FSN South picks up Charlotte Bobcats Broadcasts

[livinthedream]

FSN South is going to pick up the Charlotte Bobcats broadcasts starting next year. Under this new agreement FSN will broadcast 70 Bobcats games next season.

http://www.charlotte.com/business/story/571183.html

The Charlotte Bobcats are moving their games to Fox Sports Net -- tripling the team's television exposure in the Carolinas -- and have agreed to rename their home court Time Warner Cable Arena in a deal announced this morning.

Most Bobcats games had been aired on the News 14 Carolina channel -- available only on Time Warner Cable, not other cable systems or satellite networks. Starting tonight, the team said in a statement, games will be on Fox Sports Net South, available in three times as many Carolinas homes through various cable and satellite systems.

The Bobcats said the deal caps 15 months of negotiations and are the first example of a pro sports franchise executing arena naming rights and TV rights deals simultaneously.

Bobcats games have aired on News 14 Carolina since the team's regional sports network, C-SET, folded in 2005. Now available in about 1.2 million cable households, Bobcats games would be available in about 3.8 million households through Fox Sports Net South, a television industry source said.

Fox Sports Net South will carry 70 games each season starting with the 2008-09 season, the Bobcats said. Other games air in Charlotte on WMYT Channel 12, available on all cable and satellite systems.

Instead of televising games, Time Warner Cable will get its name on the arena, as well as on signs and the court inside the building, the Bobcats said. The company also will get a dedicated concourse gallery where it can display programming and products.

Luke also mentions this in a blog entry today.

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/index.php/canes?title=bobcats_are_fsn_south_s_new_priority&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

I didn't think there was anything noteworthy about the Bobcats' big naming-rights deal with Time Warner Cable and their new TV deal with FSN South until I saw this:

The Bobcats will have a minimum of 70 games televised by FSN South.

The Hurricanes, earlier this season, trumpeted as a huge upgrade their increase from 55 games this season to 65 next season.

Now, they're not even No. 1 on FSN South's list within the state, let alone the network. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Last season, the Canes and the Bobcats had 36 game dates in common. One would assume that when there are competing dates, the Charlotte broadcast would pick up the Bobcats and the Raleigh broadcast would pick up the Canes, but that seems to defeat the purpose of trying to broaden the market for both teams. Or will FSN offer an alternative channel?

One more reason to get the old Center Ice subscription.

[Guyute]

Ugh. The thought of a crap bball team getting more coverage, and possibly pre-empting our games makes me neaseous.

[Bonbonsgrrl]

my only concern is us in the Greensboro market? Who would we get being an hour from Charlotte and an hour from Raleigh? Would we get the Bobcats or would we get the Hurricanes? Of course personally I would prefer the Hurricanes but ultimately it is not my choice.

[wa10]

my only concern is us in the Greensboro market? Who would we get being an hour from Charlotte and an hour from Raleigh? Would we get the Bobcats or would we get the Hurricanes? Of course personally I would prefer the Hurricanes but ultimately it is not my choice.

Given the larger TV market for professional basketball, Bobcats will win out in any conflicting dates.

[Caniac]

Ugh is right. Living in Charlotte, they'll now be forcing me to get a center ice package, and I don't watch many other games besides Canes games.

[SoCalcaniac]

I knew when the hastily made "renewal" of the FSN contract and the Canes getting into bed with them so heartily would come to bite them in the ass. They should have at least EXPLORED the courtship by MASN, who were looking to be a partner to the Canes, and expand their visibility (I know, I know, they are still that dispute with TWC and the Orioles thing)

MASN is on the satellite packages already, and I'm sure if there was additional pressure with a new TV deal with the Canes by subscribers wanting hockey, then we would have likely seen TWC offering MASN as a regional carrier or whatever they had to do. MASN if I recall correctly, wanted to broadcast all of our games, provide pre and postgame shows/coverage etc. They don't have a strong presence as far as regional carriers go, so in my mind they would have come in sort of like Versus did, focusing on hockey and our team to shore up their brand.

We appear to have regressed in the number of games go and frankly FSN-South does little to impress me. I just don't see why they couldn't have waited to at least wait until the contract expired in June to weigh options.

[Guyute]

MASN is pretty solid, caught several Phillies games at the end of last season on them. It's almost at the point of Anyone but Fox Sports...
They can keep their 4 HD broadcasts and put em someplace.

[caveman]

The only reason I have cable right now is for Versus HD. As soon as the playoffs are over, it's back to 20-channel basic cable for the summer. If the Canes TV package is crap next year... ugh. Need to find a way to get all the away games on HD, that would be sa-weet.

[nccanes]

So you have an HD tv and you won't be getting any HD channels all summer?

[Guyute]

Why don't you just claw your eyes out and be done with it? ;)

[aldamon]

So you have an HD tv and you won't be getting any HD channels all summer?

OTA is free. Also, aren't HD locals in the clear on TWC?

[Mona2006]

I could like the Bobcats much more if the team didn't have some many Tar Holes on it. :beatup::sick::D

[corylav]

I could like the Bobcats more, too ... if they were an NHL team instead of an NBA team.

NBA = :sick:

[caveman]

Why don't you just claw your eyes out and be done with it? ;)

Heh. There's just nothing to watch all summer besides Cubs, and WGN isn't in HD anyway, and it's included in the basic ($12/month) cable package.

The only thing I can think of is the Olympics, and since damn near everything will be tape-delayed to hell anyway... and the NBC OTA broadcast will be in HD...

[Mona2006]

I could like the Bobcats more, too ... if they were an NHL team instead of an NBA team.

NBA = :sick:

Well that too. :D

[nccanes]

Looks like they have 2nd channel available for Bobcats/Canes conflicts.

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/index.php/canes?title=more_on_the_fsn_bobcats_issue&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[Bonbonsgrrl]

I guess that would resolve the conflict here in Gboro we get FSNS and Sports South....my worries are over.

[andyt]

TWC also gets a huge benefit from this. By moving the Bobcats games off of their in-house station, they are no longer a sports rights holder. That's one of the reasons the arbitrator ruled for MASN in their complaint against TWC, calling them a regional sports network. Now they're not a rights holder and the original arbitrator resigned, so I guess they're back at square one.

I don't think going with MASN would have done us any good either. Everything they've done in the state was calculated to exert pressure on TWC. Keep in mind that MASN is co-owned by the Orioles and Nationals. They really don't give a crap about anything other than getting their 384 broadcasts into North Carolina.

[SoCalcaniac]

I realize MASN is co-owned by the baseball teams; I really don't care what their motive was/is, they appeared very sincere in gaining presence in NC, and were offering to show 82 games plus a pre & post game show and some weekly coaches/team show. We get a lame 55 games a season, and the HD scene is lame at best; My point was at least entertain the option of going with another network, and see what they could do. Don't just sign blindly on the dotted line when you have someone courting you to do something else.

Maybe it was posturing, maybe it was bandwagoning after the SC win, but they appeared sincere to me.

I just don't see how this Bobcats thing will do anything but put the Canes on the backburner. Surely the org didn't have this in mind when they hastily signed this extension a couple months ago. Seems like bad decision making.

[andyt]

We're up to 65 games next year on FSN. However, you may be understating the lameness of our HD package. The Predators had 18 games in HD. Who holds Nashville's rights? FSN.

MASN appeared sincere because they had to be. They had nothing other than ECU football and some lacrosse games to offer in North Carolina. The ACC basketball schedule is locked in on FSN. MASN's college hoops schedule is Big East-centric. If the Canes were on MASN and made the post-season, would they carry the Canes games through the first two rounds or the baseball games in April and May?

Adam Gold had reps from TWC and MASN on his show last fall. When they were done he said there was a huge amount of intellectual dishonesty on both sides. Let's see where this whole thing shakes out, but it looks like if you don't live in Raleigh, you may not get Canes games.

[SoCalcaniac]

If Adam Gold is calling intellectual anything then all bets are off. :lol: Or put it this way, he wouldn't be my choice for formulating opinions.

My point is the conversation was never even off the floor. The Canes took the lame package of games and said ok, more crappy treatment and cancel our pregame show and didn't bother to look around. whatever the FSN package is, it's not good enough IMO and in most fans opinions. and for HD folks, I'm certain it's not enough. If we gained momentum after the Cup win, it's not eviden, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon. To me its unacceptable that we don't have all 82 games shown on TV. I see every home game live in the building, but there are a good number of fans who don't even live in the Triangle or can't get to games in Raleigh on a weeknight. They should be able to see our broadcast every time they turn on to watch. That is what the Canes should be focusing on when it comes to TV coverage, and IMO they missed a chance to at least explore that.

[CzechIt]

:hurl:

I live in Charlotte... I know for a fact no one cares about the STUPID bobcats. They haven't had a full house since, well, NEVER (for a game that is) Hannah Montana brought in more money then all the basketball games this season COMBINED. (my guess)

[MEBANECANESFAN]

I really want to know how this agreement is going to affect people outside of the Triangle...I get my cable from Greensboro and I'm going to be EXTREMELY PISSED if I'm unable to watch a Canes game b/c of the USELESS NBA...Hopefully Luke can get some clarification soon on this...:mad: :fire:

[nccanes]

^he (and I) posted this yesterday.

Looks like they have 2nd channel available for Bobcats/Canes conflicts.

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/canes/index.php/canes?title=more_on_the_fsn_bobcats_issue&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[MEBANECANESFAN]

^he (and I) posted this yesterday.

The problem if you continue down in the reply section is Luke replies back and states that there won't be a problem in the Triangle but he's still trying to get clarification on the rest of the state...