TWC going to battle with Dish for low end?

[mike123abc]

After the hubbub of the RSNs/sports on Dish, Time Warner Cable is now testing a low cost package ($30 in some markets $40 in others) without sports.

From the Wall Street Journal (could be a paid link) Time Warner Cable Offers Bare-Bones TV Package - WSJ.com

Time Warner Cable Inc. is rolling out a lower-priced cable TV package called "TV Essentials" that excludes major cable networks like ESPN, Comedy Central, TNT, Fox News, MSNBC, Fox regional sports networks and MSG.

It includes local broadcast stations and major broadcast networks, as well as 12 of the top 20 highest-rated cable networks. The company plans to analyze the results of its trials and roll the offering out across its other markets next year.

Read more: Time Warner Cable Offers Bare-Bones TV Package - WSJ.com

It looks like it is aimed at AT120. Perhaps this is why Dish and FSN fought for so long. The big one missing in the TWC is ESPN. While AT120 probably has more channels, it could be $10 more if TWC goes with the $30 price after testing.

 

[Bob Haller]

Gee and E just finished elminating its low cost packages, pushing subs to higher costs or cancelling totally....

 

[jrbdmb]

At least TWC gives a discount for no sports - Dish subs in NY are expected to do without YES / MSG / MSG+ and pay the same as everybody else who does get their local sports teams.

 

[milleruszk]

jrbdmb,

Exactly....well said.

 

[grb]

At least TWC gives a discount for no sports - Dish subs in NY are expected to do without YES / MSG / MSG+ and pay the same as everybody else who does get their local sports teams.

Ah, yes -- but look at all the money Charlie is saving us...oops, I mean Dish!

 

[mike123abc]

Time Warner Cable tries cheaper cable packages | Reuters

Reuters has an article on it. It is supposed to start next week. It will be interesting to see the channel lineup and compare to AT120/Dish Family. The pricing appears to be all over the place from $30-$50. I suppose they will run it at multiple prices to see what works.

 

[jimdandyvi]

According to ESPN this is only a test. If the package is popular don't expect ESPN to agree to anymore packages without their service being included. ESPN will never willing give up being in every broadband entertainment home.

Jim

 

[jerryez]

What is your source that ESPN is not in the low package. I would bet that it is.

 

[DodgerKing]

Why would anyone want this? The only reason for paid TV is to watch sports and cable news

 

[jimdandyvi]

What is your source that ESPN is not in the low package. I would bet that it is.

ESPN won't be part of channel lineup

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/18/2010 4:33:56 PM



"Reacting to a weak economy that is forcing customers to cut back and rising program costs, Time Warner Cable plans next month to test market a new cable TV package that will cost less and offer fewer channels.
TWC chief marketing officer Sam Howe, speaking at a panel hosted by SNL Kagan Thursday, said the TV Essentials package will be offered for $29.95 and $39.95, well below the $50 to $60 most expanded basic packages cost, according to Craig Moffett, analyst at Bernstein Research, who moderated the panel.
ESPN, the most expensive cable channel, will not be a part of the lineup, nor will The Disney Channel. But other channels from Walt Disney Co., Viacom, Time Warner, Discovery and News Corp. will have networks in the new package. Among the Disney channels represented is ESPNews."


How much was the bet for?




Jim

 

[mike123abc]

One can hope that packages like this will be the start of cracks in the facade and eventually lead to some sort of a la carte in the future. If they get popular base packages on the cheap without sports, more people will demand the ability to drop the expensive sports packages. I bet there is a fair sized market that can live with the OTA sports and do not feel the need to see every cable sports event.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I am betting that if they provided a sports free pack , many people would sub to it in order to save some $$$. The base pack of most programming packs have the inflated price of ESPN and DISNEY and rsns hat adds about $5.00 - $10.00 to your cost. I would love to be able to have a sports free pack . I could then afford a premium movie pack .

 

[Bob Haller]

Why would anyone want this? The only reason for paid TV is to watch sports and cable news

sports of ZERO interest here, and nets for news is fine, although a few times a year I watch CNN...
so little i wouldnt care...

 

[DodgerKing]

sports of ZERO interest here, and nets for news is fine, although a few times a year I watch CNN...
so little i wouldnt care...

The point being, just about everything else on cable shown on the other channels which are in this small package, can be seen on other sources, including the networks website. Just about the only thing on paid TV that can only be seen o paid TV are sports on your local RSNs (remember your local teams are blacked out on on-line sports packages), events and games on ESPN (ESPN major sports games cannot be viewed live outside of ESPN through your provider), and cable news (online viewing is usually just highlights and/or a few programs, and often never live).

 

[Steve Mehs]

This is sickening! Time Warner needs to focus more on the high end subscriber not low end ones. They need to work on getting smartphones apps out there for RemoteDVR, they need to get multiroom DVR more widespread, they need more HD content, both channels on On Demand. Yeah Time Warner in NYC carries more national HD channels than any other MSO in the country but that’s not good enough, they need more and other TW franchises need more. And as for sports, WE NEED MORE!!! Time Warner needs to be vocal in their partnership with Comcast and Cox for iNDemand. We NEED more SPORTS in HD, two channels for MLB EI and NHL CI and one channel for NBA LP is simply not enough. At least progress is being made and Time Warner is the first cable company to start offering out of market regional sports networks. More sports! More sports! More Sports!!!

As a Time Warner fanboy with a cable bill that is well over $300/month I am DISGUSTED they are taking this road, customers like me are where they’re making their money from, they should listen to us, not the cheapskates and sports haters.

 

[DishSubLA]

I am betting that if they provided a sports free pack , many people would sub to it in order to save some $$$. The base pack of most programming packs have the inflated price of ESPN and DISNEY and rsns hat adds about $5.00 - $10.00 to your cost. I would love to be able to have a sports free pack . I could then afford a premium movie pack .

I'm with you on this idea (while many relatives of mine would DIE without ESPN), but the problem is that ESPN or sports channels--no channel or service, really--wants to be in such a pack. They all want to be on the lowest full service pack, and they make that a part of the negotiations. Either they are at the lowest full service pack or NOTHING. And the sports channel hold the leverage more than any other type of channel.

I recognize that DirectTV has some additional channels in a separate sports pack (or at least they used to), but that really doesn't go far enough.

 

[whatchel1]

In a nutshell

What the whole channel set up for TWC is in a nutshell thanks to Yahoo. Time Warner Cable’s new budget plan: What you get, and what you don’t - Yahoo! News

 

[MikeD-C05]

What is funniest about all this is that DISH, which had the Family pack at $29.99 a month and the welcome pack +locals for $14.99 a month, to catch those subs who are cutting the cord due to finances ,now won't give these out to anyone unless they are canceling their accounts. Seems like DISH is now pushing these subs to cancel entirely . This and adding the ridiculous monthly receiver fees at $17.00 each for a dual tuner dvr. Wonder if this is why they are losing subs two quarters in a row again?

 

[Bob Haller]

What is funniest about all this is that DISH, which had the Family pack at $29.99 a month and the welcome pack +locals for $14.99 a month, to catch those subs who are cutting the cord due to finances ,now won't give these out to anyone unless they are canceling their accounts. Seems like DISH is now pushing these subs to cancel entirely . This and adding the ridiculous monthly receiver fees at $17.00 each for a dual tuner dvr. Wonder if this is why they are losing subs two quarters in a row again?

E beancounter management have a theory, that a small perentage of subs demand more and pay less. so let them leave to be replaced by more profiable customers

unfortnately each new sub costrs about a grand including free premiums.

wonder how many quarters of churn and sub loss till charlie realizes the sucking sound he hears is his business going down the toilet?

2 or 3 more quarters should get his attention under 14 million subs will help too.

his current management team will be looking for new employment

 

[mike123abc]

Cut-rate cable tiers: When all is lost, offer a (bad) deal to subs, hope cord cutting goes away - FierceIPTV

Looks like Charter Cable is getting ready to produce a low cost value package too... The article seems to think both of these packages are aimed squarely at Dish.

TWC's deal isn't really about keeping low-end subscribers, it's about poaching the low end of the satellite market, the Dish Network subs who can get a basic package for $25 a month (yes, for 12 months; then it pops to $40), but--NEWS FLASH--they also get a heck of a lot more than the TWC package has to offer, including the Holy Grail: ESPN.