SATURDAY, 9:54am: The Phillies' ownership stake in CSN Philadelphia will stand at 25% under the new deal, report John Ourand and Eric Fisher of Sports Business Daily, though it is not known what the team's previous position was. The rights fee will be paid out on a schedule that increases about 3 to 4% per year, averaging out to $100MM per season over the 25-year term.
FRIDAY, 1:38pm: The Phillies' new deal with Comcast SportsNet is for 25 years, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The contract is worth $2.5 billion in addition to an equity stake and ad revenue, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
THURSDAY, 9:26pm: The Phillies have agreed to a new local TV contract with Comcast SportsNet, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News reports. A CSN spokesperson confirmed the deal in an e-mail to Murphy. Terms of the deal weren't announced, but Kevin Cooney of the Bucks County Courier Times reports that the contract is between 20-25 years in length and is worth a "massive" amount of money, according to a source. The Phillies were already getting roughly $35MM per year in their current deal with CSN, and the new contract will begin once the current deal expires following the 2015 season.
Given the length of the new deal, the Phillies seem set to be the latest team to earn over $1 billion from their TV rights. As Murphy notes, however, it's too soon to know how the extra revenue will impact the club's player payroll, as the Phils have (if anything) seemingly been looking to trim payroll though they knew this TV windfall was in the offing.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/phillies/Phillies-television-partnership-with-Comcast-SportsNet.html#0s2s5OYjX8tSjLg1.99
Let’s hope that it allows the Phillies to sign a big bat and arm soon
Yep, lots of big bats left on the market.
It would be very interesting to see how much money each team is getting from their current TV contracts.
I was just about to post a similar comment. Interesting indeed.
the Braves are completely hosed for the next 15-20 years thanks to Time Warner.
What are the specifics of this arrangement as a fellow fan wants to know?
Specifics aren’t known to the public. Mostly believed to be between 10 and 20 million a year, and we’re 6 years into the 20 year deal.
Probably could get it restructured with private ownership OR with the new stadium I think.
I have a few:
Dodgers: $320M / yr
Rangers: $150M
Angels: $150M
Phillies: $100M
Yankees: $90M (but they also get 25% of the profit from YES network)
Cubs: $60M (renewal pending for 2014 for 70 games on WGN)
Indians: $40M
Reds: $30M (due for renewal in 2015 – projected 60-75M)
I thought my math was wrong when I had the Phillies getting $100 million/year. $300+ million per year? That is insane!
Once you add in the value from that partial ownership share in CSN Philly along with the ad revenue, the deal is probably comparable if not higher than the Rangers/Angels deals.
No not really the Angels also get a 25% share and the Rangers a 10 % share with their deals…..actually a lot of teams have % deals in their new contracts….
Last April, the Mariners signed a deal averaging $110 million annually over the next seventeen years. No way they sign Cano without that. TV deals are changing the definition of “big market” teams.
fangraph has a complete list of all TV contracts
Here: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/dodgers-could-be-last-team-to-strike-gold-with-local-tv-deal/
Better sign Howard to another extension.
Give him that money they promised before because they didn’t have enough the first time. I see a 10 year, 250 million deal in his future 🙂
Howard is more like a DH than first baseman after being injury prone for the past few years.
The real Phillies signing that anyone REALLY cared about is now complete. I actually wished we completed this year in order to sign the deal to bring better ratings, as most people have the conception that in 2014, we wont be the 7th worst team in the league. I’m still excited to see the terms, and I’m happy this deal was completed before some ridiculous revenue sharing protocol would be put in place to further risk our deserved money.
I’d wait out any spending. If necessary, I would buy out Howard after the 2014 if he bombs again this year. Play Franco at first in Lehigh to prep him for next year. It would open up all kinds of interesting possibilities.
Buy out? What are you going to buy out? His contract is guaranteed.
If you mean release him then you are looking at eating $60M. Howard is worth something to someone. You’ll have to eat a bunch to move him but I bet you could get someone in the AL to take on $15-20M of that contract to cover 2015/2016. If he is healthy he can pop 25+ HR’s.
He would make some serious sense at about 10-15AAV for the Yankees the guy still hit RHP to the tune of .307/.357/.522 last year Tex has been falling apart vs RHP for a few years now
Yankees took on far less than that for Soriano, who was actually having a decent year.
Late blooming attempt to push for Tanaka?
Heres to 25 more years of CSN Philly not being on DirecTV
I believe there was a ruling against Comcast which would allow for other services to broadcast the games…. Only thing keeping it from happening is an appeals process, which they’ll likely lose….. this was however hearsay from a few of my friends who work for Verizon, so take it for what it’s worth
Edit: I can’t find any news articles backing this up, so maybe it was just wishful thinking
There was a ruling closing the loophole that Comcast had been using to their benefit. However, they want DirecTV to pay an outrageous carriage fee and they refuse to do it. So yes, 25 more years of CSN Philly not being on DirecTV
ok, that is probably what I had heard (without the specifics)… Thanks man!
I believe Verizon Fios carries CSN philly so its not a total lost.
If this had come through last week, they could have signed both Mark Mulder AND Jeff Suppan…
Suppan didn’t even want to play?
More money for Ruben to waste.
They better not waste that money signing old players
Or what?
-________- really
Yes really. You phrased that like you were going to do something about it if the Phillies spent their money on old players. What exactly are you going to do other than complain?
Imagine unironically making this post about a common phrase.
Smh Im just saying that Phillies should sign younger and better players if they want to become contenders.
Fair enough and I really truly wasn’t trying to be a pain. That phrase is just a pet peeve of mine.
To your point though, the wealthy teams are often the oldest teams in the league as well. You can’t buy youth, you buy guys in their thirties.
MAKE IT RAIN
That Mike Trout first night in free agency money
that actually make sense. i heard that trout was a huge phillies fan growing up. i bet he would like going to play for his hometown heroes. thought he is going to do some damage to my marlns.
The Cliff Lee and Ryan Howard contracts expire right around that time.
He is a huge Phillies fan or was. Theres an interview with his dad where he said “Dad we got Halladay!” and his father responded by saying “son you signed with the Angels 5 months ago.
Hes also a massive Eagles fan.
I ‘m the biggest Phillie fan there is and obviously covet Mike Trout but would hate to see Mike Trout walk away from the Angels and all their fans. Special once in a generation type players should stick with one team.
would you please tell Giancarlo Stanton that?
I think Stanton is more likely to be traded than to sign else where as a FA. The Marlins see him as a once in a generation opportunity to bring in young talent via trade.
i agree with you there i just wish they wouldn’t trade him. basically the only hole they will have at the time that stanton will be traded will be 1st base and maybe SS, if hech doesnt develop his bat soon. the fish already have a ton of young talent that cover every position. the rotation already has Fernandez, Eovaldi and Alvarez and it will be set when Andrew Heaney and Justin niccolino are called up. We have Yelich, Ozuna, Stanton and Marisnick is our 4th in the outfield. Salty, Colin Moran, Adeiny Hechaverria and Derek Dietrich in the infield and Cishek as our closer. like i said all that is missing is a 1st baseman.
Phillies need to hire Mike Trout’s brother as a lawyer for the team when he graduates(if he hasn’t already) from law school.
Wish we could see this headline for the Braves….
the marlins are even less likely to get a new TV contract than the braves
They can definitely lock up Howard, Utley and bring Lidge out of retirement with this new money. Phuture is looking bright for Phans all across America!!! I can’t wait for another Broad Street rush !!!
They were only getting 35 million in their current deal? Since the new money won’t start coming in until 2016 I guess they won’t be spending much for a couple of years.
I’m pretty sure they can get some sort of advance. I think the Rangers did it a few years ago when they signed Yu Darvish.
Yea, Murphy references it in the article that’s linked. Rangers get $80 M a season + a 10% equity share AND they got a one time, $100 M, fee when they signed.
This could be a very similar situation. The Phillies could afford to sign Tanaka anyway, but the timing of the deal just seems to point them going all in.
I’d much rather see the Phillies spend this “extra” money in international FA. Problem is, I’m not 100% sold on Tanaka (I think he’ll be a pretty good pitcher, but I think he’s being overvalued because of the FA class that he’s coming out against). And while I get that $10 M is basically becoming the new norm for “average” pitchers in FA, I’m not sure gambling $100+ M on a guy that’s never faced MLB competition is the way to go. I really liked the MAG signing (even more so after his physical problems and re-negotiation of the lower contract) and hope it’s a sign that they’re finally ready to step into the IFA market.
If he’s the next Kuroda he’s well worth the money. I’m not sure he’d choose Philly over LA or New York but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ruben offer him a boatload of cash.
The problem is, for every Kuroda or Darvish or Iwakuma there is an Ishii, Igawa, or Dice-K. I’m not projecting Tanaka to be any of these guys – but I’d rather see us go for quantity in the IFA market and spend $50 M on half a dozen guys than $100+ M on 1 guy. And I agree with you. Unless RAJ’s offer is ridiculously above the others, I don’t see him coming here. And if it’s THAT much above, it’s probably a bad deal.
Please don’t forget Kenshin Kawakami! What a steal he was…
I’m also not sold on Tanaka, but it’s a chance to acquire a potential ace without giving up a high draft pick or prospects. It could backfire, but I’d rather them take this risk and fail than do what they’ve been doing.
I’d rather see them build through the draft over anything else (and smaller, but possibly, just as good IFA signings). I’ve never liked the posting system and like it even less now because it’s basically just normal FA for the really good players.
Speaking of the draft, Selig’s successor better have some ties to NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell by changing the landscape of the draft by moving it to mid July after the All Stars break in conjunction of the trade deadline involving picks just like in the NBA/NFL trades during the draft. Plus, former umpire can discuss on the new instant replay on Fox Saturday Baseball along w/ baseball on ESPN similar to what Mike Perriera has done on FOX for replay challenges.
Potential ace seems like a very optimistic scouting report. His upside is more like a good #2. Still valuable but we aren’t looking at Hernandez, Verlander, Kershaw, Lee, etc type pitcher.
Maybe potential ace was a bit much. The Phils could really use a good #2 SP, especially a RHP.
I don’t think potential ace is a bit much for Tanaka. His numbers this past season in Japan were comparable to what Darvish put up in his best season over there. One thing nobody ever brings up is that Tanaka did that this past season with a new juiced ball being used in the NPB. Tanaka had the year he had while Wladimir Balentien was breaking their 49 year old home run record. He hit 31 home runs each of the last two seasons, and then put up 60 this season. The ball they were using was flying. With that same ball Tanaka put up some crazy numbers. I think he can be a potential ace. I think he is well worth taking the chance on. It sounds like he can most likely be had at 20 million a year, and he’s only 25. Even on a 7 year deal he’s still only 32 at the end of the contract. With the way pitchers contracts are going, 20 million might not be too much of an overpay even if he isn’t exactly an ace.
Players with AARP will be thrilled.
They should try trading for Juan Uribe and extend him for 10 years and 240M.
I think I just felt my cable bill go up….
I still wouldn’t have signed any of the major free agents out there considering our needs and the money off the books after 2015/2016.
That said, I’d be surprised Ruben doesn’t make a major push for Tanaka. I also wonder if this is going to put more pressure on LA to get a Kershaw deal done, likewise for the Angels and Mike Trout.
Kershaw, maybe. Trout is still 4 years from free agency, no rush.
Ruben Amaro just soiled himself at the thought of being able to throw more money at the rotation!
He’s thinking that perhaps he can get Roger Clemens or Randy Johnson to come out of retirement! Don’t rule out a strong push for Jamie Moyer either, he still has two arms right?
Amaro & Jack Z must be discussing Cliff Lee & Papelbon going to Seattle (Lee’s second stint) for Taijuan Walker (who can be replace by drafting Jeff Hoffman, Brian Finnegan, or Carlos Rodon in the upcoming MLB Draft around June), Nick Franklin, and few other pieces the Phillies really need.
Oh joy, another 2 decades of exclusive rights and blackout restrictions!
The internet can be your friend….
The contract is for 25 years, with vesting options for five years after that and a player option year added on as well…
does it include performance incentives?
Phillies got money to spend, better use it to give even more massive extensions to Utley, Rollins, Ruiz, Hamels and Lee!
Would love to see the Phillies take ARod off the Yankees hands.
Amaro gives old declining players massive contracts anyway.
Now with this new Billion dollar TV deal he has a money to spend!
Rollins, Utley, Howard, Rodriguez That’s a great infield Rube! It’s 2009.
A-Rod helped you guys win the WSC over the Phillies in 09 now he is considered a cancer and you want the Phillies to take him off your hands?
Yes.
No thanks.
Howard helped the Phillies, my Phillies, a WS in ’08. Your point?
It’s called injury and decline
another team joins the $100m+ in local TV revenue club, with it the reality we’ll see a lot more contracts like or beyond Cano’s
I don’t know if we’ll see more of it, just more teams able to afford it.
The Pirates get 17/mill a yr from Root. That is chump change to the other mega deals that are happening right now.