CSN Philly saga could end - if DIRECTV and Dish agree to arbitration

[Jimbo]

I do. They are going to raise our rates either way. Fugg DirecTV and the people on the various msg boards that act like we should sniff their backside because they are always supposedly fighting the good fight for consumers.. They're not. Seems more like a tactic to help mods on msg boards get into their secret back-room CES goods.
I kid of course but it sure feels that way on some other boards.

I can't remember the last time Fios dropped any network let alone doing so and acting like they are doing their consumers a favor..

I simply want to see them give it to Philadelphians. I could care less about the rest of the nation honestly. Sorry..


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When Comcast starts asking for the same amount as others are asking, then you might get somewhere but from what I understand they are asking way more from D* than anyone else.

 

[Hart5150]

Directv or dish could just start their own sports network in Philadelphia and bid on the phillies contract when it comes up for renewal.

Heck, directv pays billions for NFL ticket, what's another 20 million or so to screw around with comcast.

20 million ain't nothing. Just take $1 from each customer for a month.

Phillies just signed a 25 year 2.5 billion dollar deal with CSN. ($100 million/year)

 

[fireponcoal]

When Comcast starts asking for the same amount as others are asking, then you might get somewhere but from what I understand they are asking way more from D* than anyone else.

Yeah, they are asking more from D* because of the darn sports pack. Give it to locals and locals only. I'm sure many Philadelphians would be willing to do a la carte.

Perhaps they have all switched to Fios at this point though. I know many former DirecTV subscribers who did just that the first chance they were given.


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[Adamv2]

Just Jack up rates for root sports since the pirates and penguin are locked to root sports for a while longer.

Not that easy. Those teams require directv to make deals with all providers. People are mad at the Phillies for wasting an opportunity to demand comcast do the same.

What directv should do is warn comcast that they will do weather channel style hardball negations on all comcast owned networks when up, if they don't start being fair with CSN.

 

[oldengineer]

I live in the Lehigh Valley which is in the Philly RSN. My cable company, SECTV, carries both CSN and the overflow channel,TCN, in their basic (not lifeline) package. I see no reason why D* and E*, who charge $9 or $10 for their Sports Packages could not get an affordable contract if they really wanted to since they could use the other cablecos rates as evidence in an arbitration hearing. I believe current FCC law prohibits providers from using excessive fees to discriminate against particular customers.

 

[madmadworld]

look at this .............Comcast is getting $0 for years now, for programing they have paid for. how does this make any cents ? CEO saying........... no we don't want your millions. : this CEO must go

 

[oldengineer]

look at this .............Comcast is getting $0 for years now, for programing they have paid for. how does this make any cents ? CEO saying........... no we don't want your millions. : this CEO must go

That may be true but if they do put their stuff up on satellite they will lose a lot of their cable customers (they also own Philly's cable franchise) so the question is which solution is more profitable for them. Apparently they think that status quo is better for them.

 

[Jimbo]

I live in the Lehigh Valley which is in the Philly RSN. My cable company, SECTV, carries both CSN and the overflow channel,TCN, in their basic (not lifeline) package. I see no reason why D* and E*, who charge $9 or $10 for their Sports Packages could not get an affordable contract if they really wanted to since they could use the other cablecos rates as evidence in an arbitration hearing. I believe current FCC law prohibits providers from using excessive fees to discriminate against particular customers.

If that were true, all providers would have a set fee pricing so negotiations would not be an issue unless you were dropping them all together.

I think each provider gets whatever the can settle on for payment.

ComcSt could be asking $3 per sub for most providers while asking D* for $5 per ...
Yes, Comcast was told to open up the availablility and they did, but now they are asking outragous fees for it.

 

[iceturkee]

Report: DIRECTV & Dish Nixed Arbitration For SportsNetPhiladelphiaTVPredictions.com (press release) - Washington, D.C. (January 27, 2014) - DIRECTVand Dish have rejected arbitration hearings to settle their differences with ComcastSportsNet ...


http://www.tvpredictions.com/tv012714.htm

quoting swanni agaain, yikes!

 

[ejb1980]

I live in the Lehigh Valley which is in the Philly RSN. My cable company, SECTV, carries both CSN and the overflow channel,TCN, in their basic (not lifeline) package. I see no reason why D* and E*, who charge $9 or $10 for their Sports Packages could not get an affordable contract if they really wanted to since they could use the other cablecos rates as evidence in an arbitration hearing. I believe current FCC law prohibits providers from using excessive fees to discriminate against particular customers.

Directv Sports Pack is $12.99 and the Directv Deportes pack is $4.99.

 

[oldengineer]

If that were true, all providers would have a set fee pricing so negotiations would not be an issue unless you were dropping them all together.

I think each provider gets whatever the can settle on for payment.

ComcSt could be asking $3 per sub for most providers while asking D* for $5 per ...
Yes, Comcast was told to open up the availablility and they did, but now they are asking outragous fees for it.

FCC mandating fairness in negotiations. They aren't allowed to set arbitrarily high prices to exclude a provider. Since D* and E* are much larger than any of the local cablecos logic would dictate lower or equal fees for them. Why won't they go to arbitration?

 

[Tampa8]

But the price of the Sports pack has nothing to do with it. If the Philly RSN was carried it would be in a regular package, insisted on by the RSN just as the others are. In addition, the price they wanted with DISH or Direct was high, but not so high as to be deemed not negotiating in good faith. Direct is probably in a better position to get it since they already have a surcharge in some areas for RSN's.

 

[Jimbo]

But the price of the Sports pack has nothing to do with it. If the Philly RSN was carried it would be in a regular package, insisted on by the RSN just as the others are. In addition, the price they wanted with DISH or Direct was high, but not so high as to be deemed not negotiating in good faith. Direct is probably in a better position to get it since they already have a surcharge in some areas for RSN's.

You know the prices requested vs the prices wanted ?
How do you know that the prices being asked for were reasonable ?
what 1 person calls reasonable may be entirley different.

If Most RSNs are going for $1.50 per sub (this is just an example, I really dont know the figure the avg rsn goes for) and Comcast is asking $4 p/s, thats Ridiculous, and why they are not on D*.

The FCC said, open it up to the Sat Cos, but didn't say they had to offer a reasonable price for it.

 

[Adamv2]

The article notes that comcast is asking for $5 per sub, but it also notes that directv already pays $4.02 per sub for CSN DC, so I don't see what the big deal is, when they could just add a RSN surcharge like they already do in NY, and I think LA.

Also thing about baseball arbitration, is alot of times the arbitrator picks a number somewhere in the middle. So if direct want to pay $3 per sub, and comcast wants $5 they could still get a $4 verdict. Frankly if the other area cable providers, & fios aren't paying anywhere near $5, and if no other RSN in the country is going for that price, I like directv's odds on winning the case anyway. I don't understand why they would pass.

 

[Tampa8]

You know the prices requested vs the prices wanted ?
How do you know that the prices being asked for were reasonable ?
what 1 person calls reasonable may be entirley different.

If Most RSNs are going for $1.50 per sub (this is just an example, I really dont know the figure the avg rsn goes for) and Comcast is asking $4 p/s, thats Ridiculous, and why they are not on D*.

The FCC said, open it up to the Sat Cos, but didn't say they had to offer a reasonable price for it.

Several articles in the past and now have addressed this including giving what is believed to be the amount being asked, so yes I do have an idea. I see a cost from about $5.00+. I never said reasonable, or unreasonable. In the past what was said is after they were made to offer the channel, both DISH and Direct did not get it because they felt it was too high. From that came exactly what I posted, there has been no further action because it was deemed the asking price (whatever it was) was negotiating good faith. I am not commenting on that being reasonable or not. If it was deemed unreasonable Dish and or Direct would be pursuing it in court again.

This isn't new, the prices are not new. I have seen articles since 2010 when the court ruling was made, yes almost 4 years ago. there's a reason neither Direct or DISH have done anything with it, it's the reason I gave.

Here's the exact same reply Iceberg gave in 2012;

yeah the loophole is closed now but CSN Philly is asking for like $5 a sub for it and both D* and E* pretty much told them to F off....
and since CSN Philly can ask for whatever price they can thats how they are getting around the loophole

 

[Jimbo]

The article notes that comcast is asking for $5 per sub, but it also notes that directv already pays $4.02 per sub for CSN DC, so I don't see what the big deal is, when they could just add a RSN surcharge like they already do in NY, and I think LA.

Also thing about baseball arbitration, is alot of times the arbitrator picks a number somewhere in the middle. So if direct want to pay $3 per sub, and comcast wants $5 they could still get a $4 verdict. Frankly if the other area cable providers, & fios aren't paying anywhere near $5, and if no other RSN in the country is going for that price, I like directv's odds on winning the case anyway. I don't understand why they would pass.

Thats my point ... If FIOS and UVERSE are paying $3 or less per sub, why are they asking D* for 4-5 per sub ...

Because they don't like each other is why and if D* refuses to pay the extremely high rates Comcast wants, good for them ...

When Comcast asks the same rate or close as they do for the rest, THEN you'll see a deal, but I doubt thats gonna happen.

 

[Jimbo]

Several articles in the past and now have addressed this including giving what is believed to be the amount being asked, so yes I do have an idea. I see a cost from about $5.00+. I never said reasonable, or unreasonable. In the past what was said is after they were made to offer the channel, both DISH and Direct did not get it because they felt it was too high. From that came exactly what I posted, there has been no further action because it was deemed the asking price (whatever it was) was negotiating good faith. I am not commenting on that being reasonable or not. If it was deemed unreasonable Dish and or Direct would be pursuing it in court again.

This isn't new, the prices are not new. I have seen articles since 2010 when the court ruling was made, yes almost 4 years ago. there's a reason neither Direct or DISH have done anything with it, it's the reason I gave.

Here's the exact same reply Iceberg gave in 2012;

And if Icebergs post is accurate and I believe it would be, IF Comcast is asking D* $5 per sub, I can easily see why they have not signed up for it.

They are asking way too much for it.

Now if we know for sure what U Verse and Fios is giving then we would have a true comparison.

I have no problem with D* not having the channel if they are being asked way too much ...

Someone mentioned $4 vs $5 thats STILL a ton difference per sub for a channel.

 

[madmadworld]

back to the fcc they go ?

 

[doublek97]

In baseball arbitration, the arbitrator picks one or the other -- not a middle ground figure. Each side has to arrive at a final figure to give the arbitrator for consideration -- knowing that that they will either win or lose. Of course, in baseball arbitration cases the two sides often arrive at a compromise agreement BEFORE the arbitrator renders a decision -- and that agreement is a compromise of the two figures.

 

[rmmrph]

I can guarantee it. Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers games are carried nearly exclusively or exclusively on Comcasts channels.