YouTube TV in battle over rights fees

YouTube TV subscribers could be in danger of losing Indians and Cavaliers broadcasts. Jeff Schudel has a look at the negotiations. Plus, thoughts on the Browns and the Indians outfield.

Fans of the Indians, Cavaliers and Columbus Blue Jackets can breathe a little easier, at least for now.

YouTube TV was prepared to stop televising Cavaliers and Blue Jackets games games on Fox Sports Ohio, plus Indians games on Sports Time Ohio, starting Feb. 29. But that decision has been out on hold, at least temporarily.

The problem stems from a negotiations impasse between YouTube TV and Sinclair Broadcast Group, owners of the Fox regional sports networks, which includes the Reds as well as the Indians, Cavaliers and Blue Jackets. Forty-two teams are affected by the stalemate.

Sinclair and YouTube TV have not reached and agreement on a new contract, but when Feb. 29 arrived without a new deal the two sides agreed to an extension without establishing a new deadline.

“We have agreed to a temporary extension! FOX Regional Sports Networks and YES Network are still available on YouTube TV while we work to reach an agreement,” TeamYouTube tweeted late on Feb. 28. “We’ll be sure to share an update as soon as we have more info on a potential timeline. More to come!”

The Feb. 28 tweet is much more positive than the message the two sides were putting out one day earlier when both were playing the blame game. Still, fans are getting antsy because the start of the Indians and Reds regular season is less four weeks away. Fans in many markets share the same frustrations.

“We purchase rights from Sinclair to distribute content to you,” YouTube TV tweeted on Feb. 27. “Despite our best efforts, we’ve been unable to reach an agreement with Sinclair. As a result, we will no longer offer FOX Regional Sports Networks, including YES Network, beginning February 29th.

“We do not take this decision lightly,” YouTube TV said in a follow-up tweet. “This is a reflection of the rising cost of sports content. You may have noticed several other TV services have also decided to remove FOX Regional Sports Networks from their lineups.”

A Sinclair spokesman is blaming YouTube TV.

“We offered YouTube TV the best terms under which their competitors carry our Regional Sports Networks,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, they alone decided to drop these channels citing ‘rising costs’ despite our offer to actually lower the fees they pay us.

“We also offered to continue negotiating under a short-term extension so that their subscribers could continue to watch their favorite hometown teams. They’ve not yet responded to this offer. Given the ease with which YouTube TV subscribers can drop the service and switch providers, we are surprised that they’ve chosen this course.”

Some YouTube TV subscribers are relatively new to the service. They had been using PlayStation Vue and were forced to switch when PlayStation Vue went discontinued operating in January.

Sinclair bought the Fox RSNs (Regional Sports Networks) from Disney last year. The package involves the television right to 16 NBA teams, 14 MLB teams and 12 NHL teams.

Games played by the Yankees and Nets are shown on YES Network.

Playoffs for the NBA and NHL start in midApril, so there is incentive on both sides to get this resolved quickly.

Indians outfield

It is no secret the Indians had a crowded outfield before spring training began. It became more crowded when they signed Domingo Santana last month.

Nine outfielders at spring training in Goodyear, Ariz., are vying for five roster spots. The others are: Franmil Reyes, Greg Allen, Oscar Mercado, Tyler Naquin, Delino DeShields Jr., Jordan Luplow, Bradley Zimmer and Jake Bauers. Naquin is recovering from knee surgery.

“(Domingo Santana) is an interesting power bat,” Indians general manager Mike Chernoff told reporters in spring training. “We feel he can complement our group pretty well.

“We have a lot of guys out there — a lot of guys we like a lot. We have to sort through that. We can’t have nine guys on our major league roster as outfielders. We have to make some decisions, but we felt like Domingo was a great complement to the players we had. He adds, sort of the way Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes did last year, a dynamic we didn’t necessarily have in terms of that right-handed power.”

Puig is a free agent still hoping a team signs him. Reyes is in his first full season with the Indians. Both players were acquired last July 31 in the trade that sent Trevor Bauer to the Reds.

Santana played in 121 games with the Mariners last season. He hit 21 home runs, drove in 63 runs and batted .253. He struck out 164 times in 451 at-bats.

• Starting pitcher Mike Clevinger is continuing his rehab from Feb. 14 arthroscopic knee surgery. The Indians are encouraged by his progress, but the timetable for his return remains around midApril, Chernoff said.

Browns in harmony

Time will tell whether Andrew Berry drafts well. But Browns fans can take comfort knowing he will be looking for the type player that fits what Coach Kevin Stefanski envisions as being best for the Browns. This might seem so elemental that it shouldn’t be noteworthy. But if you believe that it means you haven’t been following the Browns closely the last 21 years.

We will follow the way Berry rebuilds the offensive line to see how in tune he and Stefanski really are. Speaking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Stefanski made it clear he wants linemen who can move laterally to run block for Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. He values quick feet over maulers that will move straight ahead like a snow plow clearing a path.

“We’re looking for the smart, tough, accountable player,” Stefanski said. “You can apply that to each (position). When it comes to offensive tackles and offensive line in particular, we value movement skills.

“That’s not to say we don’t value a guy that’s ultra physical. I think it’s a combination of those things.”

Baker Mayfield was sacked 40 times in 2019. He was sacked 25 times as a rookie in 2018. He did not become a starter until late in the second quarter of the third game of his rookie season. But that alone doesn’t explain an increase of 15 sacks last season.

“We want guys who can move,” Berry said. “We want guys who are athletic to run wide zone. That doesn’t preclude us to acquiring guys that have a little bit more power and snap at the line of scrimmage and at the point of attack, but certainly movement is a priority.”

The Browns need a left tackle, a right tackle and a right guard. Whether they are acquired via free agency, trade, the draft or all three is immaterial.

The Browns have the 10th pick in the three-day draft, which begins April

23.

• CBSSports.com in a recent mock draft has four quarterbacks being picked before the Browns’ pick comes up — Joe Burrow of LSU to the Bengals with the first pick, Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama second to the Redskins, Justin Herbert of Oregon fifth to the Dolphins and Jordan Love of Utah State sixth to the Chargers.

According to the CBSsports.com mock draft, the

Browns will have their choice of offensive tackles. The website has them taking 6-foot-7, 364-pound tackle Mekhi Becton of Louisville. Don’t assume his bulk precludes him from being athletic. He ran a 5.11 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine.

SI.com ranks Becton third behind 320-pound Jedrick Wills of Alabama and 320-pound Andrew Thomas of Georgia among offensive tackles.

Tristan Wirfs also qualifies as athletic. The 322-pound tackle from Iowa set a record during testing at the combine with a 36.5-inch vertical jump.

Perspective is always good in these things. Wirfs’ vertical jump was better than that of Oklahoma wide receiver Ceedee Lamb. Lamb, considered a top-15 pick, jumped 34.5 inches.

Wirfs showed off at a get-together at Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz’ home when he did a standing backflip into a swimming pool last summer.

Offensive linemen don’t have to jump three feet into the air or do backflips during games, but Wirfs has proven he can move for a big man.

• Ryan Grigson might be more than a temporary addition to the Browns personnel department.

Berry worked for Grigson in the Colts’ scouting department when Grigson was the general manager in Indianapolis. Berry returned the favor last month by hiring Grigson after Eliot Wolf left the Browns as assistant general manager and Alonzo Highsmith left as director of player personnel.

“Ryan is going to serve in an advisory role this spring. And with Ryan we view him (as) a former general manager, a former NFL executive of the year, a very respected talent evaluator across the league. Think he can provide a wealth of wisdom during this draft cycle and then post-draft we’ll kind of look at football operations and really see if it’s a long-term fit.”

Grigson worked for the Seahawks as a consultant the last two seasons. Now Wolf and Highsmith have the same role with the Seahawks in preparation for the 2020 draft.