MLB, cable firms end feud over out-of-market games
After prodding from Kerry, deal reached on subscription package
Major League Baseball reached a deal last night to allow three of the nation's largest cable providers to keep carrying its Extra Innings package of out-of-market games, an accord reached after contentious negotiations and the involvement of Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry .
Kerry held a hearing March 27 on the matter and urged both sides to continue talks after baseball and iN Demand , a joint venture of
The sides couldn't previously agree on terms that would allow iN Demand to carry Extra Innings, a package of roughly 1,200 games that cable subscribers wouldn't normally see in their local markets. As many as 75 million US houseolds subscribe to the service, which is offered by Comcast in New England. For the 2006 season, the company offered the package for $199.
Financial terms of the deal, which hasn't been finalized, weren't disclosed.
A statement from iN Demand said the deal was for seven years, and would also require the cable firms to carry the MLB Channel, baseball's planned cable network, when it launches in January 2009 . The league said it expects the channel to reach an initial 40 million homes.
"This certainly is some hard-won good news at the start of this Red Sox season," Kerry said in a statement. "I still need to review the details, but I am very encouraged so far."
Baseball struck a $700 million deal with DirecTV on March 8 that would have given the satellite provider exclusive rights to Extra Innings, plus an equity stake in the new channel.
But viewers who would have lost TV access to the games complained.
After a counteroffer by the cable companies was rejected , Kerry called for a hearing in Washington and urged both sides back to the negotiating table in order to keep baseball fans from missing games.
The sides had aimed for a deal to be done by March 31 , ahead of baseball's 2007 opening day, but that date came and went with no deal.
"Our chief goal throughout the process was to ensure that fans would have access to as many baseball games and as much baseball coverage as possible," said Bob DuPuy , Major Leauge Baseball's president, in a statement.
Keith Reed can be reached at reed@globe.com. 
