Update on Extra Innings Deal

While listening to MLB Home Plate on XM in the car about an hour ago I heard a report that iN DEMAND had matched DirecTV's deal for the Extra Innings package. Last week, I reported that iN DEMAND and DISH Network were being given the opportunity to continue to carry Extra Innings past the 2008 season if they could match DirecTV's deal. From what I can tell, this would require matching DirecTV's $700 million, 7-year deal, along with a proportionate sharing of the cost of starting and running the new The Baseball Channel coming in 2009.

On the radio I heard briefly that iN DEMAND matched DirecTV's offer. After reading reports on ESPN and SI on CNN, matters seem a little more confusing. Baseball's Chief Operating Officer, Bob DuPoy has announced that iN DEMAND's offer communicated to his office today is not the same as what they're touting in the media. He says that their offer does not meet any of the requirements set forth. iN DEMAND, however, is in the media saying that they've met every single requirement set forth. It'll be very interesting to see how that whole media circus plays out.

I maintain my belief that iN DEMAND and DISH Network will make the deals happen (they have until the end of the month). I simply can't imagine that it makes any economic sense for them to refuse to make this deal in the face of losing subscribers to DirecTV. This has been one of the hottest topics for the past couple of months on the radio, tv and in the blogging world, so both companies are aware of the stakes. I predict that iN DEMAND and DISH Network will both make this deal happen in the end.