DISH to partner with Aereo?

Mochuf

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Here's what I don't get though... why does everyone assume Disney/ESPN would automatically get whatever increase they "pass down the line"? THEIR customers (cable/satcos & advertisers) have to be willing to pay more money. If their customers don't pay, ESPN loses money. Isn't that how the market is supposed to work? A company makes a product (and spends money making that product). They sell that product at a certain cost. If the cost is "right", people buy it. If it isn't, they don't.
Because they have always got what they wanted and have always been able to increase the fees they charge. If they haven't then they wouldn't pay the huge increases from contract to contract that they have been doing. If the market wasn't broken, then the ESPN suite of channels would be available the same way the HBO suite of channels are. Then Disney could see if the strategy of overpaying for sports programming would work out. But there is no free market in pay-tv as far as channel choice is concerned. So any argument about how the market is supposed to work is just theory.
 

sam_gordon

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In a normal market that would be the case, but because they know that they can spread that cost over the multiple channels that they own, and extort their customers (MVPDs) into paying those rates contractually bundled together.
Can you please explain the bolded? Can't the MVPD's say "no, we're not going to pay"?

Talking with some coworkers the other day, one brought up a suggestion... if a full "ala carte" can't be done, wouldn't it be nice if you can "ala carte" out the bundles? Like what HBO/Showtime are doing. So if I want ESPN, I pay an MVPD for the ESPN package. That would include whatever ESPN bundles... 2, U, News, ABC family, whatever. So instead of a "tiered" system, customers buy whichever "bundles" they want. An MVPD that figures out how to break out either channels or bundles *I* would be interested in.
 

sam_gordon

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No they can't as if they do they loose all of that companies channels, not just the one channel.

How many people watch soapnet? Yet it is forced for companies carrying ESPN.
They "can't" or they "won't"? Yes, there is a difference to me. The MVPDs make a business decision. If they purchase 'bundle x' for '$y', can they charge their subscribers enough to cover that amount (and possibly make a profit)? MVPDs can absolutely say 'no, thank you'. Yes, they may lose subscribers if they drop a popular channel. But I thought everyone here WANTS MVPDs to tell networks "screw you, we're not going to pay that"?
 

mike123abc

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I do wonder how much success Aereo will have out of NYC. NYC is kind of an unique market in that many people live in skyscrapers and may have major issues with putting in antennas. I would much rather have a TiVo and an antenna for $12/month than Aereo.
 

Teehar

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I do wonder how much success Aereo will have out of NYC. NYC is kind of an unique market in that many people live in skyscrapers and may have major issues with putting in antennas. I would much rather have a TiVo and an antenna for $12/month than Aereo.

I would say they would do quite well in rural,and mountainous terrain.Anywhere its tough to get a full time signal.
 

dare2be

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They "can't" or they "won't"? Yes, there is a difference to me.
Which is the difference between Direct and Dish to some degree. :)

Dish wouldn't cave to Rainbow Media last year, and they went without their channels for months, and it took losing a lawsuit to basically force them back...that line of can't vs. won't is becoming more blurred. But if a group of channels are popular enough, then dropping them (and all of the other popular channels owned by the same group) would be financial suicide.
 

KAB

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Which is the difference between Direct and Dish to some degree. :)

Dish wouldn't cave to Rainbow Media last year, and they went without their channels for months, and it took losing a lawsuit to basically force them back...that line of can't vs. won't is becoming more blurred. But if a group of channels are popular enough, then dropping them (and all of the other popular channels owned by the same group) would be financial suicide.
In the case of Rainbow, there weren't other popular channels but AMC. Same could be said of Viacom. Dish obviously weathered the three month storm. Almost just a footnote, now.
 

dare2be

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In the case of Rainbow, there weren't other popular channels but AMC. Same could be said of Viacom. Dish obviously weathered the three month storm. Almost just a footnote, now.
That's why I prefaced that sentence with "but". :) I was referring to another group of overpriced channels that couldn't be dropped even if they wanted to.
 

Stargazer

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Stations have more of an interest in bringing great programming to you if ratings became more of a factor in what they make from commercials than if they are guaranteed to receive money each month from the subscribers. I wonder how much better the programming would be today if the networks did not collect a fee from the subscribers.
 

n0qcu

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Stargazer said:
Stations have more of an interest in bringing great programming to you if ratings became more of a factor in what they make from commercials than if they are guaranteed to receive money each month from the subscribers. I wonder how much better the programming would be today if the networks did not collect a fee from the subscribers.

It wouldn't be better, it all be that so called reality crap.

Sent from my DROIDX
 

sam_gordon

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Here's what broadcasters should do... implement this: http://gigaom.com/2011/04/15/syncbak-profile/. Don't fight Aereo, compete with them...

A new startup named Syncbak hopes to enable those broadcast stations to take control of their own destinies and create their own streaming services, by offering a way for them to authenticate with local viewers and ensure that Internet-connected devices accessing that content belongs to households that can receive their over-the-air signals.


But even this article points out what I said earlier...
But due to the contracts they’ve agreed to, affiliate stations aren’t able to stream their programming unless they can show that it is only being viewed by households in their local market. That is, a local Nashville station can’t stream its programming widely online; otherwise a viewer in Cincinnati might tune in.
 

dare2be

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Even with streaming restrictions by market, it is almost impossible to enforce due to the ease of using a proxy server to spoof your location.
 

sam_gordon

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Even with streaming restrictions by market, it is almost impossible to enforce due to the ease of using a proxy server to spoof your location.
I agree. But if I was a broadcaster, I would still make the argument that only people in the DMA can get the signal. While I'm sure some would spoof the location, that would still be rare.
 

Teehar

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It's already being done with satellite.What difference would streaming make?It would be a smart move for local channels to offer streaming to compete with aereo.
 

sam_gordon

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It's already being done with satellite.What difference would streaming make?It would be a smart move for local channels to offer streaming to compete with aereo.
First, keep in mind very few local channels are putting up their signal via satellite. The issue isn't the technology, it's the contracts the local channels have with the program providers (whether network, syndicators, or even advertisers). Those contracts could (and in some cases do) prevent locals from streaming to out of market locations.
 

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