Quote:
Originally Posted by AO
you honestly think they'll just go without a tv deal...wow
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They have a TV deal with Versus, and Versus has contracts with pretty much every PayTV provider out there except DirecTV. It sucks if you are a DirecTV subscriber, but there are still 65-70 million people that have access to the channel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AO
espn has been showing interest. They've got nothing better to show on espn 2 and they know it.
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It's interesting that the ratings for the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs on Versus were higher than the playoffs at the start of the decade with combined ESPN and ESPN2 viewer numbers.
If this transaction would have gone through the way DirecTV wanted it, Versus would be in the $13/mo Sports Pack. Granted, you would still have access to the channel, but only if you parted with $13/mo to get it.
The reason behind this is DirecTV is having trouble restructuring its debt with Liberty Media. That's why there are all these rumors recently about possible acquisitions by companies like Verizon (source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125390111052041569.html )They used the Versus renewal as an opportunity to try to boost short term profits by getting people who wanted Versus to sub into the $13 sports pack to get access to the channel. It would reduce their base costs for the Choice Xtra package and bump their financial situation because the profit margin is huge on the Sports Pack.
DirecTV has been doing other sneaky crap lately, like if you have to RMA a defective receiver they lock you into a new 2 year contract when you activate the replacement. (only they don't tell you this) They are engaging in this tactic so they can boost the number of subscribers under contract they report when negotiating their debt to show where future income is coming in. This has been reviewed in articles such as this one:
http://www.multichannel.com/blog/The...th_DirecTV.php
I'm not saying Comcast is an angelic company by any means. I think it's borderline theft that they only supply a single HD channel with their Center Ice package, and it is reprehensible that they hide behind the terrestrial broadcast laws to keep CSN Philly to Comcast subscribers only.
In this case, DirecTV just happens to be the bigger weasel. They talk about this being over subscription fees and how they're trying to control your rates. The average price TV providers are paying for Versus is about $0.30/mo per subscriber. DirecTV says Comcast is asking for a 20% increase -- even if that's true we're talking about
6 cents! DirecTV raised every programming package
3 dollars back in March across the board -- and Versus is only in their Choice Xtra package so not all of their customers get it! If I were a DirecTV subscriber I'd mail them a freaking "leave a penny, take a penny" dish and we could call it even.
That the NHL is willing to stand out and say to contact DirecTV even though it will put strain on that partnership (since DirecTV also carries the NHL Network) should speak volumes here.
The marketing machine of DirecTV is awesome. They're trying to screw over any of their subscribers who want to get Versus by making the channel significantly more expensive to get, and yet they've convinced people that Comcast is the only bad guy in all of this.
Well played.
