Dish isn't the only one having trouble w/ ESPN.

DISH needs to excise the sports channels including the RSN and ESPN sports channels and make them attractive to those of us that still want HD.
I disagree on the RSN. A lot of the RSN programming is local to the DMA (high school sports, regional college sports, locally produced specials). It is almost like a local channel in that regard. Almost every local cable system in the US has the RSN in their most basic of packages, or close to the bottom. The fact that the Sports Pack which includes dozens of RSNs, and the major sports network channels (NHL, MLB, NFL Network) is only $7 tells that an individual RSN's cost is a very small fraction of that.
 
The reason atheletes are getting paid so much is also because of how popular sports have become. If you want atheletes and owners to make less then stop going to games and stop watching sports all together. If no one ever cared to watch sports then there wouldn't be any. What is happeing though is that sports is getting bigger and bigger every year. There are more channels covering more sports and people are willing to pay for it. As long as people want it and keep asking for it, you're going to keep seeing it.

I myself love watching sports. It's on my TV more than anything else. My wife also loves watching sports. All of my friends love it too and we get together just to watch and have fun. Bars are able to stay open because they offer sports on TV. The average person is what made sports what it is today. If we didn't care that much for it then it wouldn't be on TV.
 
I have no problem with sports, if you are a sports fan you should be able to get your sports channels, but I dont think as a non sports watcher I should be forced to pay for the sports channels I don't watch.

I like movies and don't make you pay for my HBO. :)

See that argument there? And the sad part is there is no correct answer. If COX creates a no ESPN Tier then ESPN is losing revenue which means ESPN will have to charge more for the channel because of the lost revenue. Its a vicious circle. :)
 
I have no problem with sports, if you are a sports fan you should be able to get your sports channels, but I dont think as a non sports watcher I should be forced to pay for the sports channels I don't watch.

I like movies and don't make you pay for my HBO. :)

See that argument there? And the sad part is there is no correct answer. If COX creates a no ESPN Tier then ESPN is losing revenue which means ESPN will have to charge more for the channel because of the lost revenue. Its a vicious circle. :)

+1
 
I do agree that not everyone wants to watch sports, but by the same token, I don't want to watch Oprah, lifetime, religious, spanish, shopping, tvland, food network, etc..... I know that they don't charge as much as ESPN, but if you add all of them up, it starts getting costly.

Why should you have to pay for ESPN if you don't watch sports?, Why should I have to pay for Nickelodeon, cartoon network, ABC family if I don't have kids?

If you are going to make a non sports package, then how about making a guy package. Give me my N.Y. RSN's , ESPN, NFL, MLB, NHL, and you can keep 75% of the other channels. Setup some base packages, and then let us choose extra channels for what they cost. I know some channels won't survive, but why should I have pay for them if I don't watch them? If they don't have much of a following, then why are they even on?

Amen! Well stated!:up
 
I disagree on the RSN. A lot of the RSN programming is local to the DMA (high school sports, regional college sports, locally produced specials). It is almost like a local channel in that regard. Almost every local cable system in the US has the RSN in their most basic of packages, or close to the bottom. The fact that the Sports Pack which includes dozens of RSNs, and the major sports network channels (NHL, MLB, NFL Network) is only $7 tells that an individual RSN's cost is a very small fraction of that.

You're paying for a stripped down version of the RSN's in the multisport pack, as all the professional sports are blacked out and the real cost of the RSN is bundled into your base package.
 
I know here in Minneapolis Crapcast has a "Digital Economy" that removes the sports channels and the Viacom channels (MTV, VH1, Nick etc)
 
If you are going to make a non sports package, then how about making a guy package. Give me my N.Y. RSN's , ESPN, NFL, MLB, NHL, and you can keep 75% of the other channels. Setup some base packages, and then let us choose extra channels for what they cost. I know some channels won't survive, but why should I have pay for them if I don't watch them? If they don't have much of a following, then why are they even on?

Ferris Bueller you're my hero :)
Give me the sports networks, History, USA, ScyFy, A&E and Tru TV and I'd be set
Hell with Hallmark, Oprah, all the news channels, the kids channels, TLC, Food, HGTV and crap like that

yeah I know......alacarte horse beat dead now ;)
 
Got this from Morning Bridge. Maybe ESPN is about to get a rude awakening.
Last month, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said the rising costs of ESPN is a "tax on every American household." A few short weeks later, news has leaked that Cox is set to launch an economy subscription package without the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" giving pay-TV customers a choice on the four-letter sports net 'surcharge.'

According to company communication, Cox is launching its TV Economy package for $35 per month at the end of January. The package includes all of the channels in its "starter" package, plus a handful of national cable nets not named ESPN.

The news comes from a letter written by Cox Government Affairs Manager Barrett Stork to a county administrator in Williamsburg, Virginia. The document is Stork notifying the company's local franchise authority in the area that it will offer the limited package at $34.99 per month, which includes the rental fee for one standard def STB. (CableCARD customers will pay $31/month.)

As part of the tier's "expanded" line-up, Cox is offering AMC, BET, Cartoon Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney, E!, Food Network, Fox News, History Channel, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, TruTV, TV Land, USA and the Weather Channel. Not only is ESPN notably absent from the line-up, but there is no sports-related equivalent to take its place.

To be clear, Cox did start notifying local authorities late last year that it would roll out the new reduced package. The company said the TV Economy tier was at first a trial run in select markets but now is a "permanent" product among its service packages.

:D:D:D:D:D


Comcast has had an "economy package" without ESPN, for over 6-9 months now. It's usually $19.99 when on promo. They run ads all the time.
 
Comcast has had an "economy package" without ESPN, for over 6-9 months now. It's usually $19.99 when on promo. They run ads all the time.

there you go. an answer to the sports haters prayer. wonder how many will actually take advantage of what they say they want.
 
The problem with these economy packages so far is they are all in SD. If you want HD you still have to go with a regular package. Right now with football over, I would have no problem switching to the Welcome pack or dish family if they were available in HD or at least in widescreen SD resolution.
 
According to this article from Broadcasting & Cable TV viewers have other things on their want list besides more sports.


Which channels are providers most interested in adding?
Hallmark Movie Channel, Smithsonian Channel, MTV Hits, BBC World News, Crime & Investigation and Cloo are the emerging cable networks most sought after by providers, Beta Research has found. Among midsize networks, Fox Business Network, NFL Network, National Geographic Wild, PBS Kids Sprout and Cooking Channel are piquing providers' interest the most, according to the research. Broadcasting & Cable (1/24)
 
If there were non-sports packages I would sign up as soon as I could. The only sports I ever watch is during the Olympics. Now those people are real athletes as far as I'm concerned. Most have to work a job other than the sport they participate in. Whereas football, basketball, baseball and the other Pro sports live completely off those that purchase the tickets and watch the commercials. They should only be able to charge for the channels if they don't have commercials. They should be in premium packages only just like the movie channels. :rant: Off the soap box now. :D
 
The problem with these economy packages so far is they are all in SD. If you want HD you still have to go with a regular package. Right now with football over, I would have no problem switching to the Welcome pack or dish family if they were available in HD or at least in widescreen SD resolution.
Switch to Latino Dos, only ESPN Deportes, not ESPN or ESPN2. $45 a month. Latino Plus or Clasico may work too, for a lower price. Same English channels... just with some spanish channels tossed in.
 
So these no sports packages might have little to no HD, and would also drop a few channels that I want to watch. Hardly a good choice. I'm all for putting sports out like HBO, but I'm sure I'll die without seeing it happen. Probably never happen, but that's only because they can get away with it.

Come ze revolution, I'll fix it all!
 
I got to be honest, if DISH offered a non sports package, I probably WOULD NOT subscribe to it, even though I do not watch sports. As there are times when I have friends / family over and then we watch sports. I would want to have the channels available for those times.
 
remember charlies earnings call where he said 70-80 percent of his viewers do not watch the sports channels but 50 percent of the programming cost is sports, and they have thought about dropping sports to control costs and gain non-sports viewers with lower package costs (but are afraid to do it).
 
I don't think that is quite the case. ESPN is costing more because they overbid for MNF. They didn't have to get MNF. The network figured they could afford the high bid by passing on the price to the consumer.
They kinda did have to get MNF, and MLB, and NBA, and BCS bowl games, etc.; to remain relevant. Look at all of the major professional and collegiate sports that they carry....
 

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