Dish and DirecTV once again in talks despite antitrust.

[Tar Heel]

This is the only hope of Dish subscribers ever again having access to regional sports networks.

 

[navychop]

Aw shucks!

RSNs don’t seem to be so important anymore to remaining subscribers. If I were forced to pay for an RSN, when I don’t watch sports, I would be discouraged from renewing Dish.

 

[SamCdbs]

Exactly. The two customer bases are totally different. Every discussion comes down to something like being “forced to pay” and other such language, versus a desire for robust content.

I have no interest in DISH at all. 90% of it is just things I can get the same or similar for free OTA, as a toss in on the big streamers, or on a free service like Pluto or Stirr. It is missing all the content I want to pay for. Why would I pay for something missing so much robust content, and likely to lose more and more content as the years roll on? I have good internet and reasonable OTA.

 

[NashGuy]

Aw shucks!

RSNs don’t seem to be so important anymore to remaining subscribers. If I were forced to pay for an RSN, when I don’t watch sports, I would be discouraged from renewing Dish.

It's looking pretty likely that the Bally Sports RSNs will become available, either this year or early next, as a standalone streaming service. Rumored price is around $23/mo. Whether DISH merges with DTV or not, I would expect them to welcome those RSNs back so long as DISH can sell them a la carte, as optional add-ons to one's base package. I don't see DISH ever taking them back as something that must be bundled into a main base package.

 

[NashGuy]

I have no interest in DISH at all. 90% of it is just things I can get the same or similar for free OTA, as a toss in on the big streamers, or on a free service like Pluto or Stirr. It is missing all the content I want to pay for. Why would I pay for something missing so much robust content, and likely to lose more and more content as the years roll on?

Just curious, now that DISH has HBO and Cinemax back, which channels is DISH missing for you other than those Bally Sports RSNs (which as I explained above, I suspect will return eventually as optional add-ons)?

 

[Juan]

I suspect that directv is about to drop the sunday ticket..and a huge subscriber collapse is about to happen

 

[Bruce]

It's looking pretty likely that the Bally Sports RSNs will become available, either this year or early next, as a standalone streaming service. Rumored price is around $23/mo. Whether DISH merges with DTV or not, I would expect them to welcome those RSNs back so long as DISH can sell them a la carte, as optional add-ons to one's base package. I don't see DISH ever taking them back as something that must be bundled into a main base package.

I doubt that would happen, if they let Dish do that, then other providers will want the same deal.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I don't see Charlie covering 20 percent of the country by summer of this year with his 5g signal and then 70 percent by summer of 2023. Especially since he as yet hasn't covered even one city yet. Charlie already got an extension from the FCC last deadline he was supposed to create a 5g network. I'm not sure that buying Directv will do anything for him in the long run. At this rate buying another satellite company will be like re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic as it sinks to the bottom of the sea. Satellite tv is dying and I don't forsee it lasting to the next decade. Especially if they get affordable broadband that covers the entire country in the next few years, which the Infrastructure law just passed recently was supposed to do.

 

[NashGuy]

I doubt that would happen, if they let Dish do that, then other providers will want the same deal.

Yep, they will. But if Sinclair doesn't allow MVPDs to offer their RSNs a la carte, I suspect the MVPDs will opt to just drop them completely, knowing that those customers who really want them would be able to just pick them back up as a la carte streaming services. I guess Sinclair would try to tie carriage of the RSNs with their locals but I'm not sure that would work. I mean, DISH and YouTube TV have already ditched the RSNs while keeping Sinclair's locals.

I just think that once Sinclair launches their RSNs as a standalone DTC option, they're effectively conceding that they're no longer going to be part of the core channel bundle. So as their existing carriage contracts expire with various MVPDs, you'll probably see their RSNs move out of the main package and become available a la carte.

 

[Bruce]

I just think that once Sinclair launches their RSNs as a standalone DTC option, they're effectively conceding that they're no longer going to be part of the core channel bundle. So as their existing carriage contracts expire with various MVPDs, you'll probably see their RSNs move out of the main package and become available a la carte.

A lot of money to give up, both on Sinclair’s side and the Providers.

For example, Comcast has 20 million video subs, the majority get the RSN, Sinclair would no longer get the per sub fee from the RSN ( and the majority of Comcast’s subs get a RSN from Sinclair based on all the areas Comcast is in) and Comcast losses out on that surcharge which they have to be making some money on.

And Sinclair cannot be serious that people will pay $23 a month, heck, ESPN+ is only $7 a month and only have 17 million subs while Disney+ has about 100 million in the US.

That show sports are just not that important to most and that price will scare away the fringe customers.

 

[Bruce]

I don't see Charlie covering 20 percent of the country by summer of this year with his 5g signal and then 70 percent by summer of 2023. Especially since he as yet hasn't covered even one city yet. Charlie already got an extension from the FCC last deadline he was supposed to create a 5g network. I'm not sure that buying Directv will do anything for him in the long run. At this rate buying another satellite company will be like re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic as it sinks to the bottom of the sea. Satellite tv is dying and I don't forsee it lasting to the next decade. Especially if they get affordable broadband that covers the entire country in the next few years, which the Infrastructure law just passed recently was supposed to do.

A story about what you just posted-

Dish officially gets more time to build out its licenses — and only 5G will do - RCR Wireless News

Dish Network officially has until mid-2023 to meet build-out requirements for its low-band spectrum licenses and must use them for 5G.

www.rcrwireless.com

The company faces financial penalties of up to $2.2 billion and license forfeitures if it doesn’t meet the new deadlines, starting with the potential for a $200 million penalty if it doesn’t meet its June 2022 commitments. Dish suggested the penalties itself, as part of the build-out metrics it laid out and the FCC incorporated them into the conditions of granting the license changes.

 

[SamCdbs]

Just curious, now that DISH has HBO and Cinemax back, which channels is DISH missing for you other than those Bally Sports RSNs (which as I explained above, I suspect will return eventually as optional add-ons)?

Of course, “back” is a key word, now isn’t it? You really never know what “dispute” will be going on, local or national, when every other provider figures it out.

But leaving that aside, other than the Pac 12 network, DirecTV gives me what I want. DISH is just a bunch of stuff I can get for free OTA, on services like Paramount Plus, Peacock, Hulu, HBO Max, and Netflix; and rerun channels that are either also free OTA, or have very similar versions on Pluto, et al.

If a person has good internet, why would they pay for this?

Which is the DISH market right now. People with out good internet and people trying to save a few $$ and will swear that the “really” don’t miss all that content.

That may be, probably is, a viable market to target. Its just not me.

I want access to luxury TV. All the content.

 

[mwdxer1]

A possible merger is an old, oft heard story, I'll believe it when I see it. But there are a couple of things of note.

First, if TPG is so desperate to get it's investment back after such a short period of time maybe it shouldn't have invested in a failing enterprise, allowing the people who mismanaged it to continue to manage it, in the first place. Glad I don't have any money in TPG, their incompetence is showing. It certainly appears they're trying to bail out of a bad investment.

Second, the FAA is concerned that 5G antennas around airports might interfere with airplanes? Seems to me that was a concern voiced by critics way back when 5G was first being pushed so now, after the rollout has begun, now the FAA is showing concern? Seriously? Sounds like somebody wasn't paying attention and didn't do their homework. Can you imagine coming to depend on 5G but having a dead zone within miles of every airport in the country including approaches?

If this is truly a merger, then whatever. I agree that the government would look long and hard at it, as there are still, and IMHO, always will be, places where the only TV providers are DBS and a crappy cable company.

The last deal was really a merger in name only. It was DISH buying DirecTV. As the two have totally different customer bases in mind and thus totally different marketing plans, any takeover of one by the other would be foolish.

I certainly have no desire to pay for DISH. Why would I?

The merge has a better chance now than it did years ago. Without it, there is a good change both companies may be gone in 5-10 years. This way, they may hold on longer. As soon as high speed internet covers the whole country in some form, satellite TV will probably drop subs left and right. I have friends who have Direct & Dish and they spend more time streaming. Mine is at about 50/50 these days.

 

[mwdxer1]

Exactly. The two customer bases are totally different. Every discussion comes down to something like being “forced to pay” and other such language, versus a desire for robust content.

I have no interest in DISH at all. 90% of it is just things I can get the same or similar for free OTA, as a toss in on the big streamers, or on a free service like Pluto or Stirr. It is missing all the content I want to pay for. Why would I pay for something missing so much robust content, and likely to lose more and more content as the years roll on? I have good internet and reasonable OTA.

Everything I want so far is not available streaming. I have the Super Stations and movie packs. Plus to get a lot of it on demand, I have to keep Dish, or pay separately. Right now, having Dish is fine, but the future things will change. More and more programming is now available streaming.

 

[navychop]

Dish should be given AT LEAST a two year extension. Not only for COVID, but for delays in 5G equipment availability.

 

[Bruce]

Dish should be given AT LEAST a two year extension. Not only for COVID, but for delays in 5G equipment availability.

If they get another extension, by that time we will be talking about 6G

 

[Juan]

If they get another extension, by that time we will be talking about 6G

Thats probably his plan..6g is what 5g was supposed to be

6G - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Darrell S]

If they get another extension, by that time we will be talking about 6G

Charlie will just decide 5G is too expensive and drop it. Introducing 4G flex pack for only 15 bucks.

 

[NYDutch]

Second, the FAA is concerned that 5G antennas around airports might interfere with airplanes? Seems to me that was a concern voiced by critics way back when 5G was first being pushed so now, after the rollout has begun, now the FAA is showing concern? Seriously? Sounds like somebody wasn't paying attention and didn't do their homework. Can you imagine coming to depend on 5G but having a dead zone within miles of every airport in the country including approaches?

The concern is not with 5G in general, just the newly reallocated "C-band" frequencies that are close to the frequencies used by aircraft for landings. The reallocated frequencies are roughly in the 3.7 to 4.2 Ghz spectrum while the radio altimeters used by aircraft when landing use the 4.2 to 4.4 Ghz spectrum. Not to make light of the situation, but it's a common flight training saying that, "Take-offs are optional, landings are mandatory.", making any interference with the instrumentation a very serious issue. I have no idea how big or little the problem may actually be though.

 

[navychop]

Gallium Nitride. Nice $tuff.

Silence on implementation and penetration.

“To DREAM, the ……….”