Scott, Any news on GolTV & E*?

[boixonoi1]

Do they think only Spanish-speaking people are interested in soccer? I guess they haven't been reading their email lately.

I would like to know what the ratings breakdown is between the Spanish and English sides for GolTV. I do know that the La Liga ratings for the Hispanic market are excellent. I would guess that La Liga and the Bundesliga attract a fair number of English speaking viewers, while the rest of the leagues probably attract very few.

It does seem like the Spanish speaking bloc is what the two sides are negotiating for with the English speaking viewers being treated as a sort of afterthought. The Setanta thing and the fact that the message from Dish to GolTV viewers is in Spanish on both the Spanish and English channels seems to be designed to keep Spanish language viewers in place during negotiations (and English speakers be damned).

I think you are right in your assessment of Dish and its dealings with Lifetime and VOOM. If GolTV were gone gone, the channels would be dark. Dish has to know (and if they didn't I'm sure GolTV would let them know) that Setanta (even if it were permenantly free which it isn't) would not be a substitute for GolTV, so I think the free preview is sort of a signal to Dish Latino subscribers to "hold tight and excuse us for the inconvenience".

If it takes Dish the same month period it took them with Lifetime to resolve this, it will cut things pretty close. That fourth week is when defections will really start to happen (although if you were stuck early in a contract you may try to wait it out) amongst La Liga fans. My guess (and this is pure speculation) is that the start of the Bundesliga won't be that critical to the dispute being solved.

 

[kstuart]

Looks like Setanta free preview only for Spanish packages.

GolTV is in two packages, America's Top 250 and Dish Latino

America's Top 250 are getting "Fox Sports Espanol" - which is not part of AT250 - instead of GolTV.

Dish Latino already includes Fox Sports Espanol, so they cannot use that as a temporary substitute for GolTV, so they are giving Dish Latino subscribers Setanta free preview for two months, or when the disagreement is resolved, whichever comes first.

Either way, the viewer is temporarily getting a soccer channel they don't normally get in that package, and in both cases, they are getting one that is in a different language than their package.

Clearly, anyone who views GolTV as an important or crucial part of their TV viewing, will change providers.

SO, this "substitute channel in a different language" is aimed at the person who doesn't watch GolTV regularly, but might get upset "that they had less soccer". By replacing it temporarily with another soccer channel, it helps with the human subconscious tendency to "count".

 

[dlsnyder]

So if GolTV is going to lose the rights to La Liga, what would the alternative be? Anyone know which service might be likely to pick it up? It is also possible that Dish may be putting together a season ticket PPV package like they do with the British Premier league.

 

[boixonoi1]

So if GolTV is going to lose the rights to La Liga, what would the alternative be? Anyone know which service might be likely to pick it up? It is also possible that Dish may be putting together a season ticket PPV package like they do with the British Premier league.

There is "chatter" that ESPN may want to make a run at La Liga and the Prem after this season. There is another GolTV thread on this forum where this has been discussed. There is a thread on the BigSoccer site, TV thread, that discusses the rumor that ESPN may bid for the Prem.

What I think you are referring to is Setanta, who shares the rights with Fox. If I"m not mistaken, it's a monthly subscription service and not a season PPV package. It's available on Dish, Direct, and FIOS in the US.

 

[kstuart]

The Prem PPV was a few years ago...

 

[johnstred]

Bundsliga starts on Friday!

C'mon GolTV and DISH.... the fun starts soon and we will miss it unless you get your differences straightened out... or we switch providers!

 

[johnstred]

Bundesliga starts on Friday!

C'mon GolTV and DISH.... the fun starts soon and we will miss it unless you get your differences straightened out... or we switch providers!

 

[LhasaApso]

The Bundesliga season starts tomorrow. I can't believe that I won't be able to catch the action since GOL TV has still not yet been restored to the Dish Network lineup.

 

[ehren]

believe it

 

[LhasaApso]

It makes me wish that someone would launch a hostile takeover bid for Dish, which, should it be successful, would lead to the resignation or ouster of Charles Ergen.

 

[LhasaApso]

Sentanta Sports

Apparently, Dish Network has now started a free preview of Setanta Sports for its' English-language viewers.

 

[kstuart]

It makes me wish that someone would launch a hostile takeover bid for Dish, which, should it be successful, would lead to the resignation or ouster of Charles Ergen.

Dish Network is largely responsible for the success of GolTV:

Dish Network Satellite TV to Offer New Soccer Network — GOL TV — in Spanish-Language Programming Packages

Sports/Entertainment/Business Editors and Soccer Writers
LITTLETON, Colo. & MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 2003
EchoStar Communications Corporation (NasdaqISH) announced today that its DISH Network(TM) satellite TV service will add GOL TV(TM) to its Spanish-language, DISH Latino programming packages on Feb. 20 at no additional charge.

GOL TV is a new 24-hour, Spanish-language channel dedicated strictly to the world's most popular and passionate sport: Soccer. GOL TV will also provide 10 hours of original programming each day, including major international soccer news and events, including "Super Estadio," a live one-hour show broadcast from Mexico City which provides the most in-depth analysis of Mexican soccer. GOL TV offers hundreds of games each year from Mexico, Italy, El Salvador, Guatemala and South America. Additionally, GOL TV will broadcast programming from the Real Madrid TV Channel and the 2004 qualifying soccer matches from UEFA Cup, CONCACAF and EUROCOPA.
"Our customers will be pleased to know that DISH Network is the first to offer GOL TV nationwide," said Michael Schwimmer, senior vice president of Programming at EchoStar. "GOL TV complements DISH Network's expansive lineup of programming for Latinos, and brings hundreds of professional soccer games from around the world into the living rooms of soccer fans in the United States."
DISH Network will offer GOL TV on channel 632 in all three of its popular DISH Latino programming packages at no additional cost. A DISH 500 antenna is required to receive the new channel.
"We are particularly pleased to be introducing GOL TV on the DISH Network platform," said GOL TV Senior Vice President Enzo Francescoli, who is also a former professional soccer player from the Uruguayan National Selection and a living-legend of the game. "DISH Network's commitment as the leader in delivering Spanish-language programming to the U.S. Hispanic audience is a natural choice for GOL TV. We are delighted to offer GOL TV in each of DISH Network's Latino packages."
GOL TV is a subsidiary of Tenfield, Uruguay. The GOL TV signal, which is dedicated to all-soccer programming, is broadcast 24-hours x 7 days per week and is distributed across the United States.
EchoStar Communications Corporation (NasdaqISH), through its DISH Network(TM), is a leading U.S. provider of satellite television entertainment services to homes and businesses with more than 8 million customers. DISH Network delivers advanced digital satellite television services, including hundreds of video, audio and Interactive TV channels, personal video recording, HDTV, international programming, professional installation and 24-hour customer service. For more information, visit EchoStar's DISH Network at (DISH Network -- Home) or call 800/333-DISH (3474).

 

[kstuart]

Apparently, Dish Network has now started a free preview of Setanta Sports for its' English-language viewers.

A year ago, there was a free preview of Setanta for everyone, so it is hard to tell whether this is related to GolTV situation or not.

 

[roachxp]

Yes, ESPN will be making big bids on the LaLiga, and EPL rights. They will make a 100million dollar bid for the EPL and then sell the weaker games over to Sentanta Sport which they are also trying to buy and kep 2 or 3 games for ESPN2/3(rumor that ESPN will lauch a third channel). The LaLiga rights will be for ESPN Desportes, and might have the weekly big matchup on ESPN2/3.

 

[rad]

A year ago, there was a free preview of Setanta for everyone, so it is hard to tell whether this is related to GolTV situation or not.

I think it's a Setanta thing since it's also a freeview on DirecTV this weekend.

 

[kimmichael44]

I'm back from vacation. Dissappointed... still no GolTv.

I have no long term contract with Dishnetwork, I pay $154.95 per month. I already subscribe to Dish Latino and Sentanta Sports. Although I really prefer the Vip 622 equipment and the Dishnetwork service in general, I must now look to change providers to still have GolTv.

I seem to have read somewhere that last quarter Dishnetwork lost over 25,000 subscribers, I would suggest that that had something to do in part with the removal of the Voom channels. I believe they will lose many more subscribers with the removal of GolTv.

Like my own decisions, I understand that business decisions are made by weighing various factors. In addition to Soccer I was also a Baseball fan and supporter and considered changing providers when MLBEI was cut from Dishnetwork, however I have become very dissillusioned with MLB and as a result of there small minded move to limit the accessibility of their programming, I now am less a fan of baseball and follow it to a much lesser degree.

Charlie please start looking at the bigger picture. This practise of penalising your customers because of your poor negoitation tactics is in the long run costing you more than the amounts you saving on reduced pricing from small specialty networks like GolTv. It is costing you long term customers.

I have been a Dishnetwork customer for over 8 years. I do not price shop, continually moving to the best deal. I pay my bills on time and tend to be a loyal customer who doesn't move for price changes.

I am not going to phone Dishnetwork to complain or threaten, the CSR on the other end has no say in these programming (product) decisions. I will just be forced to leave to find it somewhere else.

 

[boixonoi1]

Dish Network is largely responsible for the success of GolTV:

No.

Dish Network is responsible for the success (or failure) of Dish Netwok. GolTV is responsible for the success (or failure) of GolTV.

 

[kstuart]

Charlie please start looking at the bigger picture. This practise of penalising your customers because of your poor negoitation tactics is in the long run costing you more than the amounts you saving on reduced pricing from small specialty networks like GolTv. It is costing you long term customers.

The complete lack of objectivity and thought in the various remarks about GolTV on Dish Network is amusing.

First, let's look at the phrase " poor negoitation tactics ". You are judging this using what data ?

Dish Network knows how many subscribers watch GolTV, how many leave after channels are pulled, etc. etc.

When Dish Network pulled Voom HD channels, there was mass hysteria on these Forums, you couldn't read any thread without manic "I want my Voom!" posts for weeks.

But, a) Dish Network did focus groups of subscribers, and only a tiny fraction were even aware that Voom channels existed, and b) when the Voom channels were pulled, the complaints to the phone reps were actually much lower than they expected.

Any corporation of this size has many accountants, and there are undoubtedly many spreadsheets of the costs of the increased per subscriber fees versus the cost of losing subscribers.

The poster claims that one factor, for which he has no data, is costing Dish more money than another factor, for which he also has no data. In contrast, Dish has complete data on all these factors.

So all GolTV viewers' comments are entirely emotional rather than rational (no matter how well written).

 

[yaz96]

Dish Network knows how many subscribers watch GolTV, how many leave after channels are pulled, etc. etc.

When Dish Network pulled Voom HD channels, there was mass hysteria on these Forums, you couldn't read any thread without manic "I want my Voom!" posts for weeks.

But, a) Dish Network did focus groups of subscribers, and only a tiny fraction were even aware that Voom channels existed, and b) when the Voom channels were pulled, the complaints to the phone reps were actually much lower than they expected.

You are judging this using what data ?

 

[kstuart]

You are judging this using what data ?

I'm not sure what you are referring to as "this", but if you mean Voom, it was posted by Scott.