Dish Network Statement on MLB

[Tom Bombadil]

As E* opts out of another major sports package, there is a fair chance that they will eventually opt out of nearly all sports packages. For each time they drop one, they lose more of their sports-oriented subs. Then the next time a package price goes up, it will make less sense for E* to pay it because their subscriber base has fewer sports fans.

At this point if fans are really big on the NFL, on the NCAA March Madness, and now MLB, then they probably aren't with E*, or will shortly not be with E* any longer.

Given baseball's low TV ratings, if they can put together a package that E* can't afford, then just about every sport is a possibility. What's next? The NBA? College football? Conference networks, like the upcoming B10 network? NASCAR?

In every case E* will have a less attractive deal than D*, because D* has a higher percentage of sports fans in their subscriber base.

 

[pdxsam]

You have to know the next deal on the radar for exclusivity is the NBA package. I bet this time DirecTv goes for satellite exclusive rather than complete exclusivity because of the backlash with the baseball package.

Your point is well taken and has been crystallized this year. If you're an out of market sports fan Dish will not be your destination for much longer.

 

[stuckingoo]

As E* opts out of another major sports package, there is a fair chance that they will eventually opt out of nearly all sports packages. For each time they drop one, they lose more of their sports-oriented subs. Then the next time a package price goes up, it will make less sense for E* to pay it because their subscriber base has fewer sports fans.

At this point if fans are really big on the NFL, on the NCAA March Madness, and now MLB, then they probably aren't with E*, or will shortly not be with E* any longer.

Given baseball's low TV ratings, if they can put together a package that E* can't afford, then just about every sport is a possibility. What's next? The NBA? College football? Conference networks, like the upcoming B10 network? NASCAR?

In every case E* will have a less attractive deal than D*, because D* has a higher percentage of sports fans in their subscriber base.

Agreed. I'll add that people who don't care about sports might start to care more when some of the subscription base switches over to DirecTV. Smaller subscriber base, less $$$$ to spend on programming for Dish. Do you want to commit to a carrier that is competitively weak when it comes to sports? What does Dish offer that DirecTV does that is of value? Nothing IMO. Cooking in HD? Kung Fu movies in HD. Yeah, wonderful.

The HD RSNs so far are a joke. Ever since they have gone live there has been virtually *nothing* in the channel guide. Last nite there was a game on FoxSW but it was not carried on the HD channel because I am sure the local Fox affiliate doesn't have HD cameras/resources to broadcast it. In fact, there has been nothing at all broadcast on that channel.

 

[mdonnelly]

Gotta admit that the FSN SW HD schedule is pretty bleak for baseball. But FSN has national broadcast rights for the Big-12 and the PAC-10, and there are a lot of games that don't make it to ABC that I'd like to see in HD. This is what they had for college football last year.

	2006 COLLEGE HD SCHEDULE 	
  	 	 
DAY
	MATCH UP	TIME
September 2 	Pac-10 College Football: Utah at UCLA 	4:00 p.m.
September 9 	Big 12 Football: Ole Miss at Missouri	9:30 a.m.
September 16 	Pac-10 Football Stanford vs. Navy	7:00 pm
September 23 	Big 12 Football: Louisville at Kansas State
	9 a.m.
September 30 	Pac-10 Football: Stanford at UCLA	7 p.m.

	 	
October 7 	Pac-10 Football: Washington @ USC
	12:30pm
October 14 	Big 12 Football Iowa St. at Oklahoma
	9:30am
October 21 	Pac-10 Football Washington at Cal
	12:30pm
October 28 	Pac-10 Football: USC @ Oregon State	12:30pm

	 	
November 4 	Pac-10 Football: USC at Stanford	4pm
November 11 	Pac-10 Football: Oregon @ USC
	7 p.m.
November 18 	Big 12 Football: Oklahoma @ Baylor
	9 a.m.
November 25 	Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State	11:30 a.m.

	 	
December 2 	Pac-10 Football: Stanford @ CAL	12:00 p.m.

 

[Sammy033]

You have to know the next deal on the radar for exclusivity is the NBA package. I bet this time DirecTv goes for satellite exclusive rather than complete exclusivity because of the backlash with the baseball package..

Assuming they would even think about doing it, what if 4 or 5 of the major HD networks coming out this year chose to explore exclusive deals with E* on the satellite side? If MLB they could do it so could others, if the price was right. As a business opportunity it would probably be much more profitable to spend the millions on those instead of baseball. Put another way... now that E* has this $700 million that D* has committed elsewhere, they have the money to go for it.

 

[stuckingoo]

Assuming they would even think about doing it, what if 4 or 5 of the major HD networks coming out this year chose to explore exclusive deals with E* on the satellite side? If MLB they could do it so could others, if the price was right. As a business opportunity it would probably be much more profitable to spend the millions on those instead of baseball. Put another way... now that E* has this $700 million that D* has committed elsewhere, they have the money to go for it.

E* didn't make the deal for EI because their subscription base couldn't justify it. Want to take a guess on the subscription base for the other major sports?

 

[mdonnelly]

E* didn't make the deal for EI because their subscription base couldn't justify it. Want to take a guess on the subscription base for the other major sports?

Who said sports? E* has a pretty good HD base.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Maybe if Dish does cut out all premium sports subscriptions they can focus on the most hd channels, with the best picture quality for both hd and sd channels.

 

[stuckingoo]

Who said sports? E* has a pretty good HD base.

Sorry, misunderstood you.

I don't think there will be a market for more HD specific channels. Isn't that what Voom is all about?

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Assuming they would even think about doing it, what if 4 or 5 of the major HD networks coming out this year chose to explore exclusive deals with E* on the satellite side?

What did you have in mind?

It is hard to imagine that it would be more profitable for a premium channel like HBO to go exclusive, as they have so many subs via every provider.

Likewise for channels like National Geographic or Discovery.

I can't think of other non-sports content that would command a high price for exclusivity. Except maybe HD porn channels.

Right now E* has an exclusive on VOOM, and near exclusives on FOOD and HGTV HD.

But if D* does what they've announced they are going to do, then I suspect the only advantage E* is going to have a year from now will be VOOM. D* has stated that they have no interest in carrying VOOM.

 

[DAVEGTESTR]

Hey I like cooking in HD.

DISH has a short time to get Comcast Chicago HD on or I'm bolting from my package of AEP+HD+ad***extras+2nd HD Rcvr+3rd receiver+ CentreIce. I'm here for the 622 and Voom, but when D* gets there act together w/the new birds & the HD-DVR, well, needless to say I won't be around by next Baseball season.

Plus D* has all 4 HD Locals, not just 3... Thanks, Tribune, I watch FOX *** instead of KCPQ.

 

[Sammy033]

It is hard to imagine that it would be more profitable for a premium channel like HBO to go exclusive, as they have so many subs via every provider.

Likewise for channels like National Geographic or Discovery.

I can't think of other non-sports content that would command a high price for exclusivity. Except maybe HD porn channels.

Hard to imagine? Absolutely, I'm not an expert . But for HBO et al, business is business. If a compelling case can be made for some kind of exclusivity (like MLB must have done) then they would consider it. And lots of money can be very compelling indeed

As for HD porn.... well... I imagine such channels must bring in enough revenue for E* or they wouldnt offer 9 of them. You brought up an intersting point though... which has the greater number of viewers, MLB or the porn channels?

 

[Robert NTSC Archivist]

Well after 1 week of paying for MLB EI with DirecTV and running a wire to my main TV I can say DirecTV is doing the basic (non super fan package pretty good)

I have to agree now that Dish has turned its back on baseball fans which will be the next programing package that Dish will walk away from. . . .

I'm Glad my Dish Network equipment is obsolete so when the time comes to switch off all the old equipment in favor of HD I won't be under any obligation to Dish Network.


And DirecTV has not raised my bill so all this Dish talk about cost is a bunch of bull.

 

[IceRunner]

I've gone the mlb.tv, pc-to-tv converter route. The picture isn't the clearest, but as long as you're not right in front of the TV it's OK. I'm not at the mlb.tv premium level, which they say is TV quality.

 

[ehren]

I've gone the mlb.tv, pc-to-tv converter route. The picture isn't the clearest, but as long as you're not right in front of the TV it's OK. I'm not at the mlb.tv premium level, which they say is TV quality.

No the 6 games in MLB Mosaic are 1500k tv quality, individual premium games are 700k.

 

[dishbd]

Just to clarify, the "TV Quality" claim on MLB.TV Mosaic is complete and utter BS. As was posted above, the 1500k is for only when it is in the 6 game mode, so all 6 games are sharing the 1500k, and the picture quality is FAR from TV quality. Maybe at best the same quality as the 400k stream, but a smaller picture than the 400k streams. I won't even get into the fact that the thing is "buffering" every 5 seconds.

 

[IceRunner]

It sounds like I made the right move in not going to the premium. I haven't had much trouble with buffering on the standard mlb.tv service.