Greenie,
Awaiting your response... more.... you will see right through this article. (my homecounty) Orange County, CA... I am eight miles from Anehiem Stadium
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Great article here, compliments of Tomasz
Folks think this one over!
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ocregister.com
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Angels suiters have futuristic TV plans
TECHNOLOGY: Sports-minded partners envision viewers who simply click and buy.
September 11, 1999
By CHRIS FARNSWORTH
and GREG HARDESTY
The Orange County Register
Orange County moguls Henry Nicholas, Henry Samueli and Marvin Winkler are talking with Cox Communications about a system for interactive cable TV that could include pay-per-view sports and other features.
Winkler and Cox confirmed Friday that they're talking about using the same technology that delivers cable TV — called broadband — to enable viewers to order products and surf the Web, as well as to watch sports and other programs.
Gotcha surfwear Chairman Winkler and Broadcom Corp. co-founders Nicholas and Samueli are in several business deals that seek to use technology to sell sports and surf culture:
The three are the main partners in Broadband Interactive Group. BIG plans to develop sports-related content for the Internet and TV, possibly with Cox Communications.
The Orange County Register on Friday reported the three are among a handful of investors close to signing a letter of intent to buy the Anaheim Angels and the Mighty Ducks from Walt Disney Co.
Winkler, Nicholas and Samueli are among the dozen investors in Gotcha Glacier, the indoor surf and snowboard park set to be built next to Edison International Field, home of the Angels.
Nicholas and Samueli will soon become part owners of Gotcha International, Winkler's Irvine company.
Martha Ann Zajic, spokeswoman for Cox Communications, said Cox has talked with several groups about broadband.
Broadband is the next wave, experts say, with many groups competing to set the standard.
Before interactive TV happens as BIG envisions it, the technology must become a household appliance, noted Jim Huysse of Spinner.com, an online music site. Someone has to build a cheap, "super set-top box" to deliver cable, the Internet and music.
Cox has started on that path with Cox@Home, which delivers the Internet over cable lines. Irvine-based Broadcom supplies Cox with the high-speed chips for cable modems and set-top boxes.
Sports is one of the reliable sources of income for broadband TV, said Steve Shannon of Replay TV, which is developing digital video recorders.
"Sports viewing and broadband's fates are really tied together, because broadband's success is dependent on pay-per-view events, and sports are one of the most profitable pay-per-view events, after movies," Shannon said.
Neither Cox nor Winkler would comment on whether talks included broadcasting games for the Angels and Ducks.
In earlier interviews, Nicholas and Winkler talked about interactive TV.
Nicholas described a viewer watching "Friends" who likes a suit she sees. She would push a button on her remote and the suit would be delivered the next day.
"We are changing the retailing paradigm," Nicholas said.
Adding sports to the mix would make sense, Winkler said of hypothetical ownership of the Angels and Ducks.
"Clearly, owning both the Angels, the Ducks and Gotcha Glacier would be pretty compelling," said Wally Limburg of Strategic Retail Advisors in Newport Beach. "It would be an amazing deal."
John Leon, a networking expert with Orange-based Orconet.com, said BIG could eventually use sports as a springboard for a national presence, much like Ted Turner did with the Atlanta Braves.
"Nicholas is going to take this to an all-new level. ... He's going to compete against the (Rupert) Murdochs of the world," Leon said.
A few stumbling blocks exist: One is the Angels' and Ducks' existing contract with Fox Sports for the next 10 years.
Before any games could be broadcast over the Internet, the rights would have to be negotiated with Major League Baseball.
Nicholas, Winkler and Samueli bring diverse talents to these challenges.
Nicholas is the workaholic CEO who, with Samueli, the soft-spoken scientist, built Broadcom into a $13 billion company.
Winkler — whom Nicholas calls "one of the brightest guys I've known" — is a brand-specialist and deal-maker with more than 25 years of experience in the clothing business.
Nicholas and Samueli have been close to Winkler for about three years. Winkler held a party at his Laguna Hills house when Broadcom went public in April 1998. Winkler and Nicholas and their families vacation together.
Winkler's wife, Sherri, is close to Samueli's wife, Susan. And Winkler and Nicholas live on the same street.
Now, in a business sense, the "two Henrys" are getting even closer to Winkler.
This summer, with the help of Nicholas and Samueli, Gotcha launched Gotcha.Com, an interactive Web site. Coming soon from the trio is Gotcha.TV.
Winkler aims to develop Gotcha into a "digital media company," a brand that extends far beyond the beachwear that is its roots.
"Gotcha doesn't sell clothes — it sells culture," said Gotcha President Michael Tomson.
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Register staff writer Barbara Kingsley contributed to this report. |
