What is the latest on a new TV deal? Doesn't it go in effect after the 19 season and has anyone here heard anything new in regards to how much it might be worth? And I think signing of a Harper and or Machado would generate more money and offset the ridiculous salaries they are going to make. Thanx

I haven't heard a word about it.  My guess is they are waiting to see what the Cubs do this winter and go from there.

1 hour ago, SoxSteve said:

What is the latest on a new TV deal? Doesn't it go in effect after the 19 season and has anyone here heard anything new in regards to how much it might be worth? And I think signing of a Harper and or Machado would generate more money and offset the ridiculous salaries they are going to make. Thanx

You would be thinking right.

Here's my question. We have discussions in the other thread about who is the better baseball player, but if you were purely looking at it from a business perspective, do you think one guy moves the needle more and if so, how significantly? I honestly don't know that Machado moves the needle at all, however, I think Harper moves the needle significantly. He's much watch TV. He's the baseball player with personality and bizazz who is pretty much the face of MLB (despite Trout and many others being better players).  

I think Machado doesn't register much more than a blip from a marketability perspective (did he really make the Oriole's a much watch team)? I think for Machado to move the needle, the franchise has to win games. I think Harper moves the needle alone and gives the front office a bit more time for the rest of the team to catch up. Eventually Harper alone won't work...but I think Harper alone is a game changer in your TV negotiations and if you build a winner around him, it could be the type of move that catapults the franchise forward. 

On the flipside, the downfall to both of these guys is if they get hurt and/or stink the vast majority of the contract (i.e., go all Jason Heyward).  

I'm starting my campaign for Harper. The team needs more pizazz vs. Machado who is essentially "Trout" with a bit less WAR (i.e., your steadily great player whose most exciting bit is whether he "hustles" all the time). 

Given the lack of real options in the Chicago market (as far as independent / unaffiliated stations) most assume they are going to go back to NBC Sports Chicago for the bulk of their games with some sent locally via WGN and maybe WCIU (I think those are the call letters for the third station). It's a big question how much they'll get.

Seattle, St. Louis and Arizona signed billion dollar deals with their regional sports networks but they also were the only game in town. The Sox are not. I'd imagine also factoring in, is how they do in 2019, can they show that the future is bright? 

To an extent NBC Sports Chicago has them over a barrel basically because the options like I said are limited. I don't think they'd try to take advantage of it though given the relationship they have had with the Sox....but they could if they wanted to play hardball.

We'll see how it turns out.

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Given the lack of real options in the Chicago market (as far as independent / unaffiliated stations) most assume they are going to go back to NBC Sports Chicago for the bulk of their games with some sent locally via WGN and maybe WCIU (I think those are the call letters for the third station). It's a big question how much they'll get.

Seattle, St. Louis and Arizona signed billion dollar deals with their regional sports networks but they also were the only game in town. The Sox are not. I'd imagine also factoring in, is how they do in 2019, can they show that the future is bright? 

To an extent NBC Sports Chicago has them over a barrel basically because the options like I said are limited. I don't think they'd try to take advantage of it though given the relationship they have had with the Sox....but they could if they wanted to play hardball.

We'll see how it turns out.

 

 

 

Lip, isn’t the WGN gig up after next season?  I thought that came out this year, that once the ‘GN contract was up after 2019, ‘GN was getting out of the sports telecasting business altogether.  

4 hours ago, Lip Man 1 said:

 

They'll still partner with the Bulls and Hawks no matter what

 

 

Edited November 6, 20187 yr by Nokona

On 11/5/2018 at 11:22 PM, Fan O'Faust said:

Lip, isn’t the WGN gig up after next season?  I thought that came out this year, that once the ‘GN contract was up after 2019, ‘GN was getting out of the sports telecasting business altogether.  

There were some reports to that effect by Levine I think. So with him, you have to take that with a grain of salt....if true, it reduces the Sox options even more.