Did Anyone Notice?

[Scott Greczkowski]

Did anyone notice that DirecTV dropped Universal Sports (which replaced Versus) on October 1st?

I don't think anyone did as I have not seen any mentions of the channel being dropped online.

But overnight I did get an email from someone at Universal Sports asking for people to contact DirecTV to bring it back.

I have a feeling DirecTV won't be getting too many phone calls over that one.

 

[susanandmark]

Just because you don't like the channel, doesn't mean no one else did. There is a long thread (14 pages) on another forum with over 10,000 views of people who want Universal Sports re-added to DirecTV. And there are daily Twitter requests for the channel (search @DirecTV and @universalsports).

 

[stonecold]

Hell we dont get that many people calling in about versus.

I will easily say that we are averaging here 5 to 1 ratio on complaint calls for ever 5 people upset over espn classic moving to sports pack to 1 call about versus.

Why are there now Anti Directv versus commericals because not that many peopled complained. Yes we still do get complaints from time to time but silly espn classic way out does VS .

Universal sports is or I should saw was boring.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Its not that I dont like it, it just that we get it over the air here in Connecticut.

 

[stonecold]

I dont expect to see Universal Sports back just like I think now with Alt HD we are not going to see Versus back. It is sad but while I seen no emails or memos to that affect dtv public actions towards have been slim to none . Some how I dont know if this is not some huge standoff with comcast to see who blinks first.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I think Comcast will blink first.

Missing 13 million eyeballs will force them to lower their ad rates and they don't want to do that.

I still think it will be months before we see Versus back on DirecTV, and when it comes back it will unfortunately be religated to the Sports Package like ESPN Classic.

We got about 100 complaints about Versus when I was working selling DirecTV last week at the Big E multi state fair, but while that may seem like a lot remember this fair was in the heart of Boston Bruins Territory and the first game to be missed on Versus was the Bruins opener.

 

[jcrandall]

I would expect Versus back, but not until spring, prior to NHL playoffs.

I would not expect universal sports back unless it carries significant coverage for the Olympics this spring.

I could almost see ESPN Classic moving back some day, but not to see ESPN-U move, ESPN has pushed to have that channel moved to a traditional package on many carriers. Perhaps Classic could become an "xtra" channel someday. The value of the sports pack will continue to lessen, just not many good channels that will accept that kind of placement.\

That in mind, I hope Comcast caves on Versus, but not to being stuck in the sports pack. Stay in the "xtra" pack, at a more reasonable rate.

 

[jcrandall]

We did have some discussion of the dropping of Universal Sports starting back on the 2nd:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/186646-universal-sports-added-2.html#post1975995

 

[susanandmark]

You could drop any two or six or eight of the vast majority of channels DirecTV carries and "not get that many calls" ... that doesn't mean they're not worthwhile. I, personally, couldn't care about 80% of what is carried. And that's pretty normal. Most people only watch a very small percentage of the channels/programs offered. But it's the height of ego to assume that that channels YOU like are the only "important" ones. Granted, they may be the only ones important to YOU but as DirecTV claims to be the "sports leader" channels like Universal Sports, which offers LOTS of exclusive coverage of Olympic sports that can't be found elsewhere, and Versus, which has also exclusive, niche programming seem like a no brainer.

For us, Universal Sports is a make it or break it channel. If Dish offers it, we WILL switch.

You know, I would never, and will never, watch the BYU channel, but I know plenty of Mormons (outside Utah) who signed up for DirecTV just because the satellite provider carried it. I don't think it's worth MY time to get on a forum and complain about DirecTV carrying it just because I don't watch.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

You do realize you can watch Universal Sports live right now at Universal Sports ?

 

[susanandmark]

Actually, the online feed is NOT the same as the TV (not always) and we live in the country so we don't have great Internet speed available. It's slow DSL (1.5 to 2 MB ... on a great day), so watching TV online is pretty impossible for me ... Not that I even WANT to watch TV online. I want to watch TV on TV and, in the case of Universal Sports, I want to record it.

You do know, you can watch the NFL, NHL, MLB and just about any other sport online, right? So, does that make it OK if they're pulled off the air (TV-wise)? And you can watch a lot of the prime shows on Hulu, so it's OK if DirecTV drops the networks, right? Obviously, that's ridiculous, but it's the same theory.

And, PS, a LOT of people who have DirecTV, have it for the same reason we first got it ... Cable wasn't/isn't available in their area. That was DirecTV's first major market. So, I'm hardly the only one in this boat.

Again, just because a channel isn't important to you, doesn't mean it isn't important.

 

[Fiachra]

I think Comcast will blink first.

Missing 13 million eyeballs will force them to lower their ad rates and they don't want to do that.

I still think it will be months before we see Versus back on DirecTV, and when it comes back it will unfortunately be religated to the Sports Package like ESPN Classic.

We got about 100 complaints about Versus when I was working selling DirecTV last week at the Big E multi state fair, but while that may seem like a lot remember this fair was in the heart of Boston Bruins Territory and the first game to be missed on Versus was the Bruins opener.

I love the stand against Comcast. Love it I say. Comcast's high and mighty 'you have no other choice' tactics are what pushed me to satellite in the first place. Thanks Comcast!

 

[sportsfan42]

Didn't know Universal Sports was gone, dropped my Sports Pack the other day and really didn't lose that much, still get SEC, BIG 10, CBS College, and of course the U, didn't check about Univ Sports besides I really don't care about synchronize swimming or dancing during the olympics but handball was cool.

 

[stonecold]

Universal sports I dont see as a long term channel. It plays the same olympic cover over and over again. Honestly I be surprised if it not on anything more then temporarly during big events like the olympics for additonal coverage.

And no I can compare channel loses as we moved 1 channel out of people's packages and espn classic move has been a top call trend all month of september. ( which is amazing considering it competing with nfl st calls )

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I love the stand against Comcast. Love it I say. Comcast's high and mighty 'you have no other choice' tactics are what pushed me to satellite in the first place. Thanks Comcast!

Yeah I know thats what worries me when there is talk that they are looking to buy NBC Universal.

 

[Mike0616]

You could drop any two or six or eight of the vast majority of channels DirecTV carries and "not get that many calls" ... that doesn't mean they're not worthwhile. I, personally, couldn't care about 80% of what is carried. And that's pretty normal. Most people only watch a very small percentage of the channels/programs offered. But it's the height of ego to assume that that channels YOU like are the only "important" ones. Granted, they may be the only ones important to YOU but as DirecTV claims to be the "sports leader" channels like Universal Sports, which offers LOTS of exclusive coverage of Olympic sports that can't be found elsewhere, and Versus, which has also exclusive, niche programming seem like a no brainer.

For us, Universal Sports is a make it or break it channel. If Dish offers it, we WILL switch.

You know, I would never, and will never, watch the BYU channel, but I know plenty of Mormons (outside Utah) who signed up for DirecTV just because the satellite provider carried it. I don't think it's worth MY time to get on a forum and complain about DirecTV carrying it just because I don't watch.

Goodbye and good luck!

Why not, in the meantime, harass your local NBC station about picking it up and investing in a high-quality OTA antenna?

 

[susanandmark]

Goodbye and good luck!

Why not, in the meantime, harass your local NBC station about picking it up and investing in a high-quality OTA antenna?

Because we live in a so-called "white area," more than 65 miles from our "locals" so we couldn't get a signal even with our own tower.

 

[Juan]

Hell we dont get that many people calling in about versus.

I will easily say that we are averaging here 5 to 1 ratio on complaint calls for ever 5 people upset over espn classic moving to sports pack to 1 call about versus.

Why are there now Anti Directv versus commericals because not that many peopled complained. Yes we still do get complaints from time to time but silly espn classic way out does VS .

Universal sports is or I should saw was boring.

Now that Hockey has started the calls should start (Why else would D* offer to carry it on a temporary basis)

 

[pro96]

it just that we get it over the air here in Connecticut.

I think most markets do aswell.. like here in L.A it's on 4-4 OTA.. boring channel indeed. No biggie to lose it on DTV

 

[Fiachra]

Yeah I know thats what worries me when there is talk that they are looking to buy NBC Universal.

That is a major concern. It should not be allowed.