It’s been reported that the with this new RSN deal the Pirates will receive roughly 80% of the revenue they got from ATT.
However, it’s also been reported that they will have an ownership stake in this new RSN. Per the current CBA, clubs are exempt from sharing revenue derived from RSNs they have an ownership stake in, commensurate with their ownership percentage.
Curious how this might offset the decrease from the Pirates’ previous RSN deal.
The hilarious part to me is that for YEARS the only revenue estimate floating around from their previous deal was something like $30m/yr, notable due to being one of the lowest in baseball (wah wah wah).
Now all the sudden it’s $55m and the loss will be unbearable for Bobby, thus justifying payrolls that haven’t budged in 20 years.
They make so, soooo much more money than any of us even imagine.
It’s all about Nutting’s guaranteed minimum profit. Once that’s nailed down he works backwards from it. Hence Cherington’s comments that if the club does well they could spend more.
It’s an absolutely insane business model that could only exist in the half-assed quasi-welfare/quasi-free market system that currently prevails in MLB. Imagine Ford or Toyota announcing they will build better cars if more people buy from them.
Nutting is a pure rent-seeker. It’s not an accident his dad began buying shares in the Pirates when MLB started rolling out revenue sharing in the aughts.
In my opinion, the biggest problem in baseball is the increased injuries based on the max effort by pitchers and hitters. I believe one of the main ideas of spring training was to get the players in the proper shape to be ready for opening day. As exciting as this game sounds, I think the Pirates should stick to their original schedule of how they prepare their players. My guess is Skenes, Solometo, Jones, Harrington, Chandler and Shim won't all be scheduled to pitch max effort all on March 14th.
They'll all have 5 weeks of prep work in. Surely they each can throw an inning (or two) in the Prospects game. Just like they would be doing in any other ST game......there's literally no difference here.
I don't think spring training works that way. The Pirates top pitching prospects are not all scheduled to throw hard on March 14th. There will have to be adjustments made to their training schedules, but certainly not to the same extent as the years of the WBC. It is not a huge deal and I am almost certain the fans will love it. Good or bad, this is probably something MLB will try to expand on and use spring training time as a marketing tool.
I wondered this too, especially for the pitchers. Is it wise to put a young pitcher on that kind of stage in March? Doesn't seem logical, but I'm sure teams will be cautious.
He's probably a good person to have in management, but I wish we had a baseball person as president. I would feel better if we had someone above Cherington with the background to evaluate how well he's doing with this rebuild. I'd also be okay with moving Cherington to president and letting Gelles take over.
This Spring Breakout thing kills me inside because they are hyping up something you can get for free at Pirate City in a better form. Would you rather pay for a game with assigned stadium seats or go to Pirate City, where you can watch two games, stand right behind the catcher during bullpen warmups, see batting practice going on at another field? This is a complete MLB money grab BUT they are making it sound like you can't get better for free. It feels like this is going to lead to them charging for more during MILB Spring Training down the line. I'd watch this prospect game if it's on, but if you're thinking about paying to go to it, don't. Save every penny of that money and watch something better up close at Pirate City. MLB doesn't need anymore of your money, they have enough.
Well, it's happening the week I'm not there, and the week I'm there will only have one, MAYBE two if I arrive early, MLB games. So I'll likely spend rest of my time finally making it to Pirate City for the first time.
It's a 7:05 game under the twi-light where working fans can actually watch an evening ST game. There's usually only 1-2 such broadcasts so this added game specifically for prospects is a great idea.
I agree that it works well for TV/streaming, but they could have been streaming these games already during MiLB Spring Training. I just don't like that they are charging people for something they could get for free all month. The sales pitch reminded me of a 1990s TV commercial selling you some product, where the actors look like they are using their hands for the first time in their life.
Don't you hate trying to see a prospect at a ST game, only to find out he isn't there or he's too scared to play against MLB players? Don't you hate when he is used as a pinch-runner and he gets picked off then sits on the bench the rest of the day making sad faces? Boy do we have something for you!
Semantics I suppose but when were there live spring training games featuring top pitching prospects vs top hitting prospects? Like I said, I’ll watch on tv, but if I was in Florida I’d pony up and pay extra to watch Skenes vs holiday
Everyday at minor league camp for free. They play two games each day. I've seen some great matchups. I've also seen top prospects face big league pitchers/hitters. MLB is hoping for people like you. I guarantee that Skenes will face Holliday on the ST side as well. The Pirates play the Orioles constantly because they are the closest team.
I’ll gladly pay the extra coin for that environment. Instead of leaning up against a fence waiting and hoping to see top prospects face each other. But, the biggest thing is being able to watch it on tv. This literally wasn’t available previously. Most ppl don’t go to pirate city.
It was available at Pirate City. Because people didn't go doesn't mean it's not available. I'm just telling you that Pirate City is better than anything you'll see at McKechnie Field. They have stands, you don't need to lean on a fence. They post lineups. You can literally watch whichever matchups you want between two games, then watch someone like Skenes warmup from right behind the catcher.
I agreed with you that watching the game on TV is exciting when it's compared to nothing, but if you are going there in person, I'd highly recommend Pirate City. You won't be disappointed. I've gone to Bradenton for 3-4 days at a time and never set foot at McKechnie while having press access to the place. Nothing there compares to the prospect action you'll see at Pirate City so it wasn't even worth it going there for free.
If you want to be technical, owners are covering the expenses by cutting MiLB jobs. They are actually saving money compared to pre-2020, just now the current players are getting more. They got rid of two full coaching staffs from teams that no longer exist, plus they have twice trimmed the minor league roster limits. All of that saved cost went to the remaining players
It’s like when Pennsylvania claims they are not raising your taxes but they keep raising all of the fees that they impose like all of the motor vehicle fees that keep rising. First thing out of the State is that they are raising fees not taxes as if my wallet knows the difference……I agree free is much better 😁
It's not just that it's free, it's also more options and you're closer to the action at Pirate City, plus you'll see more prospects.
The other thing I forgot to mention is that this means the prospects who would be playing a regular ST game that day, will just move to the prospect game, so the ST MLB game won't be as interesting.
I just hate that they felt they needed another money grab while selling it to people as if it doesn't happen already all month. It's not just the greed aspect, it's the deceit within the greed.
I plan to attend another week of Spring Training, and Pirate City is a must. Watching these kids take infield, outfield, hitting, and pitching drills is special, especially for youngsters hoping to get an autograph or two, and most of them end up with a ball to take away with them. There are no concessions, seating is aluminum and limited, and the bathroom facilities are very limited, so plan accordingly. My highlight last year was watching Javier Rivas fill up the parking lot with baseballs - if only BP results could transition into live action!
I need to point out one of the "do you think we are stupid" selling points they gave in a story I read either on MiLB or Pipeline. They said you normally have to wait until the second half of spring games to see prospects play, but now you can watch an entire game of prospects....in game two of a doubleheader! So waiting 5-6 innings is bad, but waiting for a game to end, followed by a 30 minute break is better?
Unless you're just going to pay a full priced Spring Training ticket and only go to the prospect game, which as I pointed out above, would just be throwing money at billionaires for something that is free all month
I would watch too (they said the games will be streamed), but actually paying to go would be insane. Just go to Pirate City, Skenes will be pitching there 3-4 times in March for free and you can stand 40 feet away from him while he is doing it
I’ll just tune into MLB network and watch. I don’t need to drive to Florida. They talked about it last night…Skenes vs Holiday will be broadcast live on mlb network
It’s been reported that the with this new RSN deal the Pirates will receive roughly 80% of the revenue they got from ATT.
However, it’s also been reported that they will have an ownership stake in this new RSN. Per the current CBA, clubs are exempt from sharing revenue derived from RSNs they have an ownership stake in, commensurate with their ownership percentage.
Curious how this might offset the decrease from the Pirates’ previous RSN deal.
Edit: Mackey reported it’s “unlikely” the Pirates will get 80% of the revenue they got from ATT
The hilarious part to me is that for YEARS the only revenue estimate floating around from their previous deal was something like $30m/yr, notable due to being one of the lowest in baseball (wah wah wah).
Now all the sudden it’s $55m and the loss will be unbearable for Bobby, thus justifying payrolls that haven’t budged in 20 years.
They make so, soooo much more money than any of us even imagine.
It’s all about Nutting’s guaranteed minimum profit. Once that’s nailed down he works backwards from it. Hence Cherington’s comments that if the club does well they could spend more.
It’s an absolutely insane business model that could only exist in the half-assed quasi-welfare/quasi-free market system that currently prevails in MLB. Imagine Ford or Toyota announcing they will build better cars if more people buy from them.
Nutting is a pure rent-seeker. It’s not an accident his dad began buying shares in the Pirates when MLB started rolling out revenue sharing in the aughts.
Amen!
In my opinion, the biggest problem in baseball is the increased injuries based on the max effort by pitchers and hitters. I believe one of the main ideas of spring training was to get the players in the proper shape to be ready for opening day. As exciting as this game sounds, I think the Pirates should stick to their original schedule of how they prepare their players. My guess is Skenes, Solometo, Jones, Harrington, Chandler and Shim won't all be scheduled to pitch max effort all on March 14th.
They'll all have 5 weeks of prep work in. Surely they each can throw an inning (or two) in the Prospects game. Just like they would be doing in any other ST game......there's literally no difference here.
I don't think spring training works that way. The Pirates top pitching prospects are not all scheduled to throw hard on March 14th. There will have to be adjustments made to their training schedules, but certainly not to the same extent as the years of the WBC. It is not a huge deal and I am almost certain the fans will love it. Good or bad, this is probably something MLB will try to expand on and use spring training time as a marketing tool.
if they used all of March as a round robin tournament, that would solve that issue
I wondered this too, especially for the pitchers. Is it wise to put a young pitcher on that kind of stage in March? Doesn't seem logical, but I'm sure teams will be cautious.
Wonder what the chances are that Travis Williams was hired in large part for this exact moment.
I would say he was hired for moments like these, as opposed to just for this, as he's a businessman first and foremost.
Any type of non-baseball revenue stream will be in his wheelhouse.
That doesn't sound quite right, but I think you know what I mean.
crystal clear, buddy, and I bet you're right.
He's probably a good person to have in management, but I wish we had a baseball person as president. I would feel better if we had someone above Cherington with the background to evaluate how well he's doing with this rebuild. I'd also be okay with moving Cherington to president and letting Gelles take over.
It honestly feels like that
This Spring Breakout thing kills me inside because they are hyping up something you can get for free at Pirate City in a better form. Would you rather pay for a game with assigned stadium seats or go to Pirate City, where you can watch two games, stand right behind the catcher during bullpen warmups, see batting practice going on at another field? This is a complete MLB money grab BUT they are making it sound like you can't get better for free. It feels like this is going to lead to them charging for more during MILB Spring Training down the line. I'd watch this prospect game if it's on, but if you're thinking about paying to go to it, don't. Save every penny of that money and watch something better up close at Pirate City. MLB doesn't need anymore of your money, they have enough.
Well, it's happening the week I'm not there, and the week I'm there will only have one, MAYBE two if I arrive early, MLB games. So I'll likely spend rest of my time finally making it to Pirate City for the first time.
At least for those that cant make it down for spring training, its a pretty fun idea
It's a 7:05 game under the twi-light where working fans can actually watch an evening ST game. There's usually only 1-2 such broadcasts so this added game specifically for prospects is a great idea.
Right. What’s to complain about here? My God
Need a downvote button this morning, JD is missing the point!
I agree that it works well for TV/streaming, but they could have been streaming these games already during MiLB Spring Training. I just don't like that they are charging people for something they could get for free all month. The sales pitch reminded me of a 1990s TV commercial selling you some product, where the actors look like they are using their hands for the first time in their life.
Don't you hate trying to see a prospect at a ST game, only to find out he isn't there or he's too scared to play against MLB players? Don't you hate when he is used as a pinch-runner and he gets picked off then sits on the bench the rest of the day making sad faces? Boy do we have something for you!
Semantics I suppose but when were there live spring training games featuring top pitching prospects vs top hitting prospects? Like I said, I’ll watch on tv, but if I was in Florida I’d pony up and pay extra to watch Skenes vs holiday
Everyday at minor league camp for free. They play two games each day. I've seen some great matchups. I've also seen top prospects face big league pitchers/hitters. MLB is hoping for people like you. I guarantee that Skenes will face Holliday on the ST side as well. The Pirates play the Orioles constantly because they are the closest team.
I’ll gladly pay the extra coin for that environment. Instead of leaning up against a fence waiting and hoping to see top prospects face each other. But, the biggest thing is being able to watch it on tv. This literally wasn’t available previously. Most ppl don’t go to pirate city.
It was available at Pirate City. Because people didn't go doesn't mean it's not available. I'm just telling you that Pirate City is better than anything you'll see at McKechnie Field. They have stands, you don't need to lean on a fence. They post lineups. You can literally watch whichever matchups you want between two games, then watch someone like Skenes warmup from right behind the catcher.
I agreed with you that watching the game on TV is exciting when it's compared to nothing, but if you are going there in person, I'd highly recommend Pirate City. You won't be disappointed. I've gone to Bradenton for 3-4 days at a time and never set foot at McKechnie while having press access to the place. Nothing there compares to the prospect action you'll see at Pirate City so it wasn't even worth it going there for free.
sources say this is a test boat for a annual August tournament of the top 30 prospects on each team´s roster
Yes, they wrote that it could lead to more if it tests well. I'm sure the MiLB players will see nothing of the added income
You’re starting to sound like WTM.
In fairness, MiLB players are already making more money, this is how Owners are covering this expense. Plus likely pocketing some profits, too.
If you want to be technical, owners are covering the expenses by cutting MiLB jobs. They are actually saving money compared to pre-2020, just now the current players are getting more. They got rid of two full coaching staffs from teams that no longer exist, plus they have twice trimmed the minor league roster limits. All of that saved cost went to the remaining players
Owners are good at living beneath their means.
Starting Lineup:
(1) Centerfield Jebb
(2) Shortstop Yordanny
(3) Thirdbase Brannigan
(4) Second Termarr
(5) RF White Jr.
(6) LF Polanco
(7) DH Blanco
(8) Firstbase Malcolm
(9) Catcher Guitierrez
Our system is definitely stronger on the pitching side.
It’s like when Pennsylvania claims they are not raising your taxes but they keep raising all of the fees that they impose like all of the motor vehicle fees that keep rising. First thing out of the State is that they are raising fees not taxes as if my wallet knows the difference……I agree free is much better 😁
It's not just that it's free, it's also more options and you're closer to the action at Pirate City, plus you'll see more prospects.
The other thing I forgot to mention is that this means the prospects who would be playing a regular ST game that day, will just move to the prospect game, so the ST MLB game won't be as interesting.
I just hate that they felt they needed another money grab while selling it to people as if it doesn't happen already all month. It's not just the greed aspect, it's the deceit within the greed.
I plan to attend another week of Spring Training, and Pirate City is a must. Watching these kids take infield, outfield, hitting, and pitching drills is special, especially for youngsters hoping to get an autograph or two, and most of them end up with a ball to take away with them. There are no concessions, seating is aluminum and limited, and the bathroom facilities are very limited, so plan accordingly. My highlight last year was watching Javier Rivas fill up the parking lot with baseballs - if only BP results could transition into live action!
I need to point out one of the "do you think we are stupid" selling points they gave in a story I read either on MiLB or Pipeline. They said you normally have to wait until the second half of spring games to see prospects play, but now you can watch an entire game of prospects....in game two of a doubleheader! So waiting 5-6 innings is bad, but waiting for a game to end, followed by a 30 minute break is better?
Unless you're just going to pay a full priced Spring Training ticket and only go to the prospect game, which as I pointed out above, would just be throwing money at billionaires for something that is free all month
I think it’s pretty cool to watch Skenes vs holiday on my TV.
The Pirates being the Pirates, it'll probably be Cam Junker.
I would watch too (they said the games will be streamed), but actually paying to go would be insane. Just go to Pirate City, Skenes will be pitching there 3-4 times in March for free and you can stand 40 feet away from him while he is doing it
I’ll just tune into MLB network and watch. I don’t need to drive to Florida. They talked about it last night…Skenes vs Holiday will be broadcast live on mlb network
At least one of the two will “tweak” something and they will skip the start under an abundance of caution……
Your coffee mug is half empty this morning…might want to top it off
Lol! Just kind of in a get off my lawn mood……I am gettin old so……
Thanks for the feed to the article regarding the RSN/Broadcasting issues.