(From Sports Business Daily)
OLN is negotiating for MLB's SUNDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT CABLE PACKAGE, which includes THE HOME RUN DERBY, according to JOHN CONSOLI of MEDIAWEEK.
ESPN, whose exclusive negotiating window ended in JUNE, currently holds those rights, which EXPIRE AFTER THIS SEASON.
A competing network executive said, "It seems like ESPN was PLAYING HARDBALL with MLB and didn't think there would be ANY OTHER BIDDERS. Now, they've put MLB in the driver's seat to TAKE THEIR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE."
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MLB SOURCES said that while a new deal with ESPN "would be a reality if all terms were EQUAL, should another party come in with A MORE ATTRACTIVE OFFER, the league would NOT HESITATE TO CHOOSE THE ALTERNATIVE."
Consoli writes that OLN parent COMCAST agreeing to carry MLB's BASEBALL CHANNEL on its cable systems "could be a sweetener that might lure MLB."
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's ANDY BERNSTEIN notes ESPN Executive Vice President/Programming and Production MARK SHAPIRO is leaving the network, but on his "TO-DO-LIST" is NEGOTIATING A NEW DEAL WITH MLB.
Sources said that ESPN will "pick up fewer games than in years past, and the deal could leave the door open for MLB to do A SEPARATE AGREEMENT" with COMCAST.
Bernstein adds that MLB COMMISSIONER BUD SELIG "went directly to TOP DISNEY BRASS this year to COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW NEGOTIATIONS WERE BEING HANDLED" BY SHAPIRO AND ESPN.
Meanwhile, the NFL's THURSDAY/SATURDAY TV PACKAGE is still available, "which most think will ALSO GO TO COMCAST AND OLN."
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