Dish HD vs Disney (DISH sort of won...)

[The Fat Man]

Sports should be like Premium Movie channel packs. You should be able to add them if you want to pay extra for them.

As long as it is choose each one individually or by owning company. Not $20 for all sports nets. I'd pay for NESN, and CSN New England. I'd pay NBC Sports, but not ESPN. I'd pay for the NHL and NFL Networks, but not MLB and NBA. So, I would want true picking. Not, here's the sports pack at $X. Why? I enjoy all hockey and football. But I have no use for MLB and NBA teams outside the Red Sox and Celtics.

 

[Yespage]

I don't think people understand really how this works. A very good example is the resent TW, NFL network dispute. I am not sure how it ended up but this is how it works. Most people feel that if a group of channels is in a tier, and not al carte. it is better.

??? Tiers are what make things so complicated.

But the company wants to be on the basic tier. NFL network wants say .35 cents per month for every sub that Time Warner has. 10 million Just throwing that out there. Not .65 cents per month to be in a sports Pak. Which anybody can opt out of. And only 2 million want.

What channels want is assured money. They want the most people to pay in the most money.

The main reason al carte is so had to get is that is not were any "channel" wants to be. There is no money in it for them, or should I say not enough.

Well, there is money but it requires them to have to fight to keep viewers... ie actual viewers, not people who have to subscribe to them to get some completely unrelated channel... ie paying for NBC Sports because you actually wanted the Science Channel.

 

[NotMe546]

That chart was from 2009 and the prices have increased over the years. Heres a link that shows what the average price for ESPN was in 2012. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/dish-network-takes-espn-trial-001418894.html It says $5.15 per sub.

Wow and they didn't even kiss me.....

 

[Bobby]

A Dog Day Afternoon moment!

 

[jaredbo]

The trial begins! http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dish-network-disneys-espn-go-to-court-2013-02-11

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/02/11/dish-network-disneys-espn-go-to-court/

Has anyone heard how the last 2 days of the trial has went?? What evidence has been presented??

 

[mikfort51]

The reason they can charge more is because that's what people watch

Hate Paying for Cable? Here’s Why.

View attachment 85308

Wow look at the difference in price. So who subsidizing who......
This from 2010 and I am sure ESPN went up since then and that's for one ESPN.

You’ll find this particularly upsetting if you don’t watch sports. Because sports channels account for about 40 percent of cable fees.

 

[dare2be]

The reason they can charge more is because that's what people watch

Really now?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/114887079/All-Cable-Ranker-Nov-12
http://www.scribd.com/doc/108846968/3Q-12-All-Cable

The ratings don't support the overcharging.

Do people just enjoy talking out their .....?

 

[MikeD-C05]

Just like those without kids shouldn't be forced to have Nick and Disney channels, and those that don't like chick flicks shouldn't be forced to carry Lifetime. I do realize that the sports channels are the most expensive, but if you can drop them and save $10 a month, then shouldn't I have the choice of dropping some of the channels that I don't care for, and be able to save $5 a month. (Starting to sound like Ala Carte?)

I think that the correct way to keep bundling some programming and still save $$$ is to allow Theme packs. Sports packs,Premium Sports packs, Women's Interest packs, Kid channels pack,news packs, Variety packs, Movie packs, Premium Movie packs -Hbo/showtime/starz/cinemax . You start with your locals and it would come with the shopping channels, religious channels, public interest channels, like for $10.00. Then you would add the theme packs you want or don't want in order to save money. This would still use most of the current system without any one pack being isolated away to die. There will always be someone that wants kid programming and women's programming like the Lifetime(battered b*tch channel). There would always be someone that wants sports or sub to Premium Sports packs. This gives you the best of ala cart and the best of bundling too. It would at least be a transition from the pure system we have today, that gives you now way out to save money,other than downgrade to the lowest packs like Welcome or Family packs.

 

[CK SatGuy]

I think a la carte and theme packs would only work if there are good options available and the pricing is right. For example, take a look at Bell's Fibe TV options for Quebec, Canada. http://fibetv.bell.ca/global/resources/pdf/fibe-tv-qc-en.pdf?v=20130212
If any provider here in America would be willing to switch to that model like Bell has over there, I would go for it myself.

 

[reddice]

Even if we lose Disney and ESPN I don't care because I barely watch Disney in SD so if it comes back it better come back in HD especially for the kids. Nick Jr is no longer a kids friendly network. Nick isn't at night. Except for Nicktoons which does not even have a HD channel Disney/Disney XD/Disney Jr. are true 24/7 kids network day or night you don't have to worry about seeing anything that the kids should not be watching.

 

[Yespage]

I think a la carte and theme packs would only work if there are good options available and the pricing is right. For example, take a look at Bell's Fibe TV options for Quebec, Canada. http://fibetv.bell.ca/global/resources/pdf/fibe-tv-qc-en.pdf?v=20130212
If any provider here in America would be willing to switch to that model like Bell has over there, I would go for it myself.

In a globbing second! I'd be willing to pay more for less than they are offering! Gosh I hate this country sometimes. But I have to remind myself, corporations are more important than people. Blessed is the stockholder.

 

[dare2be]

Corporations ARE people. And they hold all the cards.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Corporations ARE people. And they hold all the cards.

That's what Mitt thought..............

 

[Voyager6]

Has anyone heard how the last 2 days of the trial has went?? What evidence has been presented??

I found this report. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/dish-network-espn-trial-begins-420789

This week, a New York courtroom is the scene of a potentially revealing look at how carriage deals are made in the TV industry.

On Monday, a jury heard opening arguments in Dish Network's lawsuit against ESPN for allegedly breaching the terms of a licensing agreement. The satellite company is claiming more than $150 million in damages emanating from the Disney-owned sports division's deals with other pay-TV distributors like Comcast, DirecTV and TIme Warner Cable.
At the trial, Barry Ostrager, a lawyer for Dish Network, gave an overview of what Dish is alleging.
"In violation of this most-favored nation provision, ESPN provided more favorable terms to Dish's competitors and made the calculated decision not to offer those terms to Dish," said Ostrager, a partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

 

[Scherrman]

I think that the correct way to keep bundling some programming and still save $$$ is to allow Theme packs. Sports packs,Premium Sports packs, Women's Interest packs, Kid channels pack,news packs, Variety packs, Movie packs, Premium Movie packs -Hbo/showtime/starz/cinemax . You start with your locals and it would come with the shopping channels, religious channels, public interest channels, like for $10.00. Then you would add the theme packs you want or don't want in order to save money. This would still use most of the current system without any one pack being isolated away to die. There will always be someone that wants kid programming and women's programming like the Lifetime(battered b*tch channel). There would always be someone that wants sports or sub to Premium Sports packs. This gives you the best of ala cart and the best of bundling too. It would at least be a transition from the pure system we have today, that gives you now way out to save money,other than downgrade to the lowest packs like Welcome or Family packs.

That idea sounds nice and could be great for some people but there are plenty of people that like to watch a little bit of everything(like myself) and it gets to be very expensive then. Just take a look at the business pricing for Dish, they have it set up the exact way you are talking about. What kills you is they will split channels into different groups like kids 1, kids 2, entertainment 1 and entertainment 2. You'll have one channel you like in one group and another channel in a different group. There will be the same type of complaining where people wonder why their favorite channels can't just be in one package.

 

[dare2be]

"Watch a little of everything"...is where my idea for metered usage tiers comes in handy.

 

[budda]

That's what Mitt thought..............

Not true it's still Bush's fault. lol

 

[HDRoberts]

The reason they can charge more is because that's what people watch

*Citation Needed*

But here is evidence the other way:
Past 3 weeks, only ONE sports program landed in the top 25 in cable ratings
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...-for-the-week-ending-february-10-2013/169162/
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...p-for-the-week-ending-february-3-2013/167894/
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...p-for-the-week-ending-january-27-2013/167117/

 

[HDRoberts]

I get why people who do not care for sports get all pissy on here about their Dish bills. I don't like having to pay for stuff I don't care for either. What about all the customers out there who want to have a variety of channels? We have plenty of customers who want the general popular channels and still want to be able to watch some sports but do not want to pay for an expensive ad-on. The way packages are now, a customer like that can get almost everything they want for one affordable cost. The only way to get a little bit of everything is to have it bundled.

And no one is arguing that bundles shouldn't be available for a value better value for those that want a variety.

But for people like me that want less than $10 worth of channels and has to pay 7+ times that (granted, a reasonable multiplier is needed, but 7 is too high), getting rid of the priciest channels I don't watch are a good start. We are asking for more choice, not less.

In any event, as HSI becomes more ubiquitous and cord-cutting becomes more common, sports will have it's comeuppance. We just want it sooner.

 

[MikeD-C05]

That idea sounds nice and could be great for some people but there are plenty of people that like to watch a little bit of everything(like myself) and it gets to be very expensive then. Just take a look at the business pricing for Dish, they have it set up the exact way you are talking about. What kills you is they will split channels into different groups like kids 1, kids 2, entertainment 1 and entertainment 2. You'll have one channel you like in one group and another channel in a different group. There will be the same type of complaining where people wonder why their favorite channels can't just be in one package.

To counter that you could still have traditional bundling as it exists today. You would have the option of either traditional bundling or theme pack ala carte additions. In the end it would still allow you to choose which one you want to go with or the lesser of two evils.