Black out Lakers game.

[HanoverPretzel]

$3.95 a month? That's crazy money for an RSN.

Depends. How many subscribers are paying Dish's whole whatever dollars a month (Let's say it averages at least $60) mainly to watch the teams on that local RSN? How many subs are paying all that money in some significant part to watch the teams on that RSN (Let's say it's half the reason, or even a quarter of it)? How many families have at least one person in them for whom being able to watch the occasional home team sports game when the mood hits is important, and who will press the other members of the family to switch providers (Or make the choice himself/herself) if he or she can't see the games? When you look at it that way, Dish only have to pay the channel $3.95 a head is a bargain. And, if they don't pay it, a lot of subs will walk away. I guess Dish feels they can live with that, but in the long run it's going to hurt their chances of surviving the customer cord-cutting era as a viable entity if they do it to enough RSNs in enough parts of the country for long enough periods of time.

 

[lucky86]

Do we have numbers on the "cord cutters"? How many people in the last year actually "cut" the cord? I know a lot of people talked about it, but I have a feeling that the number of people is signifigantly lower than you would think.

 

[apollog]

Dude, dump Dish and join us here on the DTV side. I left Dish a few months ago and have been a AWWW!!! ever since with their HD picture quality, sports packages and the HD DVR Genie(this receiver is AWESOME) Directv has the Lakers, NFL Sunday ticket, 3D programming and not to mention full time HD RSN's. Also, Directv is preparing a new HD Satellite, which will give Directv complete domination in HD programming. 200+ HD channels.

 

[dangue]

Depends. How many subscribers are paying Dish's whole whatever dollars a month (Let's say it averages at least $60) mainly to watch the teams on that local RSN? How many subs are paying all that money in some significant part to watch the teams on that RSN (Let's say it's half the reason, or even a quarter of it)? How many families have at least one person in them for whom being able to watch the occasional home team sports game when the mood hits is important, and who will press the other members of the family to switch providers (Or make the choice himself/herself) if he or she can't see the games? When you look at it that way, Dish only have to pay the channel $3.95 a head is a bargain. And, if they don't pay it, a lot of subs will walk away. I guess Dish feels they can live with that, but in the long run it's going to hurt their chances of surviving the customer cord-cutting era as a viable entity if they do it to enough RSNs in enough parts of the country for long enough periods of time.

Except we're not talking 1 RSN per household anymore, are we? I have no idea how many other RSNs SoCal has, but I think we are fast approaching a tipping point as the number of networks multiplies and the amount sought in monthly fees goes up. I live in the SF bay area. We have two NFL teams, two MLB teams, a NBA team (two if you include the Kings), a NHL, and two PAC-12 schools here. The way it's going, I should start saving up to be able to pay for six or so RSNs in the near future (not so far fetched considering we already have three right now when you include the PAC-12 network). If they all want Lakers channel money in the near future, you're talking a staggering amount of money.

And the teams and the network are doing this just to bleed consumers dry. There's not enough content to justify the proliferation of RSNs that has occurred in the past few years. Consumers would be better served with a reduced number of costly full time RSNs and a few game only "RSN+" channels for those rare occasions in the year when there are extra simultaneous games that need to be shown. All these new channels that have exclusive content that used to be on other (under contract) RSNs are plain and simply a money grab.

 

[pro96]

Hey Laker Fans,

Things don't look good for us. GRRRRRR!!!! :rant:

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/nov/22/carlisle-dish-wont-budge-over-lakers-station/?partner=RSS

Like the line Satellite TV Leader.. :

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

[HanoverPretzel]

And the teams and the network are doing this just to bleed consumers dry. There's not enough content to justify the proliferation of RSNs that has occurred in the past few years. Consumers would be better served with a reduced number of costly full time RSNs and a few game only "RSN+" channels for those rare occasions in the year when there are extra simultaneous games that need to be shown. All these new channels that have exclusive content that used to be on other (under contract) RSNs are plain and simply a money grab.

One issue is that cable often really screws up badly with temporary channels that are supposed to pop up for conflict games. One of my RSN+ channels simply disappeared for hockey/basketball one season and no one at the cable company could even understand what I was talking about, let alone explain why the overflow games weren't on their system anymore, or even put in a ticket to get it back. I even wound up talking to a regional manager who didn't understand. Thankfully, that is one problem that Dish doesn't have.

I do agree with you that, cable company antics aside, it might be in the customer's interests to cut down to 1-2 RSNs per region and put all the sports teams on there with an overflow channel for conflicts and lower the bill (But would they lower the bill? I have my doubts. Seems like prices only rise regardless of costs to the providers.). I know it's a little odd that my region has one RSN with the two baseball teams and one RSN with the basketball team and the hockey team- meaning the baseball RSN has nothing to really show in the winter and the basketball/hockey RSN has nothing to really show in the summer. I mean, they try to put random low-level stuff (Like small conference college bball on the baseball channel) on in their off-seasons, but there don't really *need* to be two. But there are two.

I don't see what we as customers can do to change it. I'm not joining some boycott to merge RSNs and neither are most people. It wouldn't work because people wouldn't do it. And, besides, there are at least some marginal things on in each RSN's "off-season" that I find myself watching very occasionally. Beats Lifetime- and there are at least two or three Lifetime type channels on Dish, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, Oxygen, the Oprah network- okay, that's four I can name off the top of my head, and I don't even watch them, there might be more. Doesn't seem fair to single sports out on this- a lot of different channels seem to not have enough programming to sustain a separate channel and seem like they could be merged, not just sports RSNs.

 

[marathon_1]

Fact is if you are a Lakers fan you would gladly pay the extra 5.00-20.00 to watch the Lakers, it's the non sports fan that gets screwed. I personally don't get Charlie's strategy why get the Pac 12 network and not TWSN. Dish should be all in or all out, not half and half, southern California is Laker land. I wonder how many of the 600k customers are going to leave. Count me in as I have switched to Cox.

 

[dangue]

One issue is that cable often really screws up badly with temporary channels that are supposed to pop up for conflict games. One of my RSN+ channels simply disappeared for hockey/basketball one season and no one at the cable company could even understand what I was talking about, let alone explain why the overflow games weren't on their system anymore, or even put in a ticket to get it back. I even wound up talking to a regional manager who didn't understand. Thankfully, that is one problem that Dish doesn't have.

I do agree with you that, cable company antics aside, it might be in the customer's interests to cut down to 1-2 RSNs per region and put all the sports teams on there with an overflow channel for conflicts and lower the bill (But would they lower the bill? I have my doubts. Seems like prices only rise regardless of costs to the providers.). I know it's a little odd that my region has one RSN with the two baseball teams and one RSN with the basketball team and the hockey team- meaning the baseball RSN has nothing to really show in the winter and the basketball/hockey RSN has nothing to really show in the summer. I mean, they try to put random low-level stuff (Like small conference college bball on the baseball channel) on in their off-seasons, but there don't really *need* to be two. But there are two.

I don't see what we as customers can do to change it. I'm not joining some boycott to merge RSNs and neither are most people. It wouldn't work because people wouldn't do it. And, besides, there are at least some marginal things on in each RSN's "off-season" that I find myself watching very occasionally. Beats Lifetime- and there are at least two or three Lifetime type channels on Dish, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, Oxygen, the Oprah network- okay, that's four I can name off the top of my head, and I don't even watch them, there might be more. Doesn't seem fair to single sports out on this- a lot of different channels seem to not have enough programming to sustain a separate channel and seem like they could be merged, not just sports RSNs.

Sorry but you completely omitted the $$$ portion of my post. There might be four "women's channels" but their price is markedly less than what sports channels are consistently demanding. If I had to guess I'd go with the lakers channel costing more than all four of the channels you mentioned combined.

And it's the price that angers the non sports fans. I like sports, but even I think the pricing is getting out of hand.

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[dare2be]

I like sports, but even I think the pricing is getting out of hand.

We have a BINGO.

 

[DodgerKing]

Except we're not talking 1 RSN per household anymore, are we? I have no idea how many other RSNs SoCal has, but I think we are fast approaching a tipping point as the number of networks multiplies and the amount sought in monthly fees goes up. I live in the SF bay area. We have two NFL teams, two MLB teams, a NBA team (two if you include the Kings), a NHL, and two PAC-12 schools here. The way it's going, I should start saving up to be able to pay for six or so RSNs in the near future (not so far fetched considering we already have three right now when you include the PAC-12 network). If they all want Lakers channel money in the near future, you're talking a staggering amount of money.

We have 4 English and 1 Spanish in LA and SD area.

FSN West
FSN PT
FSN SD
TWC Sportsnet
TWC Deportes

 

[dangue]

We have 4 English and 1 Spanish in LA and SD area.

FSN West
FSN PT
FSN SD
TWC Sportsnet
TWC Deportes

+1 to those totals if you add in the PAC-12 Network. Six is a ton of RSNs in one region.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[The Fat Man]

Dude, dump Dish and join us here on the DTV side. I left Dish a few months ago and have been a AWWW!!! ever since with their HD picture quality, sports packages and the HD DVR Genie(this receiver is AWESOME) Directv has the Lakers, NFL Sunday ticket, 3D programming and not to mention full time HD RSN's. Also, Directv is preparing a new HD Satellite, which will give Directv complete domination in HD programming. 200+ HD channels.

Join the dark side, we have cookies. Just kidding. Is that new satellite nothing like the one Dish launched last week?

 

[daro]

I saw the article with the 3.95 price demand .. Does anyone know what price DTV settled on ?

Curious because I'm waiting for either DTV or Dish to add CSN for Houston ..I've heard rumor that they were asking somewhere between 3-4$. I just don't see either picking up Houston at those kind of prices.

 

[pro96]

Laker Game on.. TWSN.


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[HanoverPretzel]

Sorry but you completely omitted the $$$ portion of my post. There might be four "women's channels" but their price is markedly less than what sports channels are consistently demanding. If I had to guess I'd go with the lakers channel costing more than all four of the channels you mentioned combined.

And it's the price that angers the non sports fans. I like sports, but even I think the pricing is getting out of hand.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

I don't know. My guess is that sports is no more than 50% of the total bill. Non-sports channels may cost less, but there are more of them, so it's probably an equal cost to sports in very rough terms. Might even be that we pay more for the overall package of non-sports channels than sports channels. Yet, there are plenty of sports fans who subscribe to pay television only or primarily to watch their sports. There are a lot of other households where Dad and some of the kids are in for the sports and Mom and some of the other kids are in for other stuff. I think if Dish dropped sports entirely, they'd lose about half their subscriber base (And I don't think their prices to end consumers would drop 50%).

I'm not sure that's a sustainable business model- you want to be the install guy who's only got half the install orders going in, and tons of people cancelling immediately within a lemon law window or something when they realize the sports aren't there? You want to deal with that if you're Dish? Going to defend the class action lawsuit when existing subscribers under contract who signed up for sports sue after all the sports disappear and various consumers who sign up assuming there will be some sports try to make legal trouble when they want to immediately unsubscribe and are hit with EFTs? I guess Dish could let all existing customers out of contract and prominently say in every ad "WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPORTS"- that might protect them legally, but it wouldn't make them profitable.

And what happens when the non-sports fans realize they are paying way more than they have to for non-sports content also available of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, itunes, etc..?

Sports is what made cable/satellite a thing, and it's what will keep it alive in the Internet era.

 

[n0aaa]

We are Patriots fans (in Iowa). More often than not, the games have been blacked out here. The logic of the blackout patterns is hard to figure out.

 

[pro96]

Hmm Interesting.. my cousin in Texas has NBALP on Dish and the Laker game is on TWCSN broadcast.

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[JasonSu]

TWC only has the rights to black out the game in the home market. Outside markets will have the games available on NBALP.