The Red Sox have agreed to a two-year TV deal with JCS
New England TV Network, according to Howard Manly of the
BOSTON GLOBE. The deal, which will have games airing on
WLVI-WB in Boston, is said to be worth $10M per year, a
slight increase from their previous deal. The Red Sox said
that they chose JCS New England because WLVI "had enough
clearance to air as many as 75 games" and has the "ability
to attract younger viewers." Likewise, JCS will be able to
syndicate the rights to stations in ME, NH, RI, VT and CT
and with an estimated 4.6 million viewers, the regional
network is considered the "third largest" in the U.S., after
N.Y. and L.A. Manly noted that industry execs said that JCS
will need to receive about $3,200 per 30-second spot to "at
least break even." The team's previous carrier, WABU,
earned $2,000 per spot (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/23). In Boston, Jim
Baker reported that WABU reportedly lost $3M last season and
chose not to exercise a $14M option. The team felt "a major
factor" in WLVI's favor was its ability to carry 25-26
Friday night games (BOSTON HERALD, 1/23).
