One of the local media rights stories that looked to be interesting has been resolved. Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia has finalized a long-term contract that will keep the Phillies with the regional sports network past 2015 when its current deal expires. David Murphy at the Philadelphia Daily News reports that the two sides had been close on a deal in the past year, but was just recently finalized.
Comcast has been a partner with the Phillies dating back to CSN’s inception in 1997. There had been rumors that had Comcast not been able to reach a an agreement with the Phillies, Fox was willing to sign the team to create a regional sports network. However, it appears the talks never reached the point of breaking down.
Comcast SportsNet provides this statement:
We’re pleased to confirm that NBCUniversal and Comcast SportsNet have signed a new long-term deal with the Philadelphia Phillies that will expand Comcast SportsNet’s role as the Phillies’ primary TV partner. Although the terms of the comprehensive deal are confidential, details surrounding the 2014 schedule of games will be provided in the coming months.”
Kyle Scott at the Crossing Broad blog cites several media tweets stating that the CSN/Phillies deal is for at least 20 years and could be as long as a quarter of a century. A package of games which have been airing on WPHL as part of the current deal will move to the local NBC station after the 2015 season.
The Phillies are reportedly receiving $35 million annually and compared to other deals in New York (YES), Los Angeles (Time Warner and Fox Sports) and Dallas (Fox Sports), it’s way undervalued. The new deal should be on a par with those contracts.
We should receive more information on the agreement down the line plus how much the deal is worth.
