Cox Confirms Offer Of Free Access To Out-Of-Market MLB Games

By John Ourand & Eric Fisher

Cox Communications has confirmed it is offering free broadband access to out-of-market baseball games this season to all of its ’06 Extra Innings customers nationwide this year. Cox, the fourth largest cable operator with 5.4 million subscribers, is a partner in the cable consortium, In Demand, that is trying to negotiate for the package. Another In Demand partner, Comcast, has not made such an offer yet. A third, Time Warner Cable, declined to comment. Cox is offering a rebate for the $89.95 base subscription of the broadband product, via www.cox.com/promotions/mlb. MLB officials were surprised by Cox’ move, which comes as In Demand is deciding whether to take the package on similar terms to DirecTV. The cable consortium has until the end of the month to respond to MLB.