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Crane Kenney Speaks

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Don Tiny

Post subject: Crane Kenney Speaks

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 10:47 am

Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 11:10 am
Posts: 42094
Location: Rock Ridge (splendid!)
pizza_Place: Charlie Fox's / Paisano's

http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/11/25/crane-kenney-speaks-media-rights-renovation-timeline-and-cost-rooftops-more/

On the TV deal deal, Kenney reiterated that a short-term deal is coming soon, likely by the end of the year. He was very clear, however, that the Cubs are approaching things in the following way: there will be a short-term deal for the expiring WGN games (about 70 total) that will be carried on an over-the-air station (in theory, I would add, it could still be WGN-9). That deal could last as long as five years, before the full slate – whatever new short-term deal they sign, together with the current CSN deal – becomes available after 2019. In 2020, the Cubs will start their own network. In doing so, they will partner either with a distributor (Comcast, for example), a network (Fox, for example), or a third party, like a private equity firm. The Cubs will be working on getting that new network deal in place well in advance of 2020. Kenney stressed that the Cubs are the last major market team to go through this process in the new wave of big-money deals, and they expect that partners will be very eager for that reason. The Cubs are using the same advisors that helped the Dodgers with their mega-deal with Time Warner.

The Cubs are very excited about the new radio deal with CBS – Kenney emphasized the CBS aspect, rather than the WBBM aspect, although that is where games will be carried – in large part because it will allow the team to be marketed across a huge family of radio stations that cuts across demographics. Further, they’ll be partnering with CBS on concerts in the to-be-built plaza, west of the ballpark, which will generate additional revenues.

The total projected cost for the entire Wrigley Field renovation and development project is now up to $600 million.

Speaking of the renovation, there have been some delays in the bleachers, which could mean those bleachers are not fully open for the very start of the season. That is not the expectation, but Kenney said there are contingency plans in place to accommodate season ticket holders within the rest of the stadium if they cannot sit in the bleachers by Opening Day. Kenney suggested that, if that happens, they will not sell single-game tickets in the bleachers for Opening Day (or however long they need to complete work). The delays have been caused by a combination of factors, including weather (which they did plan for), plan changes (which we saw playing out over the course of the year with the outfield signage issues), and a water pipe system that was much more antiquated than expected when they got into the ground. That issue was supposed to be remedied by the city by October 6, and it still is not complete. Kenney made sure to emphasize, though, that the water pipe issue was not the only cause of delay (in other words: he’s not blaming the city for delays).

Talks with the rooftops are ongoing, and it remains possible that the Ricketts Family could purchase some of them in the future. They have always been open to a reasonable price, and the two sides’ impression of what constitutes a “reasonable price” seems to be getting closer together.

The bullpens will not be relocated for next season. Assuming everything goes to plan, they cannot be moved under the bleachers until the batting cage currently there is moved back under the grandstand. That is not supposed to happen until next offseason, so the earliest you’d see the bullpens relocated is the 2016 season.

The Cubs are still expecting all seven outfield signs to be in place for next season, though it sounds like they’re still working through the process of finalizing partners.

Kenney said that, internally, the organization is viewing 2014 is the turning point in so many ways, from the facilities in Mesa to the Wrigley Field renovation to the team, itself. The message Kenney wanted to get out about the team? Essentially it was: We want to win the division next year. It’s time to win. It’s time to look at everything a little differently. The Cubs, I gather, are very comfortable with getting word out that they are expecting 2015 to be different from the recent past. “It’s time to win.”

_________________
Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

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sinicalypse

Post subject: Re: Crane Kenney Speaks

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 10:57 am

Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2004 2:54 pm
Posts: 17128
Location: in the vents of life for joey belle
pizza_Place: how many planets have a chicago?

Shakespeare wrote:

(aside) Crane Kenney speaks.
O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art
As glorious to this franchise, being o'er my head,
As is a wingèd messenger of Ricketts
Unto the white/s, upturnèd, wondering eyes
Of idiots that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-chainsmoking convention-goers
And sails upon the bosom of the NL central floor.

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Curious Hair wrote:

Les Grobstein's huge hog is proof that God has a sense of humor, isn't it?

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Curious Hair

Post subject: Re: Crane Kenney Speaks

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 11:25 am

Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:29 pm
Posts: 55840
pizza_Place: Barstool One Bite Frozen

Quote:

In 2020, the Cubs will start their own network. In doing so, they will partner either with a distributor (Comcast, for example), a network (Fox, for example), or a third party, like a private equity firm.

OH GOOD A PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM

Quote:

The Cubs are using the same advisors that helped the Dodgers with their mega-deal with Time Warner.

oh god

Look: Chicagoland belongs to Comcast. If you think the Cubs are going to leave Comcast to start a new sports channel and expect it to be carried by Comcast, you're toys-in-the-attic crazy. The likeliest outcome is that CSN+ becomes a full-fledged second channel (this has already sort of happened) largely built around the Cubs, the way the Dodgers had Prime Ticket in Los Angeles. They'll give it another name so that the Cubs aren't just on "the channel they make you watch the Bulls on when the Hawks are playing," but it will be under Comcast's aegis one way or another because any attempt at Fox Sports Chicago or Rahm's Private Equity Friends Chicago is going to get nuked by the market's largest content provider...all in the name of protecting valued customers from ridiculous carriage fees, of course.

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Molly Lambert wrote:

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

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conns7901

Post subject: Re: Crane Kenney Speaks

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 11:35 am

Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2005 11:36 pm
Posts: 19337

I cant wait for the cable tv money bubble to officially pop and fuck all these teams.

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Frank Coztansa wrote:

conns7901 wrote:

Not over yet.

Yes it is.

CDOM wrote:

When this is all over, which is not going to be for a while, Trump will be re-elected President.

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