DODGERS The TWC/SPECTRUM NIGHTMARE Thread

Dodgers president Stan Kasten gives fans update on SNLA
by SportsNet LA
March 27, 2014

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Dodgers president Stan Kasten gave Dodgers fans an update on SNLA on Thursday:

Kasten on the demand for the Dodgers:

"The other thing that's particularly irritating in terms of disingenuous rhetoric is when some of them say, 'We're not really seeing the demand for the Dodgers.' That doesn't pass the laugh test because you know about the attendance not just here, but we also led baseball in road attendance. We have the highest number of season tickets we've ever had; it is the highest in all of Major League Baseball. Last year our TV ratings didn't go up by 2% or 4%, they went up by 40% and looks to be higher this year. So come up with some other excuse because the reality is, in the history of this franchise, it is likely that right now is the period of time with the greatest interest that our team has ever had."

Kasten on what Dodgers fans can do to help:

"My suggestions to those fans who still do not have access to Dodger games, are the two basic ones, which is to tell your provider that you want the games. If you do that, you will get the games... They have to be told as many times as necessary that you want the games, that's what they're in business for. If you tell them that, they will provide it. And if for some reason it's not happening quickly enough for you, my other suggestion is to go to a provider that is providing it....Letting your provider know is at the end of the day what's going to get all of the games on TV."

Kasten on the status of negotiations:

"I am disappointed that deals haven't been closed yet...With the first regular season game coming on Tuesday, I am now concerned that some fans are going to start to not be able to see the games. And that's disappointing and shouldn't be happening.

Kasten on price and carriage of SportsNet LA:

"Let me assure you that we're talking about market rates and very consistently what's out there now, and that's what's disappointing...This is not about price, the price is consistent with the market place. In fact, to be blunt, some of these people, and they know who they are, are already on their own systems paying more than the price that's out there to teams in smaller markets. That's the truth."
"This is not about price, it's about the game of negotiating."
"I do occasionally see rhetoric that is disappointing because, to be polite, it’s disingenuous. For instance, when some cable providers say, 'Gee, we think the Dodgers should be a la carte.' All these providers know that there is not another team in all of baseball whose games are a la carte. Anywhere. Including, interestingly enough, on the cable systems owned by these same providers with their own RSNs. No one. They don't do it for themselves and by the way those same providers have done deals at higher prices for bigger packages than has been offered to them right now.

 

I went with 10 games. People are going to flip out when they can't watch the games and there should be riots. Luckily I don't have to worry about it though haha.

 

Twenty games in. It kinda sucks that it'll force people who don't watch the team/don't care about baseball/don't care about sports to pay more, but it will happen eventually. Until then, I'm going with Mousey's plan of changing my computer to have it fool MLB.tv into thinking I live in Denmark.

 

I tried to bring this up months ago and got run out of town. This is not a team to market to middle America that isn't a Dodger fan. Folks are very sensitive nationwide to rising cable/satellite costs and networks they have no interest in. The industry is on the verge of ala carte pricing anyway. I was accused of being racist (laughable) a prude etc. But when so much of the news about Dodger players is being a baby's daddy to a reality star and it being your third child and not wanting the other two to live with you. Being connected to a Khardasian along with the adventures of Puig in the media. None of this helps. You can only go with Khershaw so much. Kasten may have previously realized that marketing the Dodger concept is a lot easier than marketing the Dodger players when you are asking someone to pay who isn't a fan. The local press doesn't help non Dodger devotees as the generated headlines are not often the gold of marketing.

 

Pitcher- Ryu
Catcher- Ellis******
First Base- Gonzalez
Second Base- Gordon
SS- Ramirez
3B- Uribe
LF- Crawford
CF- Kemp
RF- Puig

Race does matter to a lot of racist or non Dodger fans etc etc. Great to market to the various ethnic communities in LA but could be a tough sell to those who aren't so inclined. Just saying! Stan needs to understand game attendance is for the believers, a five dollar add on to the cable bill is for everyone. So throw stuff at me again but the publicity of Kemp and a Khardasian and their relationship before that could have been a concern of someone in management thinking ahead to this time in the tv deal. Fortunately Matt made sure there was nothing to it and things were moving along much better until CC doesn't go to Australia to have a child out of wedlock to a woman who is a reality tv player and was featured with a basketball player. Oh yeah he is trying to stop the mother of his other two children from moving to LA to be closer to him. Say what you want but reality often becomes real and bites you in the ass.

 

What if the worse happens and we go 2-8 and the talk is negative and CK has missed two starts?

 

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news...p-for-astros?ymd=20140323&content_id=69955670

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Lets hope there is movement and soon before the speculation begins in a few weeks or more.

 

Voted 30+ games. Hope I'm wrong and deals happen soon.

 

What is a closely kept secret is the terms of the contract and how many subscribers and at what price does Time Warner need to make the deal work. What worries me is what if any impact the possibility of Comcast buying Time Warner would have on the deal.

http://www.deadline.com/2014/03/tim...pects-last-minute-deals-to-carry-l-a-dodgers/

Not sure of the double speak in the above from a couple of weeks ago. Lets hope it does as previously hoped for come together over the next week. We need a couple of signings to get the ball rolling.

 

"my other suggestion is to go to a provider that is providing it"
OK. I will get right on that.

"With the first regular season game coming on Tuesday, I am now concerned that some fans are going to start to not be able to see the games."
WTF are you talking about? The season already started. Don't play it off like no games have been missed.

I don't really care to hear these excuses. There are no less than 6 other providers, and you haven't made a deal with a single one. The common denominator in this equation is TWC. So until I have an option in my area to switch to, the problem is you.

 

Seems like even the committed are getting pissed.

 

Another thought on the marketing of our team personnel to joe average. Consider our rotation

Keyshaw -a marketing dream
Greinke -doesn't talk
Ryu -talks just not in English
Beckett -no comment
Haren- TBD
Bills- Could be a great story

How many Dodger regulars are good on air interviews?

Contracts with cable companies signed no problem. Contracts needing to be signed and the project being evaluated for worth? Yes a special thanks to Dylan Hernandez and his crew at the LA Times for their stellar reporting in the off season to dream up and create controversy. Especially with our media created four highly paid outfielders controversy. I hear overpaid and now you want joe average to pay their contracts. Thanks LA Times. Even in forums like this players get blasted and given uncomplimentary names and we expect someone else to, pay so we can see them play? Maybe it will all work out but paper commentators and forum participants need to look over their shoulders and hope no chickens are following them home.

 

Glad I'm in Seattle. Extra innings or MLB TV for me. It sucks for those of you in SoCal.

 

Yeah, I get to see all the games also. Time will tell but the fan rebellion is misplaced in my opinion. We are being asked to pay for what we got. Want the mega payroll and quick turnaround then those in the viewing area have to pay for it. Unfortunately millions in the viewing area didn't want it and don't want to pay for it.

 

Well I don't want MTV, FoxNews, TNT...hell I don't want 99% of the shit channels on TV. If I can just pay 5 bucks a month for SportsNet LA exclusively, then I'd do that. Until that's an option these other carriers need to just make the fucking deal. This isn't on TWC or the Dodgers, it's on the cheap fucks at these other carriers. I have TWC in my area and if it comes down to it I'll switch but I'd rather DirecTV just pull their head out of their ass.

 

abso-fucking-lutely.

 

Shut up whore. We all know nothing will happen until the home opener anyways.

 

The issue isn't Dodger fans willingness to pay but the non fans. If it were ala carte it would be up to fans

 

If it were a la carte, it wouldn't be 8 billion.