MSG Chair & CEO James Dolan said that his company "might buy" the 22 RSNs that Disney has agreed to sell to complete its Fox acquisition, according to Claire Atkinson of NBCNEWS.com. Dolan: "We're paying attention. I suppose at the right price we might." He added, "We still think there's potential but the market is changing a lot and nobody is growing revenues much because everything is fully distributed and fully priced. The question is what happens from there." Dolan noted that RSNs are "valuable and throw off a lot of money." But he said, "It's a slow, declining revenue stream" (NBCNEWS.com, 7/5). TV consultant Lee Berke said that those interested in buying the 22 RSNs "might include ... Amazon and YouTube." Berke: "There's a lot out there in the marketplace. The reality is that it's very rare you have a group of sports networks you can combine." THE WRAP's Tim Baysinger noted Disney will have "at least 90 days from the date of closing of the transaction to complete this sale, with the possibility that the DOJ can grant extensions." Despite the "rapid escalation of rights fees and the general downward trend of live TV ratings, analysts agree that regional sports networks are still a valuable commodity in the TV ecosystem." Berke: "It generates ratings and viewership on a regular basis. It’s not like another category of entertainment programming. You’re putting out thousands of games per year and the audience keeps on coming back." The 22 RSNs "collectively hold local TV rights for 44 professional sports teams across" the NHL, NBA and MLB. In December, Guggenheim Securities "placed the value of the 22 RSNs" at $22.4B (THEWRAP.com, 7/5).
