The Phillies on Thursday agreed "to a long-term extension with Comcast SportsNet that will be worth billions" after the two sides' current deal expires following the '15 season, according to Matt Gelb of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Terms were not released, but a source said that the agreement "is for at least 20 years." CSN Philadelphia "will televise the majority of the 162-game schedule," and a "limited number of games will no longer appear" on WPHL-TV. Instead, CSN "will select some weekend dates to televise on its sister station," WCAU-NBC. The contract "is not expected to eclipse" the $7B reaped by the Dodgers in their 25-year TV-rights deal signed last winter, but it "will represent a significant windfall." The Phillies "garnered some of the best local TV ratings" among MLB clubs in recent seasons. It is "unknown how much money" CSN paid the Phillies "under the previous deal; various estimates have stated the annual value" was $35M. The Phillies' deal "was unique in that they received a cut of advertising revenue from the telecasts because the team was responsible, in part, for selling the ads." It is "unclear whether that partnership will continue" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 1/3). In Pennsylvania, Kevin Cooney notes the Phillies "will not start their own network, but still likely get the financial windfall many expected." How the new TV deal "impacts the Phillies' remaining offseason remains to be seen," but currently, the club is "expected to have a payroll" of $165M (BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES, 1/3).
