What's the status of the new Clippers' TV deal?

[Roscoe Sheed]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/WammyGiveaway/status/755216343733972992[/tweet]

That's not really what the article says. It states that the clippers are pursuing online platforms but that they will probably remain on cable for a few years. I think it would be a very unwise decision to forgo cable at this time. The clippers are trying to build a larger fan base and that will not happen if fans have to pay a subscription fee to watch. Only die hard fans will pay that

[Ranma]

That's not really what the article says. It states that the clippers are pursuing online platforms but that they will probably remain on cable for a few years. I think it would be a very unwise decision to forgo cable at this time. The clippers are trying to build a larger fan base and that will not happen if fans have to pay a subscription fee to watch. Only die hard fans will pay that

You're right. I read both the TimeOut and Seattle Times articles, but the headline to the tweet is true as is your statement. The Clippers will launch their own online platform most likely to supplement the game broadcast experience. While the organization will most likely continue to broadcast games on cable, the online rights will still be held with the team to experiment with and feel out the fan experience before committing to go full online broadcasting of games. Plus, it serves as a little bit of leverage in negotiations if the Clippers are posturing that they will go the full online route if they don't get the price they want for the cable/TV broadcast rights.

[Don Tommy]

Are there any updates on this? I haven't heard anything in a while.

[Ranma]

The Clippers are in the catbird seat. Prime Ticket needs them more than the Clippers do so they'll cater to the Clips if and when they decide to pull the trigger. Ballmer is not only stalling to see how much further along he can realize his online streaming option, but also negotiating for more money and benefits from Fox Sports. There's really no need to worry for Clippers fans.

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Tom Hoffarth, Los Angeles Daily News (9/10/16)

Reports are that Prime Ticket has paid some $20 million a year for the Clippers rights in the past, but its recent offer of $60 million annually was turned down by Ballmer.

Ford acknowledges the two remain “engaged in discussion and there’s a desire to move forward, but also the expectation that we’ll pull this out. But again, in this business, I’m not surprised anymore (how negotiations go). We launched FSSD without a Padres’ deal until three weeks into the season, so it’s not unheard of for this.

“As I’ve already told our staff, this will probably be most unpleasant on timing, but it’s very doable.”

With three channels and lots of room, there’s plenty of do-ability.

Hoffarth: As Prime Ticket Waits on Clippers, Channel Sails Forward with New Plans

[Ranma]

According to the report below, Fox Sports gave Ballmer an ultimatum with a take-it-or-leave-it offer that would allow him to keep the online streaming rights he wanted to retain. However, the terms of the proposal restrict such services to being offered only to Prime Ticket customers. Fox Sports obviously wants to keep from losing customers to the online streaming option, but the deal is for only 2 years, which will allow Ballmer to test out such services in the meantime before having a more perfected offering to present to the cord-cutting public.

Since Ballmer supposedly turned down $60 million per year for the Clippers' broadcast rights, which presumably includes both the cable and online streaming rights, he better get close to that number because convincing cable customers to pay significantly extra for the right to view Clippers games on their mobile devices seems like a hard sell, especially for an unproven business model.

At the very least, we can expect for there to be an option for online streaming of Clippers games this upcoming season. Otherwise, Ballmer would be throwing money away for nothing based on the negotiations.

Josh Kosman, New York Post (9/13/16)

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is weighing a deal with cable channel Prime Ticket that would allow the team to retain streaming rights, The Post has learned.
...

There’s a better than 50-50 chance Ballmer will sign the deal, the source said. The NBA is expected to give the deal a thumbs-up.

The Clippers’ past deal with Prime Ticket ended in June.

Under terms, the Clippers would only be able to offer a streaming service to Prime Ticket customers. The NBA retains out-of-market streaming rights.

Ballmer Nearing First-Ever Deal to Keep Clippers’ Streaming Rights

[Ranma]

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[MrHill]

It's official...the Clips and Fox Sports re-up on a new multi-year agreement

http://www.foxsports.com/san-diego/story/prime-ticketfox-sports-san-diego-and-la-clippers-announce-extended-partnership-092116

EDIT: Dan Woike has a bit more detail on the new deal; the Clips will make close to double what they make on the previous deal ($25 million annually, reportedly), and this was Ballmer after turned a deal over the summer that would paid the team $60 million a year from Fox. Also, while Fox will retain in-market streaming rights to their Clipper telecasts, they have allowed the team to experiment and beta-test in-market streaming alongside the FoxSportsGo stream.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/clippers-729679-fox-sports.html

[Ranma]

With the Sinclair Broadcasting Group's purchase of the regional sports networks formerly of Fox, which includes the Clippers' broadcast, I really hope Ballmer finds a way to opt out of the deal since there is an option to renegotiate a new deal. Since it's not an opt-out clause, I'm guessing SBG would have the right to match a proposal, so I hope Ballmer would ask for an extraordinarily high amount. He asked for $100 million from Fox Sports two years ago when they initially offered $60 million before settling for the lowered amount and the Clippers retaining the rights for Over-the-Top service.

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Ben Rains, Sports Illustrated (9/26/16)

Prime Ticket will broadcast every regular season game, aside from exclusive nationally televised offerings. They will also have the rights to broadcast the first-round of the playoffs and a few pre-season games. The Clippers will once again live stream every game included in their Prime Ticket package on FOX Sports GO—for paid-TV subscription holders only.

The terms of the new agreement have yet to be officially announced, and deal is still pending league approval. But the LA Times reported it will be worth $50 to $55 million per season, for six seasons, with the option to renegotiate after only two.

Clippers Sign New TV Rights Deal, But it Does Not Include New OTT Services

[esqtvd]

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"Re: Clippers' Broadcast Now Owned By Right-Wing Propaganda Machine"


Thanks for politicizing our board with this ugly piece of Twitter garbage, but the people in Fresno and Bakersfield are Americans too.

I'd like to see Ballmer put more Clippers games on over-the-air TV in Los Angeles and let us become the people's team--which we already are. The Lakers are Hollywood's Team. The Clippers are the team for the rest of us.

[Vae Victus]

Sinclair... ugh, theyre like Hydra where their infiltration has hit all levels of media all over the country. It doesnt matter their political affiliation, no media conglomerate should EVER have that type of reach. It ALWAYs leads to horrible outcomes as their ability to propagandize horrid **** to the masses is immense.

If the Clippers pull off a FA coup, it would actually be wise for Ballmer to keep streaming free and finding ways for Clipper games to be more widely circulated. While the Lakers keep wallowing in crap due to their dysfunctional FO/ownership, the Clippers if they have a sustained 2-3 championship level run over the primes of Kawhi/KD, run can legit steal the vast majority of LA fans from the Lakers, leaving them only the diehards.

The common fan can tune into the Clipper from anywhere, while to watch the crappy Lakers you're paywalled. Also with the Lakers sucking ass for so long and the Clips super quick transition from Lob City to the New World Order (heh), we're literally gonna have an entire generation of Los Angelenos who've only known Lakers sucking ass while the Clippers were never bad, but decent to championship level.

Then once LA turns into a Clipper town, start jacking up prices and do all the usual price gouging **** and massive TV network deals.

It's a good thing the Clippers core with Kawhi has a literal 8 year window (KD is more like 4-5), to make this plan happen.