Braves TV Deal Makes Me Sad

[AHF]

5. Atlanta Braves wish they had utilized during the sale that stuck them with the worst TV contract in baseball. It is not the lowest – that may belong to Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City or Pittsburgh, the game's small-market brethren – but it is the least commensurate with market size and reach.

The Wall Street Journal reported the Braves get just 57 cents every month per subscriber to SportSouth, its RSN, compared to $3.35 for the Red Sox's NESN, $3.03 for Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and $2.80 for YES. Instead of monopolizing the South, like Atlanta should, the Braves carry sub-$100 million payrolls and rely on superb scouting and player development to claw their way out of the worst contract in sports. Like, worse than the deal for A-Rod, worse than Mike Hampton, worse than Darren Dreifort.

Because it doesn't expire until 2031.

So, yes, it is OK to simultaneously pity and marvel at the Braves. They're one of the best teams in baseball, mostly home-grown, and come 2016 even the …

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/10-degrees--phillies-next-in-line-for-dodgers-esque-tv-deal-032505935.html

[macdaddy]

Ugh. That sucks. Plus i hate how there are no over the air broadcasts anymore. I'm tired of cable. Why would they ink such a bad deal for 20 years?