David Barron is getting some details regarding the Astros/Rockets RSN, scheduled to begin in 2012. Some notes:
-Astros games begin broadcasting in 2012.
-The Astros and Rockets will own 77.5% of the deal, worth over $1 billion.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations notes (via Barron) that Fox offered a similar deal - $1b + $200m signing bonus - but left out what Comcast was willing to provide:
"The only thing that wasn't offered was ownership (in the network)."
For those of you wondering how this affects your ability to throw inanimate objects at the television 162 times a year:
Comcast and the teams will have to negotiate carriage agreements with satellite and fiber providers and with other cable systems, which have about 120,000 customers in the Houston DMA. They also will have to negotiate with Time Warner Cable in major markets such as San Antonio and Austin.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
