Yankees move to no free local tv

[bedir than average]

Yanks may cut cord with 'free' TV

The loss of up to 25 Yankees games on Ch. 9 is significant on two levels. There are still Bombers fans who either cannot access or afford cable TV. Without Ch. 9, all they can do is listen to games on the radio. Also, the ratings the Yankees generate on Ch. 9 prove the Bombers' "free" TV exposure attracts casual baseball fans.

From a financial perspective, YES brass will have to calculate if the guaranteed rights fee, now paid by Ch. 9, will bring them more cash than any surcharge cable operators such as Time Warner or Cablevision would be asked to pay for the added 20 to 25 Yankees games. YES suits would also have to project how much added advertising revenue the network would generate with a 145-game schedule.

On the local TV sports landscape, baseball is clearly king. It offers six months of programming that produces healthy ratings. On YES, despite the fact they are smelling Boston's exhaust fumes, the Yankees are already 5% ahead of where they were last season, averaging a 4.5 rating. On Ch. 9 ratings are tracking significantly higher - by about 10% - than in 2006.

If this is the future of the game, I am unimpressed. You don't increase the popularity of sport by reducing those who are exposed to the sport.

[Dan]

The Red Sox have already done this.