MLB has been "pulled back from the precipice by the powerful
hand of television, once again," according to Richard Griffin of
the TORONTO STAR. Griffin writes the "man receiving -- and
taking -- much of the credit" is IMG's Barry Frank -- "one of the
sport's great behind the scenes, self-promoters." Griffin
profiles Frank's previous deals and criticizes him for convincing
Expos Owner Claude Brochu to end the team's TV affiliation with
Labatt's and bring TV rights in-house. The Expos then went from
a 42-game package on free TV to eventually none. Griffin:
"Let's hope baseball's new national package ends up with better
results" (TORONTO STAR, 11/9). In Milwaukee at the Wisconsin
Sports Hall of Fame ceremony, Bob Costas, a regular critic of The
Baseball Network, said he likes the new TV deal, noting he
couldn't "find a single element to criticize about it." Costas:
"It makes good business sense and it is good for fans" (Bob
Wolfley, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/8). In terms of
advertising, Aaron Cohen, Senior VP/Dir of Broadcast Media at
Media Edge, says Fox and NBC are "going to have a very hard time
even achieving this year's pricing levels, especially given the
fact that sports money will be tied up in the Olympics."
VARIETY'S Gary Levin writes that MLB's "winning networks must see
the sport as something of a loss leader, unless baseball
undergoes a radical transfusion of marketing support" (VARIETY,
11/6 issue).
ANOTHER BASEBALL DEAL: Cable and satellite rights to the
Taiwanese baseball league went for $60M over the next three
years, according to VARIETY. Rights to sports events in Asia
"have been rocketing as sports bodies play off one channel
against another." The competition will only increase with ESPN
Asia and the Fox/Liberty cable venture becoming more involved
(VARIETY, 11/6 issue).
SEEING REDS: SportsChannel Ohio will soon be shopping its
new exclusive package of Reds games on both cable and broadcast
during the '96-98 seasons. SC will have 50 games on cable and up
to an additional 45 on an independent Cincinnati station. SC is
also trying to team with a broadcast station in Dayton and will
distribute to other cable systems outside the Cincy markets, as
neighboring viewers will have access to up to 95 Reds games. SC
Ohio GM David Kline said they "will provide sponsors with one-
stop access to both cable and broadcast audiences within and
beyond the Cincinnati DMA" (INSIDE MEDIA, 11/14 issue).
