Brewers Looking for a New Radio Deal after 2008

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

According to the Sunday MJS, the Brewers are exploring ways to increase their revenue from Radio Broadcasts. The article mentions the current contract is up after 2008, and the Brewers may look to build on the roughly ($2 million/year) they earn from the current radio rights.

 

IIRC, the Chicago Whitesox switched their radio contract to AM670 "The Score" after their world series win, and probably had a nice revenue bump. The only problem for the Brewers would be that I'm not sure there is a viable alternative to WTMJ. Are WAUK-AM (1510) and WSSP-AM (1250) big enough to EXPAND the market for the Brewers, and could they afford to make a $3-4M bid/season for the radio rights.

 

WTMJ has carried games since 1983 (ironicallly, the year after our World Series appearance), and 2008 is shaping up to be possibily the most successful Brewers season since 1982, so it would make sense that a jump would occur.

 

I know the TV deal has been mentioned several times, but I think we're locked into that crappy deal with FSN North for awhile longer. http://static.yuku.com/v2//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/mad.gif

 

 

(added tag --1992)

[PeaveyFury]

The Brewers have hired a specialist to research the markets and figure out how the Brewers can utilize the radio the best.

 

That said, I think this is posturing simply to get a better deal from WTMJ, as I really don't think any of the two options discussed in the article are viable options to be a flagship station at all. WISN (Who had the Brewers from like 80-82) would be a possibility, but they weren't even mentioned in the article.

[2hoophead]

For what it is worth, IIRC, WTMJ carried the Brewers for most of the time betweeen 1970 and 1982 also except when WISN had them for a few years.

 

I'm sure somebody will correct me if I am wrong, though...http://static.yuku.com/v2//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/grin.gif

[hawing]

I hope this effort results in improved coverage when Brewers broadcasts are bumped for the Packers. Something is wrong when I must miss a Brewers game because we can't get a decent signal while driving from southeast to south central Wisconsin. That this happened during a pennant race adds to my irritation.

[endaround]

What would be interesting to see if this leads the Brewers to actually buy a radio station (or become a heavy investor in one). In gerneal though, WTMJ is the only station that is currently strong enough on the AM dial to serve the area its been given.

[uwbufu24]

I hope WTMJ keeps the Brewers for a long time. They have twice the broadcast power of any other station so that they may reach the entire market, and have a much larger listener base of powerful people in the community. Even in the suburbs, my reception of WAUK and WSSP is noticeably worse than WTMJ.

[CportBadger]

I think they should stay with WTMJ because of the strength of signal, but one thing I would like to see is something worked out in the contract where they can't get bumped by a pre-season Packer game.

[cruiserx43]

Seriously WTMJ is one of the only stations with the power and sister stations to serve the majority of the state. I live just over the IL border and without WTMJ would really suck. I get a clear signal down here and I would think that since the north Chicago area is also served by this signal is good for the commuter businesss.

 

I too seem to think that there is really little alternative but to keep the broadcasts on WTMJ, but the Brewers themselves probably are looking for a little bigger $$$ contract as mentioned earlier. I am sure WTMJ would want to keep the broadcasts as well seeing as how the are the go to station for state sports (UW, Packers and Bucks).

[AJAY]

I also want to see WTMJ keep the Brewers. I really appreciate the strong signal, and I love that I can hear the Brewers game when driving through places like Michigan and Indiana. I also think it's good to keep baseball on a non-sports radio station because it helps promote the team to more segments of the population. If you think about all the little things that WTMJ does to promote the Brewers, it really makes the Brewers feel like a bigger part of the community beyond just sports.

 

I respect the other networks, but they still seem kind of small and "minor league" compared to the overall presence of WTMJ. I just want to be affiliated with the biggest and arguably best.

[Paul77]

However cool it would be to have a station that treated the Brewers as it's anchor, unlike 'TMJ which has all the major teams to split time with (not to mention the newstalk), I see little chance that the Brewers leave 620. I think the signal strength is enough to keep the Brewers from bolting. The rest of the state wouldn't be affected much (because of the Brewers radio network) but WTMJ covers so much of SE Wisconsin that any departure would leave a huge void. Heck, even in Pewaukee, I have trouble getting WSSP at nights from time to time.

 

I have a question. I know Bob Uecker is an employee of the Brewers, so he goes where the team goes. But Jim Powell doesn't work for the Brewers - he works for WTMJ. I assume his contract a parallels the Brewers (in terms of years), but can someone confirm this. I'd hate to lose Powell because of something like that.

[PeaveyFury]

20fry, I'm 99% sure that is correct- Powell works for TMJ officially (or at least did ~10 years ago when he was hired).

[BrewCrewForever]

However cool it would be to have a station that treated the Brewers as it's anchor, unlike 'TMJ which has all the major teams to split time with (not to mention the newstalk), I see little chance that the Brewers leave 620. I think the signal strength is enough to keep the Brewers from bolting. The rest of the state wouldn't be affected much (because of the Brewers radio network) but WTMJ covers so much of SE Wisconsin that any departure would leave a huge void. Heck, even in Pewaukee, I have trouble getting WSSP at nights from time to time.

 

I have a question. I know Bob Uecker is an employee of the Brewers, so he goes where the team goes. But Jim Powell doesn't work for the Brewers - he works for WTMJ. I assume his contract a parallels the Brewers (in terms of years), but can someone confirm this. I'd hate to lose Powell because of something like that.

Yeah I would also hate to see Powell not go with Uecker if they switched stations. I still think there is little chance they leave WTMJ. So Im not to worried.

 

As for the TV deal, when it is up with FSN, any chance the Brewers create there own kind of baseball network to air on Time Warner and Charter cable ala the YES Network in New York?

[dadofandrew]

I would think the Crew would insist they never get bumped as part of the new contract, as much as more money.

[Paul77]

As for the TV deal, when it is up with FSN, any chance the Brewers create there own kind of baseball network to air on Time Warner and Charter cable ala the YES Network in New York?

 

That deal (that terrible deal) has like, what, three or four more years on it. *shakes head and sighs*

[Invader3K]

I agree with the concensus that the Brewers are simply going to look for more money from WTMJ and possibly their other affiliates as well. I doubt they would actually leave WTMJ, though.

 

I mean, other than a few dates that are missed due to the Packers, WTMJ treats the Brewers pretty well. The coverage has definitely gotten better in the last year or two, reflecting the improved on the field product.

[BrewCrewForever]

As for the TV deal, when it is up with FSN, any chance the Brewers create there own kind of baseball network to air on Time Warner and Charter cable ala the YES Network in New York?

 

That deal (that terrible deal) has like, what, three or four more years on it. *shakes head and sighs*

20fry, Im not sure what you mean? Why is it a terriable deal? Im not up on all that kind of stuff.

[PeaveyFury]

I would think the Crew would insist they never get bumped as part of the new contract, as much as more money.

 

If they insist on that as a potential deal breaker, then they will almost surely be moving from WTMJ. WTMJ would never put anything ahead of the Packers (and potentially the Badgers as well), even in pre-season, for fear of the Packers opening up their radio services for bidding. That's just sound business in this state, regardless of how good the Brewers are going to be the next few years.

[Paul77]

The Brewers TV deal is the worst in all of baseball. The revenue it brings in the the lowest payout in the game. It's something Mark A. has called the single greatest financial obstacle the Brewers face. Add to that that it's a long deal that will keep hurting the Brewers for a long time. I know shortly after Mark A. took control of the team he said he was going to have his lawyers take a look at the contract and see if the Brewers could get out of it. Seeing as how that was 2 years ago, I'm not hold out much hope of that happening.

[BrewCrewForever]

Thanks 20fry, I had no idea. When the contract ends what do you think the best option would be?

[Invader3K]

Yes, and the deal goes through 2011, IIRC. It was basically a situation where Wendy Selig-Prieb signed away the rights for an extended period of time, when the Brewers were really bad. Incredibly short-sighted, and just another reason why we're better off now with Attanasio as the team owner.

 

I think I read somewhere that the Kansas City Royals make like 10 times more off their TV revenue than the Brewers do. I'm not sure if that's totally accurate, but it was something around there.

[Paul77]

To (partially) answer my own question, it looks as though Jim Powells contract does not run parallel to the Brewers contract. I can't nail down when his contract ends, but it looks like he recently re upped with WTMJ for an extension. I would assume that any deal would have been for more than two years which could mean that if the Brewers left WTMJ, Powell would still be under 'TMJ's control.

 

 

When the (TV) contract ends what do you think the best option would be?

 

I'm not opposed to the Brewers staying on FSN, we just need a better deal, after all we bring in some of the best ratings of any FSN affiliate. I know the Brewers were a poor preforming bunch when that deal was signed, but why on earth they locked themselves into a deal that long is beyond me.

[RyDogg66]

If TMJ wants to keep the Brewers perhaps they could stop bumping them in the middle of a pennant race for a lousy preseason Packer game in August.

 

I mean, does anyone really care what Ruvell Martin or the Packers 6th DB do in a meaningless game?

 

that has always annoyed me.

[Invader3K]

I mean, does anyone really care what Ruvell Martin or the Packers 6th DB do in a meaningless game?

 

that has always annoyed me.

 

The answer to that question is "yes." I have no idea what, but people in Wisconsin really do care about that stuff. The Packers pre-season games bring in higher ratings than the Brewers, even in a pennant race, otherwise they wouldn't be run in favor of baseball.

[AJAY]

If they insist on that as a potential deal breaker, then they will almost surely be moving from WTMJ. WTMJ would never put anything ahead of the Packers (and potentially the Badgers as well), even in pre-season, for fear of the Packers opening up their radio services for bidding. That's just sound business in this state, regardless of how good the Brewers are going to be the next few years.

I don't think it's a big deal if the Brewers have to air a few games on WSSP, and I doubt it would even become a major issue in negotiations. I am pretty sure the Brewers would still prefer to have 155 games on a stronger and bigger network rather than 162 games on a smaller station..

 

Having said that, I disagree with your assessment. The Brewers already have priorty over the Badgers on WTMJ. It's always been that way.

 

As far as the Packers go, how many people actually tune in on radio for a Packers game? I would imagine that most football fans are watching on TV anyway. I think WTMJ benefits more with the Packers from all the sports talk shows and things like that (rather than actual ratings from the games themselves)

 

Baseball is a lot more crucial to WTMJ's overall programming considering how many games they play. Especially knowing that WTMJ is primarily a Southeastern Wisconsin station. If I had to guess, WTMJ would drop those Packers games first before letting the Brewers walk to another station.

 

And I personally think it's a silly myth that football will always rule. History just doesn't support that. The Braves ruled in the 1950's and the Brewers ruled in the 1980's. These things tend to go in cycles.

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

The Brewers also will have alot more leverage when #4 retires...

 

#4 is arguably the most popular athlete in Wisconsin history, and when people turn in daily for a "tractor watch", imagine how crazy they are to turn in to watch Brett play the 1st Qtr of a Preseason game...

 

but like was mentioned earlier... winning = more fans.... more fans = better coverage/treatment from the media