Cry baby ESPN anytime they never get their way..
http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/27/espn-verizon-custom-tv-lawsuit/
http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/27/espn-verizon-custom-tv-lawsuit/
ESPN sues Verizon over customizable FiOS TV plans
- Thread starter Poke
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Well, IF Verizon is violating the terms of their contract with ESPN, then ESPN is within their rights to sue. I don't agree with the way that Disney forces ESPN on everyone, but Verizon should be held accountable for their contract agreements.
I see this as the beginning of the death of ESPN. They rely on every single TV subscriber paying for ESPN to be able to pay the incredible fees for sports rights that they pay. I see it as a downward spiral. If people are allowed to NOT get ESPN, then ESPN will have to charge higher fees to those who want sports programming. As the fees go up, fewer people will keep ESPN. As fewer people subscribe to ESPN, the fees will have to go even higher. The sports bubble is going to burst, and this might be one of the beginning factors.
As much as don't care for ESPN, I have to agree with ESPN here. The contract spells out how the channel can be packaged and what channels it has to be packaged with. Verizon is violating that contract.
Although one can only hope Verizon wins as that would change television as the way we know it.
Although one can only hope Verizon wins as that would change television as the way we know it.
It would also change contract law as we know it. I see no way that Verizon could win this.
They will have to negotiate it in the next round.
It is not them not getting their way really. It is Verizon seemingly not abiding by the terms of the contract that they signed.
From everything I have read, ESPN is in the right here.
Either one could be right, it's all just a guess as to whom is right, unless ESPN/Disney wants to make that contract public. Verizon obviously thinks there is something in the contract language that lets them offer the new lineup.
We need the other cable operators to follow suit. Once the dominos start to fall the sports networks will have no choice but to renegotiate at lower rates. The carriers need to grow a pair and not agree to these obscene fees.
Problem with that is, all these contracts would expire at different times, so getting them to ban together would be difficult.
I saw somewhere that the Yes Network has a clause that if they lower the rate for one they have to redo all the other contracts. I wonder if ESPN has a similar clause.
