LL Cool J said his group would want to work closely with pro leagues should its bid for the RSNs winGETTY IMAGES
The Big3's bid for 21 of the 22 RSNs being sold by Disney now has "significant financial backing and is hoping to create a new national network aimed at a younger, more diverse audience than traditional sports channels," according to Claire Atkinson of NBCNEWS.com. LL Cool J -- who is working alongside Ice Cube and Big3 co-Founder Jeff Kwatinetz on the bid -- said it will be a "new network for a new world that’s really about sports and culture." LL Cool J said of the group's idea, "Something that could usher in a new era and really bring the voice of the new generation to the forefront. The Gen Zs, the millennials, really give these kids a platform, a way to engage in sports in a really cool and fun and exciting way." He said winning the bid is "not about the biggest check." He added, "We are going to be great partners. MLB is going to get a new audience. They’re going to get a new generation of viewers. We want to work closely with MLB, work closely with NBA and all of the leagues to hit the reset button" (NBCNEWS.com, 3/9).
YES, NO, MAYBE? The Yankees’ purchase of the 80% stake it did not already own in YES Network is still several months away, according to a source (Daniel Kaplan, THE DAILY). In N.Y., Draper & Lee noted for Amazon, partnering with the Yankees in buying back the RSN "could be a boon to its Prime program, especially if that membership included access to those games." That, in turn, "could add more revenue, as Prime members tend to buy more on Amazon than casual online shoppers." Amazon’s motivation "becomes clearer when considering the fact that growth in the number of Amazon Prime members in the United States has slowed recently." It "hit 97 million members last year, up from about 90 million" in '17 (N.Y. TIMES, 3/9). The WALL STREET JOURNALS's Flint & Gottfried noted YES was valued at $3.9B in '14 when Fox "bought its 80% stake." The Yankees' deal values the RSN at $3.5B, and the decline in YES’ value is "indicative of the challenges regional sports networks are facing as more consumers abandon their traditional cable and satellite pay-TV providers in favor of streaming services." Disney "had been seeking a price" in the $5-6B range for YES. For Amazon, a stake in YES "would provide another path into the sports media business." Should the YES deal proceed, a source said that Amazon "isn’t likely to immediately begin streaming Yankees games on its platforms." Furthermore, MLB restrictions "likely would prevent Amazon from streaming games" outside the N.Y. market (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/9).
