Another busy day in the Real Life (tomorrow isn't going to be much better, either). Here's what we missed today...
*WE KNEW IT. The strikeouts started getting to Chris Carter towards the end of 2013.
I kept hearing it from everybody and I started not staying the same...I kind of let it get in my head and that's something I shouldn't do.
*Kyle Weiland sighting! The Astros have invited Weiland to minor-league mini-camp, after he spent most of last season taking classes towards a degree from Notre Dame in anthropology (!).
*Bo Porter was impressed by Preston Tucker - the Astros' 7th Round pick in 2012 - today.
You look at the numbers, and he was one of those guys that I kind of put an asterisk next to...You notice right away, it's power to all fields. The pull power obviously speaks for itself.
*Asher Wojciechowski's lat strain has him in Houston for a platelet-rich plasma injection.
*David Barron has your latest convoluted CSN Houston update.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label David Barron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Barron. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Saturday, October 5, 2013
David Barron's CSN Houston update
David Barron has a status update on what to expect from CSN Houston in the short-term. It's well worth a few minutes to read through, but since I'm lazy and can't quite yet bring myself to even think about the Astros' 2013 season, here's an outline:
1. On Monday (October 7), the Astros will ask for the involuntary bankruptcy suit to be dismissed.
2. The creditors have a week to reply.
3. There will be a hearing about the dismissal on October 28, as well as the creditors' request for a judge to appoint an interim trustee for CSN Houston. This interim trustee would (if the network stays in Involuntary Bankruptcy) have the power to negotiate carriage deals without the Astros' or Rockets' consent.
Here's your money quote, from Barron:
I think the more likely outcome is that Comcast will buy out the Rockets and Astros, even if it has to pay more than it wants to pay, rather than running the risk of having the Astros bolt if the bankruptcy case is dismissed, which would result in the loss of several tens of millions that Comcast/NBC has invested in the network. Astros owner Jim Crane said this week that Comcast offered to buy him out but that he rejected the offer. He said Comcast rejected his counteroffer and did not reply to a second counteroffer.
So, basically, the most likely outcome - according to Barron - is that the Astros and Rockets start over with this whole idea of "getting their product on televisions."
1. On Monday (October 7), the Astros will ask for the involuntary bankruptcy suit to be dismissed.
2. The creditors have a week to reply.
3. There will be a hearing about the dismissal on October 28, as well as the creditors' request for a judge to appoint an interim trustee for CSN Houston. This interim trustee would (if the network stays in Involuntary Bankruptcy) have the power to negotiate carriage deals without the Astros' or Rockets' consent.
Here's your money quote, from Barron:
I think the more likely outcome is that Comcast will buy out the Rockets and Astros, even if it has to pay more than it wants to pay, rather than running the risk of having the Astros bolt if the bankruptcy case is dismissed, which would result in the loss of several tens of millions that Comcast/NBC has invested in the network. Astros owner Jim Crane said this week that Comcast offered to buy him out but that he rejected the offer. He said Comcast rejected his counteroffer and did not reply to a second counteroffer.
So, basically, the most likely outcome - according to Barron - is that the Astros and Rockets start over with this whole idea of "getting their product on televisions."
Thursday, April 11, 2013
CSN Houston update
David Barron checked in on the CSN Houston negotiations yesterday, and we find that Mayor Annise Parker has invited all the major players in the ordeal to meet for a Summit.
Parker:
“The proud followers of our Houston teams – many of whom have paid for the venues where the Astros, Dynamo and Rockets compete – have been patient as your negotiations with Comcast SportsNet Houston have unfolded. That said, as the Rockets push toward the NBA playoffs and the Astros and Dynamo seasons get underway, the situation is intolerable.”
How did they respond? CSN Houston is, of course, in. So is Suddenlink (who has submitted a new offer to CSN Houston to carry the channel as part of a sports tier. CSN Houston said it's not consistent with Suddenlink's treatment of Fox Sports Southwest). DirecTV is in. AT&T said they'd participate, but not before a shot at the fanbase:
We’d love to make the channel available to our customers, but the proposed cost is not fair to pass to all of our customers across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas, especially based upon our subscribers’ historical lack of viewership of Rockets and Astros games.
AT&T is a bag of genitals.
Parker:
“The proud followers of our Houston teams – many of whom have paid for the venues where the Astros, Dynamo and Rockets compete – have been patient as your negotiations with Comcast SportsNet Houston have unfolded. That said, as the Rockets push toward the NBA playoffs and the Astros and Dynamo seasons get underway, the situation is intolerable.”
How did they respond? CSN Houston is, of course, in. So is Suddenlink (who has submitted a new offer to CSN Houston to carry the channel as part of a sports tier. CSN Houston said it's not consistent with Suddenlink's treatment of Fox Sports Southwest). DirecTV is in. AT&T said they'd participate, but not before a shot at the fanbase:
We’d love to make the channel available to our customers, but the proposed cost is not fair to pass to all of our customers across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas, especially based upon our subscribers’ historical lack of viewership of Rockets and Astros games.
AT&T is a bag of genitals.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
This is great news if you want an excuse to not watch the Astros this season
Here's David Barron with an update on the CSN Houston fiasco, and it's not pretty.
Barron quotes a statement from from DirecTV about CSN Houston:
“Unfortunately, we have yet to be able to reach an agreement with the owners of CSN Houston that allows customers to choose whether they want to pay to see the games or not. We are ready and willing to have that discussion any time so we can begin providing this network. Until then, DIRECTV customers can still see Astros games on FOX, TBS, MLB Network and especially ESPN (which carries the season opener) or hear the games on Houston’s KTRH 740 AM, XM Radio and other regional radio carriers.”
HAHAHAHAHA Because Fox, TBS, MLB Network and ESPN are all lining up to show regular season Astros games in 2013. HAHAHAHAHA. So what CSN Houston is telling DirecTV subscribers is:
1) You can watch Astros games on networks that aren't planning on showing any Astros games or
2) Listen to games on the radio.
Remember, MLB.tv will not work for you if you are in Texas, or any other state that even thinks about Texas.
Click the link to read Barron's thoughts and take on a similar situation currently taking place in San Diego.
Barron quotes a statement from from DirecTV about CSN Houston:
“Unfortunately, we have yet to be able to reach an agreement with the owners of CSN Houston that allows customers to choose whether they want to pay to see the games or not. We are ready and willing to have that discussion any time so we can begin providing this network. Until then, DIRECTV customers can still see Astros games on FOX, TBS, MLB Network and especially ESPN (which carries the season opener) or hear the games on Houston’s KTRH 740 AM, XM Radio and other regional radio carriers.”
HAHAHAHAHA Because Fox, TBS, MLB Network and ESPN are all lining up to show regular season Astros games in 2013. HAHAHAHAHA. So what CSN Houston is telling DirecTV subscribers is:
1) You can watch Astros games on networks that aren't planning on showing any Astros games or
2) Listen to games on the radio.
Remember, MLB.tv will not work for you if you are in Texas, or any other state that even thinks about Texas.
Click the link to read Barron's thoughts and take on a similar situation currently taking place in San Diego.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Astros ratings down 34%
David Barron's Media Notebook tells us a little more about how many people aren't watching the Astros on TV:
Through Tuesday, Astros games on Fox Sports Houston are averaging a 1.7 Nielsen rating, down 34 percent through 63 from a year ago, when their final season average was 2.4.
And if people tell you that the Astros won't move to the AL West because of the potential tanking of ratings, you can slap them in the mouth:
The Rangers averaged a 3.9 rating for 12 left coast games in 2010, a half-point above their season average, and the Astros averaged 2.6 for five late games in 2010, two-tenths above their season average. This year, the Rangers have averaged 2.6 for three late games while the Astros averaged 1.8 for four.
Through Tuesday, Astros games on Fox Sports Houston are averaging a 1.7 Nielsen rating, down 34 percent through 63 from a year ago, when their final season average was 2.4.
And if people tell you that the Astros won't move to the AL West because of the potential tanking of ratings, you can slap them in the mouth:
The Rangers averaged a 3.9 rating for 12 left coast games in 2010, a half-point above their season average, and the Astros averaged 2.6 for five late games in 2010, two-tenths above their season average. This year, the Rangers have averaged 2.6 for three late games while the Astros averaged 1.8 for four.
Friday, May 20, 2011
So it's not really $680 million...
David Barron does some quick math on the price tag of the Astros:
If you were intrigued by the $680 million price tag for the Astros, consider that that figure presumably includes 60 percent of the team’s partnership with the Rockets, Houston Regional Sports Network, which controls broadcast rights for both teams. The Astros share of the partnership was valued in 2002 at $213 million, which may explain the math of the deal.
In a separate article, Barron talks about the approval process with Steve Greenberg of Allen & Co. (who represented Drayton). Greenberg, on the organization of Crane's group:
“Think of it as if it were a corporation with a board of directors and someone was asking the board to vote on a significant merger or acquisition. They would prepare a summary so the board members were informed, and if they had questions, they could ask them in an informed manner.”
According to One Person With Knowledge Of The Agreement, there are as many as 36 people involved in Crane's group.
If you were intrigued by the $680 million price tag for the Astros, consider that that figure presumably includes 60 percent of the team’s partnership with the Rockets, Houston Regional Sports Network, which controls broadcast rights for both teams. The Astros share of the partnership was valued in 2002 at $213 million, which may explain the math of the deal.
In a separate article, Barron talks about the approval process with Steve Greenberg of Allen & Co. (who represented Drayton). Greenberg, on the organization of Crane's group:
“Think of it as if it were a corporation with a board of directors and someone was asking the board to vote on a significant merger or acquisition. They would prepare a summary so the board members were informed, and if they had questions, they could ask them in an informed manner.”
According to One Person With Knowledge Of The Agreement, there are as many as 36 people involved in Crane's group.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Details starting to emerge on the new Astros RSN
David Barron is getting some details regarding the Astros/Rockets RSN, scheduled to begin in 2012. Some notes:
-Astros games begin broadcasting in 2012.
-The Astros and Rockets will own 77.5% of the deal, worth over $1 billion.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations notes (via Barron) that Fox offered a similar deal - $1b + $200m signing bonus - but left out what Comcast was willing to provide:
"The only thing that wasn't offered was ownership (in the network)."
For those of you wondering how this affects your ability to throw inanimate objects at the television 162 times a year:
Comcast and the teams will have to negotiate carriage agreements with satellite and fiber providers and with other cable systems, which have about 120,000 customers in the Houston DMA. They also will have to negotiate with Time Warner Cable in major markets such as San Antonio and Austin.
-Astros games begin broadcasting in 2012.
-The Astros and Rockets will own 77.5% of the deal, worth over $1 billion.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations notes (via Barron) that Fox offered a similar deal - $1b + $200m signing bonus - but left out what Comcast was willing to provide:
"The only thing that wasn't offered was ownership (in the network)."
For those of you wondering how this affects your ability to throw inanimate objects at the television 162 times a year:
Comcast and the teams will have to negotiate carriage agreements with satellite and fiber providers and with other cable systems, which have about 120,000 customers in the Houston DMA. They also will have to negotiate with Time Warner Cable in major markets such as San Antonio and Austin.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Astros get $45 million a year from FSH
Yesterday the big news was that the Rangers and Fox Sports Southwest had agreed to a 20-year deal worth an estimated $1.6 billion, beginning in 2015. That's around $80 million a year.
For comparison, the Astros receive about $45 million/year. But David Barron tells us what it means for Houston:
Fox’s willingness to commit to a new deal with the Rangers was interpreted Monday as an indication that it is moving on from what appears to be a futile attempt to keep the Rockets and Astros past 2012. Major League Baseball’s rules governing broadcasting territories will allow FS Southwest to continue airing Rangers games in Houston, even if the Astros and Rockets go elsewhere.
"Elsewhere" meaning "Comcast."
Drayton:
“Hopefully in a week or so we will have it to a conclusion. Some things remain to be done. It’s a long, complex deal that we’re working on in conjunction with the Rockets. When you put two organizations together and work with a network, it takes time.”
McLane wouldn't comment on any sort of details. But stay tuned! Nothing makes the off-season fly by like media news!
For comparison, the Astros receive about $45 million/year. But David Barron tells us what it means for Houston:
Fox’s willingness to commit to a new deal with the Rangers was interpreted Monday as an indication that it is moving on from what appears to be a futile attempt to keep the Rockets and Astros past 2012. Major League Baseball’s rules governing broadcasting territories will allow FS Southwest to continue airing Rangers games in Houston, even if the Astros and Rockets go elsewhere.
"Elsewhere" meaning "Comcast."
Drayton:
“Hopefully in a week or so we will have it to a conclusion. Some things remain to be done. It’s a long, complex deal that we’re working on in conjunction with the Rockets. When you put two organizations together and work with a network, it takes time.”
McLane wouldn't comment on any sort of details. But stay tuned! Nothing makes the off-season fly by like media news!
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