ONE side brags of its tradition and national reputation, backed up by numbers and trophies won. The other side takes great pride in its role as an upstart and appeal to a different segment of fans.
Yeah, that’s an apt description of the Yankees and Mets, who renew their Subway Series rivalry with three games this weekend. But it also applies to the team’s television homes: four-year-old YES Network and eight-week-old SportsNet New York (SNY).
“The product we have is a shared experience with the fans,” said Tracy Dolgin, president of YES. “Yankees fans don’t watch a game like they watch a rerun of ‘Seinfeld,’ and Mets fans [don’t
either]. There’s a passion; they care about what happens.”
Though neither YES nor SNY will broadcast any of the live game action from Shea Stadium this weekend, each will produce the Friday night telecasts on the respective over-the-air channels (Yankees on WWOR Ch. 9; Mets on WPIX Ch. 11).
Team ownership of a television network is a boon for fans because there’s nearly endless programming related to their favorites. Business-wise, the synergy allows for consistent branding, favorable sponsorship arrangements, and lucrative revenue streams.
For example, the Yankees averaged almost $42 million a year in rights fees over 13 years on MSG Network. The team reportedly received $64 million from YES last season, and the network itself is a rapidly appreciating asset, with income from advertising and cable-subscriber fees.
“It’s like doubling-down on yourself,” Dolgin said. “You have a lot of confidence that the team will do well [because] when the team is better, the network is better.”
According to Forbes, the Yankees own a 38 percent stake in YES, which generated more than $200 million in revenue and is itself worth $1 billion.
No wonder the New York teams can afford two of the five highest payrolls in Major League Baseball.
“The Yankees don’t just have players, they have star players,” Dolgin said. “We produce our game like a national broadcast . . . the quality, the number of cameras, the announcers . . . we put our money where our mouth is, just like the Yankees do.”
But the only numbers that matter to fans are on the scoreboard.
“There’s a real passion for baseball in this city, and it’s great theater when fans with such loyalty come out and root for their teams,” said Jon Litner, president of SNY. “We’re excited.”
—
SNY
11 mil. homes
125 TV games
2.3 rating 2006
1.5 rating 2005*
*MSG
YES
11 mil. homes
128 TV games
4.1 rating 2006
4.5 rating 2005