More On The ESPN/MLB Deal Regarding TBS

Wednesday, October 03, 2007


Details are slowly starting to leak out regarding the deal the ESPN has struck with MLB regarding the TBS Promos. According to Sports Business Daily and Neil Best a deal has been made, but ESPN still may be on thin ice.

ESPN and MLB have reached an agreement over the network’s refusal to run on-air spots promoting post-season telecasts on TBS and Fox. ESPN still will not run the ads, but the network said in a statement it will “provide network references, including ESPN Radio, as part of reports on the Division Series and LCS,” meaning that specific TBS and Fox games will be referenced during "SportsCenter," "Baseball Tonight" and on ESPN News. In exchange, MLB will allow ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” to put its set inside the ballpark during the World Series. (SBD)

The most recent spat between MLB and ESPN has been resolved, with ESPN agreeing to make regular references to the fact the division series will be on TBS in addition to ESPN radio. In return, ESPN will be allowed to have its customary on-site set at the World Series, unlike at the All-Star Game, when it was banned during a different disagreement with MLB. The details of how it will work - including references to TBS on both SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight - is spelled out in amusing detail in a staff memo sent Monday and obtained by WatchDog Tuesday. (Watchdog)
So it seems that ESPN is going to tread lightly and I'm sure that Bud Selig is going to be watching/listening intently. Thank god we'll get to see the Kruksters Mullet blowing in the October breeze at a ballpark near you!

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 2:50 PM

14 Comments:

I hope they use the digital zoom to blow up the game highlights and remove the TBS logos from the screen, like they often do.

Nothing on ESPN looks shittier than when they do that on SportsCenter. The digital zoom looks like crap, and the highlight is so blown up that half the action is off the screen.

Anonymous said...
Oct 3, 2007, 4:39:00 PM  

Hot dog vendors beware, Kruk is on the prowl.

GMoney said...
Oct 3, 2007, 5:23:00 PM  

this is strange for me, but i'm actually feeling some sympathy for ESPN here. they're a private company that has no reason to plug its competitors. i could see if MLB told them to say "check your local listings" or something, but forcing them to specifically mention TBS seems strange. that said, it will still be funny when espn radio hosts, so used to referencing the name of their show and every 5 minutes just forget to mention TBS and espn gets banned.

Anonymous said...
Oct 3, 2007, 5:27:00 PM  

no live blog today?

Sam said...
Oct 3, 2007, 6:12:00 PM  

MLB is a business too, by the way.

I can't tell my boss that I don't want to do what he wants me to do. Or else I will get fired.

I don't have a problem with it.

Anonymous said...
Oct 3, 2007, 6:35:00 PM  

And nice photo.

When did TBS hire Vic Mackey to work in the studio?

Anonymous said...
Oct 3, 2007, 6:50:00 PM  

I'm sorry.......no I'm not! I feel absolutely ....no pain for ESPN. All of their radio host drink the same cool-aid...Bash everything...that's not ESPN. They bash NBC's Sunday Night Football, ('cause they don't have it), they bashed NASCAR...only until they got some of it back, and they're bashing TBS because the WWL got left out of the post season. ESPN had better wake up. What goes up.....at some time....goes down. The Roman Empire? Gone....US steel....gone...I'm digressing...but you get my point.

keveekev said...
Oct 3, 2007, 7:05:00 PM  

Boy, I'm glad we got that settled. Baseball Tonight just isn't the same without the ballpark in the background.

Kevin Hayward said...
Oct 3, 2007, 8:56:00 PM  

"EJ" just said that the Indians are being overlooked...Am I incorrect in saying that its not overlooking a team if most "experts" are picking them to win the series?

FWIW, Steve Phillips has finally figured it out, as was reported on the Mike & Mike show this morning. He picked the Yankees to win the series, but he thinks the Indians will win.

Anonymous said...
Oct 3, 2007, 9:58:00 PM  

You should have seen Jesse Palmer on tonights Southern Miss/Rice game. They did one of those shots where you see the announcers standing in the booth. The play by play guy asked Palmer a question and Palmer looks directly at camera and presumably notices the red light, says "I tell you what..." and totally blanks out. Like 3 seconds of uncomfortable dead air follow before the PBP guy realizes that nothing is forthcoming from Palmer's mouth and picks up the thread of the conversation.

Oct 3, 2007, 10:34:00 PM  

The thing between MLB, ESPN and TBS must be contractual somehow. I come from a long time radio background and worked for clear channel who would have never plugged an event for Infinity, Entercom, et al.

Steve M said...
Oct 4, 2007, 11:54:00 AM  

anon at 9:58, couldnt agree more, most experts are picking the indians to win and i couldnt believe he said that.

The definition of Awful Announcing: put ej (not bad) cal ripken(bad) and frank thomas (very fucking terrible) at desk and lets talk some baseball!!! yeaa that shit sucks. tough to watch, almost like emmit smith

Anonymous said...
Oct 4, 2007, 12:00:00 PM  

I was looking for the baseball contract but what I did find is that FOX is increasing the games of the week from 18 to 26 next year and TBS is adding a sunday afternoon game. It will not be nationally exclusive and the teams they show will be broadcas outside their markets with a second game broadcast to them. This is to protect the local broadcasts.

Steve M said...
Oct 4, 2007, 12:07:00 PM  

I think this was a very stupid decision on the part of TBS. Not allowing a local station to broadcast games free from participating cities is ridiculous. There are people who can't afford cable, so is that the idea that cable-less people suffer during the playoffs?

Anonymous said...
Oct 6, 2007, 8:21:00 AM  

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