LodgeNet Entertainment Corporation is in talks to bring a pay-per-view package of Major League Baseball (MLB) games to hotel customers. This is on the heels of a similar deal announced Thursday with the National Hockey League (NHL).
A LodgeNet spokesperson confirmed the discussions with MLB and said the company is working on having a deal in place for this upcoming baseball season. LodgeNet and the NHL announced Thursday they are teaming up to make pro hockey games available on a pay-per-view basis in hotels equipped with LodgeNet’s Hotel SportsNet. Through the end of the NHL regular season and for some of the early-round playoff games, guests can purchase an entire day’s schedule of hockey games in-room. The out-of-market package, which the NHL markets under the "NHL Center Ice" moniker, is subject to local blackout restrictions.
LodgeNet already has deals in place with the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and for college football and basketball through deals with ESPN and College Sports Television (CSTV).
The price point for the NHL package will be $6.95 per day, according to LodgeNet. Daily rates for the other packages are $19.99 for the NFL, $12.99 for the NBA, $14.95-$19.95 for ESPN college sports programming and $1.99 for CSTV.
LodgeNet says it plans to have the Hotel SportsNet service, which debuted in 2003, in 75,000 to 100,000 guest rooms by the end of 2006.
