XM gets Baseball

[XMTTU]

For anyone who is interested....

XM SATELLITE RADIO TEAMING WITH MLB IN $650M DEAL
By Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large, The Sports Business Daily

XM Satellite Radio is close to taking the wraps off a deal with MLB that would be the largest in the brief history of satellite radio. Sources said the ten-year deal — expected to be unveiled sometime before the first game of the World Series this Saturday — is worth as much as $650M in cash and stock. They added that the agreement won’t begin until 2006.

The deal brings into sharp focus the competition between XM and Sirius Satellite Radio, the two heavyweights of the developing segment, each of which hopes that by signing big-name, big-dollar content deals, they will be able to grow what are now relatively small subscriber bases. XM has about 2.5 million subscribers; while Sirius has about 700,000. Steve Mather, a research analyst who follows satellite radio for Sanders Morris Harris, L.A., said, “I think it’s safe to say this has become an arms race with the money they are paying for talent. At these prices, they’d be better off selling consumers on (satellite radio) itself.”

Sirius execs have long said that the deal it signed with the NFL in December is as important as a branding device as it is for content. The addition of MLB to the its lineup helps XM level the playing field, since baseball has more than 10 times as many games and has been a staple of radio almost since the medium started. Sirius paid about $220M for its seven-year deal with the NFL, an interesting comparison to these latest MLB numbers. Nonetheless, the money is flowing. Sirius recently signed Howard Stern to a five-year, $500M deal. With the concomitant publicity, Sirius said it gained more than 69,000 new subscribers in September to pass the 700,000 mark. In the sports arena, Sirius has deals with the NHL, AVP and top-tier college basketball and football programs, including Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma, USC and Nebraska. Its rights deal with the NBA is expected to be renewed shortly. XM’s sports offerings include an exclusive deal with NASCAR, and college conference deals with the Big Ten, the ACC and the Pac-10.


:clap: :clap: I love XM :icon_cool

[SpotcheckBilly]

This rocks!! I hope it's true..I wouldn't have to use the crappy MLB feed anymore.

[XMTTU]

Major League Baseball, XM Satellite Radio to Make Announcement From MLB Central Office on Wednesday at 10:00 A.M.

Major League Baseball, XM Satellite Radio to Make Announcement From MLB Central Office on Wednesday at 10:00 A.M.
10/19/2004 6:13:00 PM

NEW YORK, Oct 19, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- The following is being issued by Major League Baseball and XM Satellite Radio:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000724/XMSATLOGO )

WHAT: Executives from Major League Baseball and XM Satellite Radio
(XMSR) will hold a press conference at 10:00 a.m. on
Wednesday, October 20.


WHO: Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner of Baseball -- via phone
Hugh Panero, CEO of XM Satellite Radio
Bob DuPuy, President and COO, Major League Baseball
Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President, Business,
Major League Baseball

WHEN: Wednesday, October 20, 2004
10:00 A.M. (EDT)

WHERE: Major League Baseball Offices
245 Park Avenue (Park Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets)
31st Floor

Building Access:
In order to be cleared through building security, media members
planning to attend the press conference must e-mail Carmine Tiso
(Carmine.Tiso@MLB.com) and provide your name and affiliation for
building access.

In addition to calling in advance to provide your
name/affiliation for building security, all camera crews will
have to enter the building using the freight elevator at the
46th Street loading dock. The freight elevator will be
available beginning at 9:00 a.m.


SOURCE XM Satellite Radio; Major League Baseball

Kathleen Fineout or Carmine Tiso of Major League Baseball,
+1-212-931-7878; Michael Cargill of Robert Marston Corporate Communications,
+1-212-836-4206, Mcargill@MarstonPR.com; or David Butler of XM Satellite
Radio, +1-202-380-4317, David.Butler@xmradio.com
/Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000724/XMSATLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

[Rob]

nice!!!

[Ballbuster1]

Looks like competition is heating up between XM and Sirius.

[mascan42]

Take that, Sirius! Unlike football, baseball actually works on radio.

They added that the agreement won’t begin until 2006.Hoo hoo . . . baseball's ripping me off!

[gumhead]

This is huge!!!!

Way to go XM!

[gumhead]

I invented baseball, hoo hoo, right robin... hoo hoo


Link....
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1905454

[Mother Shucker]

This would blow away Sirius's NFL deal. Like the babababoys said on the show, who is in there car on Sunday listening to football (well, I am, because I work Sunday, but I can listen to my local team on a.m. radio).

XM has about 2.5 million subscribers; while Sirius has about 700,000.

2.5 mill? Was'nt it 2 mill when they signed O and A? If so, 1/2 a mill signing up for the show so far is pretty fucking good! :clap:

[SaltyDelights]

Both companies paid too much money for something that is not a radio product.

Opie and Anthony, The Nose, Bob Edwards: Radio products.

NFL, NHL, NASCAR, MLB: Not radio products.

When your really interested in your home team and are living somewhere else in the nation you don't think: "It's available on satellite radio? Lemme go out and buy it!" You think "I'm getting the package on DirecTV," or "I can't afford it so I'll just go to the scoreboard section on Sportsline.Com"

That being said, football is only played on 20 weeks a year, once or twice a week, and baseball is played 210 days in a row a year. So baseball is difinetely the best sport (but for $60 million a year?)

They also couldn't let Sirius get baseball and have the bonus of saying: "Exclusive satellite provider of all professional sports."

Plus it makes for great O&A-related product placement by XM:

"Opie and Anthony and XM Present Free Wiffleball Bat Day at Yankee Stadium"

The first 5000 teen girls age 19 and under get their official Opie and Anthony wiffleball bat.

[SpotcheckBilly]

No Double Posting!!! (just kidding..)


This is huge..:)

[slap happy]

this is indeed huge. baseball on radio is great, more baseball on xm is more gooder.

[angrybeerguy]

Yes this is great . They are playing the world series on espn channel 140


The deal would be worth $470 million in cash over eight years, with Major League Baseball having the option to extend the arrangement by up to three additional years at $60 million per year. That would make the deal potentially worth up to $650 million. AP

[GravyMaster]

AWESOME! I knew XM would pull this off eventually. Looks like I can totally take my FM radio out of the truck now.....;)

[fandango86]

This is the greatest moment in my life, which is odd, because Keith Foulke striking out Tony Clark was the greatest moment in my life just 10 minutes ago. Looks like the Sox have some work to do to top this one. Before I get too hyped up about this, let's wait to see how much of that 650 mil is coming from our pockets. You can bet yer ass that this will be a premium service for XM. I would pay like maybe .25 per game to hear all the Mets games. Anything more than that and I'm not sure I'm buying. Oh, and if Larry Bowa's managing them next year they'll have to pay me to keep following them.

[GravyMaster]

This is the greatest moment in my life, which is odd, because Keith Foulke striking out Tony Clark was the greatest moment in my life just 10 minutes ago. Looks like the Sox have some work to do to top this one. Before I get too hyped up about this, let's wait to see how much of that 650 mil is coming from our pockets. You can bet yer ass that this will be a premium service for XM. I would pay like maybe .25 per game to hear all the Mets games. Anything more than that and I'm not sure I'm buying. Oh, and if Larry Bowa's managing them next year they'll have to pay me to keep following them.
You are a Met fan and watching Keith Foulke strike out Clark was the greatest moment in your life? Your team was IN the world series 3 years ago and the greatest moment in your life is another team striking out a Yankee player to get to a Game 7. See where I am going with this?

[chopsueychris]

for what it is worth... i think sports on radio is teh dead. just me though. Baseball comes through better on radio than football imo.

oh yeha on squizz tonight random said that the yankees game wa sairing live on ch 140 i think for those to far from a tv.

[AlbanyGreatDane]

Bravo to XM to landing baseball. I know alot of people who can't stand listening to the TV announcers, so they tune in the radio. I know satelite is on a delay so this may be tough to listen to XM and watch cable. BUT maybe MLB can work out a deal with the MLB Extra Innings to sync up the audio from XM and video from the package. The Extra Innings package comes from a satelite even if you get it on cable. If this happens it would be a great!

I hope FOX promotes the hell out of this tonight on game 7. Put XM logos everywhere!!! Let's show hoo-hoo whos got the better satelite company to work for.

PS: Maybe Bob Murphy can call the show from his grave (ding ding) to talk about this satelite news.

[Golfer]

XM w/baseball........awesome....i cant stand listening to some of the guys on Fox (Fawx)... Since i am a bit of a techno geek, i found that if i watch the games on fawx and use my tivo to match the ESPN guys on 140, it works pretty good....As in no McCarver BS....

On another note, I am a displaced Green Bay fan..I do have the Directv football package and dont miss any games....I do miss the local announcers for those games....I suppose NFL on satellite radio is more of a niche product, for fans of a team out of market and no directv, etc.....

just one sportstechnogeek's opinion

[TurboDan]

"We're talkin' satellite radio for 4 hours today, Mikey. I heard those dumb XFL guys are doin' a morning zoo show over there. Let's go to another commercial break and in the time that takes, I'll run over to Best Buy and get a SkyFi. Be right back on Da Fan."

[yambaggler]

anyone else see the mlb on xm add behind home plate in sox-yanks game?

[oldyist]

anyone else see the mlb on xm add behind home plate in sox-yanks game?
large. i keep waiting to see the caricature O&A pic up there.

[Ballbuster1]

anyone else see the mlb on xm add behind home plate in sox-yanks game?Yeah, now they need to promote the boys more.:icon_wink

[yambaggler]

large. i keep waiting to see the caricature O&A pic up there.maybe a shot too of lil jimmy and some monster rain?

[Seth]

That banner really made me happy!

[ASSMAN]

this is very cool, XM keeps getting better