Check Out This Dispute

[JSheridan]

https://nypost.com/2018/12/26/disne...keep-football-fans-from-seeing-playoff-games/

I almost fell out of my chair when I read that Disney charges Pay TV distributors like DISH $8.14 a month just for ESPN.

 

[Claude Greiner]

And this is where I agree with Charlie.

These content providers want Top dollar from the cable and satellite companies, yet turn around and sell their services at a discount on the internet.

If that wasn’t bad, discounting encourages cord cutting, which makes it even harder for the cable or satellite providers to justify paying the higher rates.

My bread and butter is selling television service. Granted, I do also sell internet, but it’s pretty crappy when customers want to stream everything and try to get the $19.99 internet package which I make a whopping $15 selling.

I don’t think ESPN should stop selling their product online, but it should be offered at a price that does not compete with their main distribution partners.

 

[ewindowman]

I have Fios and Disney is running adds on the local ABC channel saying that it’s Verizon fault and call and demand that they settle. I should call and demand they don’t settle Disney Is out of control with the amount of money they want from me . I don’t watch espn except maybe a few times a year. So at 8.14 a month I pay 97.68 a year. To watch 1 or 2 football games. It would be cheaper to send out a streaming device and give us all the espn app. Verizon learn from Charlie stick to your guns and don’t flinch.


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[mwdxer1]

https://nypost.com/2018/12/26/disne...keep-football-fans-from-seeing-playoff-games/

I almost fell out of my chair when I read that Disney charges Pay TV distributors like DISH $8.14 a month just for ESPN.

It doesn't surprise at all. Sports channels are expensive. Flex is a good start, to avoid sports channels, but I wish we had AT250 without sports channels. The package would not nearly cost as much. In Canada they have sports channels in separate packages.

 

[osu1991]

Disney took value away from the tv customers when they started ESPN+ and took programming away from tv customers that they had been getting for years and made it a separate streaming service addon.

The ESPN+ service doesn’t include the espn tv channels or the programming from those channels. Tv customers have to pay extra for the espn+ service and the programming from that service and streaming customers have to pay for a tv service in order to get the espn tv programming.

 

[dishdude]

I wish ESPN could get out of the base packages. They can take Disney with it!

 

[Brussam]

+2

 

[Dave90000]

Claude agreed with Charlie. The world must be ending.

 

[zippyfrog]

It will be very interesting come 2021 and 2022 when the Comcast, Charter, and Dish contracts with Disney/ESPN all expire. By that time ESPN will probably be close to $10 a subscriber for just that single channel and by the time you add all the Disney channels in, probably $15-$18.

 

[GPM]

Disney took value away from the tv customers when they started ESPN+ and took programming away from tv customers that they had been getting for years and made it a separate streaming service addon.

The ESPN+ service doesn’t include the espn tv channels or the programming from those channels. Tv customers have to pay extra for the espn+ service and the programming from that service and streaming customers have to pay for a tv service in order to get the espn tv programming.

I wasn't too concerned about this until ESPN took the UFC contract from Fox. Now the majority of non pay per view cards will be on ESPN+. Just looked at the upcoming schedule and they've smartly scheduled the ESPN+ cards at one or two a month. So, no getting a $4.99 subscription for a month and dropping it.

If I wasn't such an upstanding citizen I might look into the less than legal streaming options. Quality would likely be something less than great, but its a fight, not a 4K movie.

 

[rvvaquero]

I don't mind that ESPN is expensive. I do mind that it has to be included in all the standard packages. I wouldn't pay $2 a month for it if I had a reasonable option.

 

[jerryez]

Now, almost all of the college bowl games have moved to ESPN. I will just miss the games before I pay ESPN 1 penny.

 

[HipKat]

I wish ESPN could get out of the base packages. They can take Disney with it!

Agreed. I'm a BIG sports guy and I never watch any of the espn channels

 

[HipKat]

I wasn't too concerned about this until ESPN took the UFC contract from Fox. Now the majority of non pay per view cards will be on ESPN+. Just looked at the upcoming schedule and they've smartly scheduled the ESPN+ cards at one or two a month. So, no getting a $4.99 subscription for a month and dropping it.

If I wasn't such an upstanding citizen I might look into the less than legal streaming options. Quality would likely be something less than great, but its a fight, not a 4K movie.

The only loss in quality is the size difference between a computer monitor and a TV, just like with legal streams

 

[dishdude]

Agreed. I'm a BIG sports guy and I never watch any of the espn channels

It's outdated. Too many apps and websites where you can get scores and highlights on demand.

 

[rvvaquero]

It's outdated. Too many apps and websites where you can get scores and highlights on demand.

It must not be outdated if they can charge over $8 for it. I only watch Monday Night Football on it, but I know people who live on that channel.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Agreed. I'm a BIG sports guy and I never watch any of the espn channels

I never watch ESPN unless I’m in a bar or my team is on their game of the week.

ESPN is worthless if you ask me

 

[JSheridan]

And here's another dispute warning between Tribune Media and Charter/Spectrum. Maybe the other distributors are finally starting to say enough is enough like Charlie's been saying for years.

Warning Issued About Looming Deadline in Carriage Dispute | TVWeek

 

[dvrexpander]

I watch just about every bowl game I can .. I would much rather watch ESPN broadcast a CFB game than Fox or any of the others as their coverage is just horrible compared to ESPN.
I'd gladly pay for a separate ESPN package at say $10.99 a month to get all the ESPN channels with Dish so long as I can add it with Locals and maybe a small package where it covers just 5-10 other rare channels someone in this house watches. You won't ever see the ESPN's taken out of the big packages though since that is in the contract that Dish made with them to get it at the cost they are at.

If I could stream all the games in HD or 4K without Dish I'd prob look at completely removing Dish and going full on streaming...which I'm sure will make Comcast happy by me burning up their bandwidth lol.

 

[ekilgus]

It’s bad enough that providers demand such outrageous fees for channels like ESPN, but what is worse is that they also dictate what tier these channels must be in forcing those that don't want it to pay for it.

They are in effect requiring a certain carriage in addition to the ridiculous fees, which if you think about it is analogous to what HBO is attempting to do.

If this is the future of TV, despite what some have said about the negative impact of ala cart programming, it seems to be the only way to remedy these ever increasing costs. Let only those that are willing pay the fees for a channel and not the many that are forced to pay for something they may not want because the channel is included in a particular tier.