YES Network Close To Four-Year Deal To Put Yankees Games On WPIX

YES Network is close to a deal with Tribune-owned broadcast station WPIX-CW, a deal that would take a N.Y.-area over-the-air package of Yankees games off of the Fox-owned WWOR-TV for the first time in more than a decade. Sources said that a deal could be signed as early as this week. It is expected to be a four-year pact that would include about 21 Yankees games per season. Sources value that package at between $11-13M per year ($500,000-$600,000 per game), an asking price that was said to be too high for WWOR. WPIX already carries an over-the-air package of around 25 games with the Mets, a deal that still has a few more seasons to go. It is not clear how the station plans to schedule both teams’ games. YES’ deal with WWOR expired at the end of last season. Ironically, WWOR is a Fox owned-and-operated broadcast station in N.Y. and YES Net is majority owned by Fox. YES Net reps declined to comment for this story.