Next on his shopping list will likely be majority ownership in Sportsnet, an all-sports cable channel on which he can air his Blue Jays' games.
Dolan also got intimately involved in the very public fight between Cablevision and YES , the new sports cable channel owned in part by Yankees boss George Steinbrenner.
Comcast also forms regional sports cable channel in Philadelphia.
In fact, its media network that includes the ABC television network and the sports cable channel ESPN account for 46% of revenues and 67% of earnings before interest taxes, depreciation and amortization.
FORBES: Investors Rediscover Outstanding Value Of Disney's Media Assets
But if independent owners can now claim discrimination in markets where the cable operator owns a sports channel, they may be able to wrestle wider carriage-which would likely drive up cable bills.
The economics of sports networks on cable television is well documented -- the majority pay so that the vocal minority may watch -- but sculpting an amateur sports league to ensure your cable TV channel gets carriage in America's largest media markets might be a new twist.
ENGADGET: Big Ten Network carriage agreements may be motivating conference expansion
Also, one of the people said prospective investors in the Mets won't be provided with financial information about the team's cable network, another indication that the lucrative sports channel won't be included in any deal for a minority stake in the team.
He compares the current negotiations to what happened with the Big Ten Network, where initially most cable and satellite companies balked at carrying one more sports channel but eventually almost all of them picked up the station.
Fox executives said they were in talks with local cable television distributors on agreements to pick up the new Fox Sports Brasil channel.
Mets owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz control 65% of the cable channel, which broadcasts Mets games and other New York area sports.
Given the opportunity, the Disney-owned cable channel would happily add the high-profile tourney to an ever-expanding library of sports rights that already includes Monday Night Football, major league soccer and the BCS postseason package.
The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, 11 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties.
ENGADGET: NBC Sports and Yahoo Sports cut a deal to fuse internet, TV coverage
应用推荐