The NFL Network gets agressive with TWC and other lame cable ops

[toadfannc]

Get ready all you TWC football haters ...

Check out this article in today's USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-07-27-nfl-network_x.htm

I LOVE IT!!!!! Finally, TWC is being exposed. I can't wait until I see the first ad that the NFL Network runs that mentions Time Warner. I especially like the NFL Network rep's quote:

"We think it's asinine that Time Warner (the nation's No. 2 cable provider) carries 12 shopping channels and 50 other channels you don't want — but can't find room for one dedicated to the most popular sport in this country," Palansky says. "We're replacing the kid gloves with bare knuckles."

Amen.

The way I see it, TWC now has 2 choices. They can continue their current stance of ignoring customer demand and crying the blues about subscription fees (while they count the record profits they are reaping from you and me)-- all the while not giving a damn how many THOUSANDS of subscribers leave for satellite. OR, they will grudgingly sign up with the NFL ... for about double the cost that they could have gotten 2 years ago.

So, all you shopping channel lovers, can get busy and dial your favorite TWC sychophant and tell them to hold firm and not bend under the pressure of the mean old NFL. Somehow, I think that the football lovers who will finally realize what TWC is doing, will also pick up the phone (better yet, email our pal Fred Dressler, TWC VP of Programming at fred.dressler@twcable.com) -- and I bet they out number the sports haters.

I don't blame the NFL for doing this-- they know that most cable subscribers just sit back ignorantly, and take whatever is jammed down their throat--- sound familiar (i.e. federal government ... but that's another story for another day)?

It shall be interesting, at the very least!!!!

Edit...I have updated the broken link for the USAToday article.

 

[JayPSU]

I wrote an email to Mr. Dressler about this and he replied. Here are the emails;

Dear Mr. Dresler,

In today's USA Today I read an article regarding Time Warner Cable's unwillingness to add The NFL Network. I must admit that I completely agree with them. How do you have 12 shopping channels and gazillion other channels that most people don't care about, and yet you do NOT have The NFL Network which is HUGELY popular. To expand on that point, how do you not have Starz On-Demand and Encore On-Demand as the #2 Cable Company in America?! You're making record profits, and yet not making any efforts to make the customer happy. As a longtime subscriber of Time Warner I was very disappointed when the article in USA Today pointed out all of the things that I have been frustrated about, because now I know that I wasn't crazy. I wish I still had access to Comcast Cable like I did when I lived in Philadelphia. But here in Columbus, Ohio, I don't have much of a choice. I'm actually one of the very few residents that still doesn't have digital simulcasting! Please tell me that Time Warner is about to change ALL of this. At this rate even Satellite TV is starting to look more appealing.

Respectfully,

XXXXXXXXXX



first, we are upgrading the system regularly and you should have digital simulcast soon, if not already.
second, we HAVE NOT denied nfl network access. in fact, we have offered them carriage on every one of our systems. they mischaracterize the negotiation. it is not that nfl can't be on the system, it is that we don't believe every customer, including those who hate football, must pay a huge sum for a mere 8 live football games. the nfl can be on you system tomorrow if they really wanted to be.

 

[toadfannc]

I wrote an email to Mr. Dressler about this and he replied. Here are the emails;

Dear Mr. Dresler,

In today's USA Today I read an article regarding Time Warner Cable's unwillingness to add The NFL Network. I must admit that I completely agree with them. How do you have 12 shopping channels and gazillion other channels that most people don't care about, and yet you do NOT have The NFL Network which is HUGELY popular. To expand on that point, how do you not have Starz On-Demand and Encore On-Demand as the #2 Cable Company in America?! You're making record profits, and yet not making any efforts to make the customer happy. As a longtime subscriber of Time Warner I was very disappointed when the article in USA Today pointed out all of the things that I have been frustrated about, because now I know that I wasn't crazy. I wish I still had access to Comcast Cable like I did when I lived in Philadelphia. But here in Columbus, Ohio, I don't have much of a choice. I'm actually one of the very few residents that still doesn't have digital simulcasting! Please tell me that Time Warner is about to change ALL of this. At this rate even Satellite TV is starting to look more appealing.

Respectfully,

XXXXXXXXXX



first, we are upgrading the system regularly and you should have digital simulcast soon, if not already.
second, we HAVE NOT denied nfl network access. in fact, we have offered them carriage on every one of our systems. they mischaracterize the negotiation. it is not that nfl can't be on the system, it is that we don't believe every customer, including those who hate football, must pay a huge sum for a mere 8 live football games. the nfl can be on you system tomorrow if they really wanted to be.

You should reply back with this question:

"If that is their stance, then why have all of the major cable providers (except TWC and Cablevision) and both satellite providers have the NFL Network?"

He will reply with his typical BS-- translation: they don't want to pay for it. I totally agree with you ... if they don't add the NFL Network (and ESPN2HD for that matter) by the Fall ... I'm going satellite.

 

[LonghornXP]

You should reply back with this question:

"If that is their stance, then why have all of the major cable providers (except TWC and Cablevision) and both satellite providers have the NFL Network?"

He will reply with his typical BS-- translation: they don't want to pay for it. I totally agree with you ... if they don't add the NFL Network (and ESPN2HD for that matter) by the Fall ... I'm going satellite.

Also ask him this question below in quotes.

"Going by your logic it seems you don't mind screwing the people who don't like sports by also charging them for ESPN channels they don't want. Also ESPN is the most expensive set of basic cable channels around. I would bet my left nut that NFL Network is charging much much less than ESPN is charging. So you allow ESPN todo exactly what you are saying your trying to avoid letting NFL Network do. I guess every channel around today works like that as even on cable the average customers watches about 20 channels if that most of the time. So those extra 50+ channels we are paying for that most people hardly ever watch.

Well as long as some people watch them its worth being carried and last I checked NFL Network will be watched quite a bit more than many of the carried channels today and that is fact."

Edit...They can't be charging that much as Dish Network just worked a deal out for it.....again we are talking about Charlie here and if he felt the price was right I have no doubts that the price offered to TWC is all but fair. I guess Fred has never met Charlie and maybe Fred should open the window to see the light or take his head out of his ass as we a tired of being fed Bullsh!t each and everyday. I'm sorry Fred but we all know better than that.

 

[JayPSU]

Sorry Longhorn, I had already replied by the time I got your post. Here is what I wrote, and I just got a response back;

Thank you for your reply, i appreciate it. But I must ask, if this is truly what the problem is, why have all the major cable companies (except for us and Cablevision), along with the two satellite providers included The NFL Network as part of their regular packages? Can you honestly tell me that all of these providers are making a mistake? I don't know, what you're saying doesn't add up when you look at the whole picture.

Also, why are we, the #2 Cable Company STILL without Starz/Encore On-Demand channels, and their HD counterparts? Again, for such a HUGE cable company to not offer these services, it can't help but make me wonder if the bottom line is WAY more important than providing a product that the customer will love.

And no, I do not yet have Digital Simulcasting. I was told they would be starting it several months ago. Hasn't happened. This seems odd too since the markets directly to my NE and SW have it. My market appears to be heavily dragging their feet on this one...it's VERY disappointing.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXX



sorry, but you do not have the facts straight. the nfl is trying to confuse the situation to its advantage. No other "major" cable company, including comcast and cox, have yet agreed to carry the live 8 games. they do carry the nfl network, but NOT on "their regular package." we have offered to carry the network just like the other guys, but the nfl has so far said "no."

we expect to have starz hd and on demand later this year.

hope this helps.

 

[bidger`]

The fact that my local Time Warner carry neither FOX in HD or the NFL Network caused me to turn down their swapout offer last Spring.

You're shooting your self in the foot on this matter TWC.

 

[cablewithaview]

This was touched on in a general sense here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=72365
also industry news over there.

 

[GeorgeLV]

JayPSU, the TWC rep has a point, if Cox and Comcast can have the NFL Network in their sports tier, why can't TWC?

 

[cablewithaview]

JayPSU, the TWC rep has a point, if Cox and Comcast can have the NFL Network in their sports tier, why can't TWC?

one word, MONEY!!!
at first NFL Network was seeking distribution where ever and however, now they have some games and now they want to play hard ball. A ESPN type approach basically. If they push this, I think they will burn bridges doing so.

 

[Hall]

You're making record profits, and yet not making any efforts to make the customer happy.

TW must be absolute geniuses ! Think about it. Your comment doesn't make a lot of sense....

Put your money where your mouth is and switch to satellite.

 

[toadfannc]

Sorry Longhorn, I had already replied by the time I got your post. Here is what I wrote, and I just got a response back;

Thank you for your reply, i appreciate it. But I must ask, if this is truly what the problem is, why have all the major cable companies (except for us and Cablevision), along with the two satellite providers included The NFL Network as part of their regular packages? Can you honestly tell me that all of these providers are making a mistake? I don't know, what you're saying doesn't add up when you look at the whole picture.

Also, why are we, the #2 Cable Company STILL without Starz/Encore On-Demand channels, and their HD counterparts? Again, for such a HUGE cable company to not offer these services, it can't help but make me wonder if the bottom line is WAY more important than providing a product that the customer will love.

And no, I do not yet have Digital Simulcasting. I was told they would be starting it several months ago. Hasn't happened. This seems odd too since the markets directly to my NE and SW have it. My market appears to be heavily dragging their feet on this one...it's VERY disappointing.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXX



sorry, but you do not have the facts straight. the nfl is trying to confuse the situation to its advantage. No other "major" cable company, including comcast and cox, have yet agreed to carry the live 8 games. they do carry the nfl network, but NOT on "their regular package." we have offered to carry the network just like the other guys, but the nfl has so far said "no."

we expect to have starz hd and on demand later this year.

hope this helps.

Doesn't sound like he's going to seriously consider adding the NFL Network for us, does it?

His explanation is ludicrous. Comcast and Cox, for example DO have the NFL Network on their basic digital tier, and (by definition) will carry those games. What the hell is he talking about? Why would they say "NO" to TWC, specifically?

Typical ... never TWC's fault, right?

 

[Hall]

OR, they will grudgingly sign up with the NFL ... for about double the cost that they could have gotten 2 years ago.

If and when TWC decides to consider carrying the NFL Network, they'll do so on their terms. TW is too big to be pushed around by this little network.... The exposure that the NFL Network could get by carriage on TWC is easily offset by whatever low price TWC ends up paying ... and the NFL Network will take it.

To be blunt, it seems desperate that they have to resort to this to get carriage.

 

[GeorgeLV]

Doesn't sound like he's going to seriously consider adding the NFL Network for us, does it?

His explanation is ludicrous. Comcast and Cox, for example DO have the NFL Network on their basic digital tier, and (by definition) will carry those games. What the hell is he talking about? Why would they say "NO" to TWC, specifically?

Typical ... never TWC's fault, right?

Semi-wrong. With Cox you select you basic digital tier. It's quite possible to have Cox digital cable without the sports tier.

 

[toadfannc]

JayPSU, the TWC rep has a point, if Cox and Comcast can have the NFL Network in their sports tier, why can't TWC?

I know for a fact that Cox and Comcast have the NFL Network on their basic digital cable-- not on a sports tier. Dressler is intentionally deflecting the pressure.

Keep it up-- they need to hear your voice.

 

[mlb]

Just leave TWC. I switched to Dish 2 months back and I am as happy as I possibly can be.

 

[toadfannc]

Just leave TWC. I switched to Dish 2 months back and I am as happy as I possibly can be.

Dish (or DirectTV) does not have local (ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS) HD channels here yet. I'd have to get an OTA antenna ... too big of a pain in the a@@.

 

[LonghornXP]

sorry, but you do not have the facts straight. the nfl is trying to confuse the situation to its advantage. No other "major" cable company, including comcast and cox, have yet agreed to carry the live 8 games. they do carry the nfl network, but NOT on "their regular package." we have offered to carry the network just like the other guys, but the nfl has so far said "no."

Is the above quote what Fred said in an email. If yes please forward that email as I will be sending it to a Comcast contact that can forward it onto a lawyer he knows who works for Comcast's legal department. Comcast does indeed have a contract to carry those 8 live NFL games and I think Comcast would be interested to know that a high level exec at Time Warner Cable is misleading customers to believe Comcast won't carry something that they sure as hell will be. I have given my contact a heads up and he thinks Comcast would be interested to know what this exec is telling people.

 

[JayPSU]

Is the above quote what Fred said in an email. If yes please forward that email as I will be sending it to a Comcast contact that can forward it onto a lawyer he knows who works for Comcast's legal department. Comcast does indeed have a contract to carry those 8 live NFL games and I think Comcast would be interested to know that a high level exec at Time Warner Cable is misleading customers to believe Comcast won't carry something that they sure as hell will be. I have given my contact a heads up and he thinks Comcast would be interested to know what this exec is telling people.

It was his email response to me, all I did was cut and paste it. PM me your email address and I'll forward it to you.

 

[toadfannc]

Is the above quote what Fred said in an email. If yes please forward that email as I will be sending it to a Comcast contact that can forward it onto a lawyer he knows who works for Comcast's legal department. Comcast does indeed have a contract to carry those 8 live NFL games and I think Comcast would be interested to know that a high level exec at Time Warner Cable is misleading customers to believe Comcast won't carry something that they sure as hell will be. I have given my contact a heads up and he thinks Comcast would be interested to know what this exec is telling people.

You're exactly right. I'm also relatively sure that both Comcast and Cox have the NFL Network on their basic digital package ... and not on a sports tier- as Dressler said. His comments make no sense. If a cable or sat operator has the NFL Network, they will be showing those 8 games- by definition.

IMO, he is intentionally misleading us, knowing that the media barrage from the NFL is on the way.

 

[Hall]

...he is intentionally misleading us, knowing that the media barrage from the NFL is on the way.

Please post examples, in this thread, of this oncoming "media barrage" as they happen.