Twins

[Steve-o]

Less than a buck a game...  Its probably worth it.  Thing is, we don't watch all the games.   

I reckon if I went to just one game, it'd cost me well over $100.

So what's the price or value of being able to follow the team all year?   

For me this year, that ain't it.  I ain't saying it ain't a fair price or a good value.  Thing is, the Pohlad's didn't put anything into the team this year.  Why should I?   

[Steve-o]

Twins broadcasts remain unavailable on major television providers

While Opening Day is right around the corner for the Minnesota Twins — Thursday, in fact, as they'll open their season at the St. Louis Cardinals — the organization is still yet to strike a deal with any major television providers. As of yet, at least.

Major League Baseball took over Twins broadcasts for this season, and the franchise remains confident that Twins.TV will be available to all interested cable customers by Opening Day. There are signs things are moving in the right direction with Twins.TV now available on 21 smaller and local television providers, and anyone can purchase the package for streaming.
Why is it so hard to do a stupid cable contract.   

I'm sure the Twins are happy to let MLB be the Scape Goat for the contracts, but once again, they're all keen on squeezing every thin dime out of subscribers and alienating their fanbase in the process.  G'luck.   

[Gunner55]

  Well, we have it........................no programming until Opening Day though. It looks like 20 other cable providers already have it to me too....................... .What Linear Distributors have signed on to carry Twins Baseball thus far?

BEVCOMM
Consolidated Telcom
Consolidated Telephone Company (CTC)
Dickey Rural Services
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone
Halstad Telephone Company
Interstate Telecommunications Company
MLGC
North Dakota Telephone Company
Northwest Communications Cooperative
Paul Bunyan Communications
Red River Telephone
Reservation Telephone Company
Runestone Telephone
SCI Broadband
Sjoberg's Cable
Tremolo Communications
United Telephone Mutual Aid
Venture Communications
West Central Telephone Association
Wikstrom Telephone Compan

[Gunner55]

 https://www.mlb.com/twins/schedule/broadcast-faq

[Gunner55]

  Channel 558 just appeared on our guide yday about noon, BSNOR/FDNOR is 556 here. It only says Off-Air until 3:00 Thursday when the Twins/Cards game is s'posed to start. The email we got from PB said since it was part our cable pkg last season, it would be again this year & at no additional cost. 

[Rookie]

Not the major Comcast in the Twin Cities. Which owns Midco which I have. I don't see Arvig on there either which is my other cable choice here.

[dutchboy]

It's the Pohladsnew 2025 business model.

1) Do nothing to get fans excited in the offseason about the upcoming season.

2) Leak a faux report about the team being for sale.

3) Eliminate any possibility if exciting the fans with a TV option except in the far outstate because they won't come to town more than once anyway.

I urge everybody not to buy the TV packages, do not attend a game until we can get these guys out of here.

They deserve this from the fans much more than the fans deserve them.

[glenn57]

pretty sure the last Twinkies game i went to was at the old met!!!!

cant recall the last time i watched the Twins on TV!!!!!!

[dutchboy]

According to the Pohlads new marketing policy you are the target audiance.

[glenn57]

According to the Pohlads new marketing policy you are the target audiance.

yea good luck with that.......

[LPS]

The last 6 years since I retired I have become a Twins fan but I won't pay for another channel to watch them.  Same with the Vikings.  If you want to show me your product so that I buy your shirts and hats and stuff I will watch with excitement.  If you want me to pay to watch your stuff I will find another hobby.

[dutchboy]

I would love to see how many years the Pohlad lived off the '87 & '91 World Series titles. Just think how many dollars those titles generated over time. Ticket prices went up both times and have yet to fall back a nickle. Then there is the concessions and swag.

[Gunner55]

According to the Pohlads new marketing policy you are the target audiance.

  Good 1, db!!!

[Steve-o]

G'Luck 

Report: Pohlads asking for at least $1.7 billion in Twins sale amid team's hefty debt

The Pohlad family is looking to sell the Minnesota Twins for a higher price than previously expected — at least $1.7 billion — which is in part motivated by the franchise operating in significant debt, according to a recent report from The Athletic.

According to The Athletic, the Twins have more than $425 million in debts, which are among the highest figures of Major League Baseball teams. That's led to a slightly inflated price point — Forbes valued the team at $1.46 billion in 2024. In talks with interested buyers, the Twins have deemed a $1.5 billion valuation "a non-starter," per The Athletic. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the Pohlads would be able to get $1.7 billion for the team as they restart the sales process following Justin Ishbia ending his pursuit of the franchise to instead increase his stake in the rival Chicago White Sox.

[LPS]

Interesting.  Here I thought they were already sold. 

[Steve-o]

Looks like Justin Ishbia took a look at the books - and the Pohlad's probably negotiated the way you think they might - and he said no thanks. 

This also from that same article...

The debt is only part of what's complicating a potential sale. Additionally, the franchise has been subject to multiple revenue struggles, from challenges with television partners to market size to dwindling attendance. According to The Athletic, there is also belief that executive chair Joe Pohlad would like to stay in control of the club, and him remaining with the team in some role wouldn't be an impossibility after a sale.

So the Pohlad's want all the money but Joe still wants to run the team?     G'Luck.   

[LPS]

Sure doesn't seem like they are very serious about selling.   

[Steve-o]

So let me get this straight...

The Pohlads/Twins are $425 million in debt.  So they want to sell the team for what its market value is PLUS the amount of money they are in debt.

Instead of...
Selling the team for market value MINUS the huge amount of money they are in debt.   

No wonder Ishbia wasn't interested. 

[dutchboy]

I would guess the debt would be subtracted from the purchase price. No different than buying a car with an outstanding lien against it.

[Steve-o]

Not if they jack-up the sticker price and don't tell you about it.  Everything's negotiable and ultimately a value decision for the buyer.  No, wait...  The Twins don't HAVE a buyer any more.   

Let's face it...  Its fun to root for the local boys and hard to wish ill will on them.  I still enjoy following baseball as a pastime.  But if the Pohlad's aren't going to try to make the team competitive when they have an opportunity to succeed - I hope attendance tanks this year.

Ol' Carl bought the team for $43 million and now the estimated market value is $1,500 million!  Figure it out!!!

So my new question is this...

If Twins payroll has been capped for several seasons due to self-imposed budgeting constraints, how is it that they've been able to run up a debt equivalent to 28% of the team's market value?!?   
Seems to me like someone is playing hide-the-sausage again.    But what do I know?  That's right... Absolutely nothing.

[dutchboy]

Daddy told me at a very young age "figures don't lie if liars don't figure." The past few elections should have been enough evidence that you can make anything look anyway you like if you have enough gullible people looking at things. As they say, you can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig. If the $1.7 billion price tag was legit they would have buyers lined up. That number was the high side, subtract the $450 million debt and it might not be enough for the Pohlads to live on. We'll see. In the meantime don't buy tickets or the TV package.