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Atlanta Braves’ Morning Chop: a shopping list for Christmas

By Alan Carpenter

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Discarded Christmas trees lie outside houses in Angel on January 5, 2018 in London, England. In the lead up to Christmas a pine tree is the centre point of a home, the pride and joy of the family, decorated with beautiful lights and decorations guarding presents until Christmas Day morning. Traditionally, trees and decorations are taken down on Twelfth Night, leaving these once loved and cherished trees serving no purpose and finding themselves cast out into the street ending up as Lonely Christmas Trees. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Discarded Christmas trees lie outside houses in Angel on January 5, 2018 in London, England. In the lead up to Christmas a pine tree is the centre point of a home, the pride and joy of the family, decorated with beautiful lights and decorations guarding presents until Christmas Day morning. Traditionally, trees and decorations are taken down on Twelfth Night, leaving these once loved and cherished trees serving no purpose and finding themselves cast out into the street ending up as Lonely Christmas Trees. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 10: Samsung 55-inch super OLED televisions are displayed at the company’s booth at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center January 10, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 10: Samsung 55-inch super OLED televisions are displayed at the company’s booth at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center January 10, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

#10.  A New TV Contract

Now that I’ve tried to spend around a billion taxpayer dollars, let’s try something perhaps more practical… though it will take a while to get this gift.

We don’t actually know when the current TV deal expires.  It was slated to be 2027, but that was before a 2014 renegotiation gave the Braves a significant bit of relief.

However, such things come at a cost, and that cost was probably something in the neighborhood of an additional 3-5 years before the team can expect to throw open the bidding to a wider audience.

A new deal that would better represent the #9 media market in the US – never mind one of the largest fan followings well beyond the scope of the Atlanta metropolitan area – would provide an substantial infusion of new – and consistent – revenue for the team.

It was probably a tough call for the 2014 management team to get that renegotiation done, but also probably the right move.  The choice was between waiting beyond another decade before getting a change and floundering until then, or biting the bullet and gaining some relief – though at the expense of extending the timeline.

The Braves did gain back what was reported to be close to a half-billion in new monies for the intervening 13+ years… and now they have filled the gap further with SunTrust Park an Battery Atlanta.

It’s not a new deal entirely, but this investment goes a long way toward putting a more competitive team on the field for many years in the meantime.  We are seeing those benefits right now.

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