Tonight | An Inside Look | This Week in Baseball | Race for the Pennant
Speciality programming: The Baseball Bunch | Home Run Derby
Ratings: World Series television ratings | ABC | CBS | FOX | NBC | TBS
Broadcasters by event: World Series | ALCS | NLCS | All-Star Game | ALDS | NLDS | One-game playoffs
Landmark events: Cable television | Broadcasting firsts | Telecasts technology