DIRECTV CEO Says He’s Seen “Immaterial” Sub Loss Without Dodgers Channel

[dfergie]

“We’d still like to carry the Dodgers. We’re still having discussions with Time Warner Cable about it.” But he chafes at the price TWC wants, reportedly $4 per month for each subscriber who receives the channel.
“It’s a tax on most customers who wouldn’t pay it if they had a choice.” But White says DirecTV’s churn in LA has been “immaterial ….We’ll continue discussions and hope we can get to a sensible place.” The prices TWC still wants are “so far are beyond what a rational view of the market is.”

deadline.com

 

[gadgtfreek]

What is the Dodgers channel?

I kid I kid.

 

[dfergie]

What is the Dodgers channel?

I kid I kid.

Used to be free, like many things...

 

[gadgtfreek]

Aint much free any more!

 

[Alondite]

Stone. Cold.

 

[Mr Tony]

Vin Scully probably hasnt cancelled yet (in another article they made light that Vin has Directv and therefore cant see the non West coast games.......he is at those )

 

[whitewolf8214]

SportsNet LA-DirecTV talks stalled with Dodgers playing .500 baseball http://seekingalpha.com/news/178760...lks-stalled-with-dodgers-playing-500-baseball

 

[larry55]

Peoples will leave if D don't carry sec channel. I don't watch baseball .

 

[ejb1980]

Peoples will leave if D don't carry sec channel. I don't watch baseball .

Absolutely. Football is only a couple months away and people are talking about it more and more locally. This is ACC country but we're still the south - people HERE (NC) will leave for the SEC Channel. I can't imagine what people in AL MS GA, FL, etc - the heart of SEC country - will do without it. Bars that have D* (most) can't survive. If TWC, BrightHouse, and other southern cable companies get it, D* will be FOOLISH not to.

There is absolutely no reason that the current TWCSN (ch 691) and the TWC Deportes (ch 458) can't handle the Dodgers games and related programming in addition to their current content.

 

[Claude Greiner]

The issue I see is what does someone do if they do not live in a time warner area but the dodgers are their local team ?

Talk about limiting your potential audience

 

[ejb1980]

The same thing people do here, except opposite. MASN is a local RSN for the Orioles and nationals, but TWC doesn't carry it. All of NC is in the marketfor MASN but TWC viewers can't watch them. The issue is the the Dodgers are MUCH more popular in LA than the Nats or Orioles are in NC. But, at the end of the day, it's the same.

If you want to watch all 4 of our local MLB teams, get D*. If you only want to watch the Braves - get TWC. The 4th team is the Reds. With the Sportspack, you can watch all the Reds games on FSCin. There are some on SportsSouth2, and a few of those make it to cable.

In summary:

RSNs: Greensboro, NC area
Directv:
MASN
MASN2 (PT)
FS South
FS Carolinas (PT)
FS Tennessee (PT, Reds only)
FS Cincinatti (Reds only)
SportsSouth

TWC:
FS South/FS Carolinas combo
Sportsouth
TWCSC Carolinas

This issue is not isolated to Los Angeles, nor is it new to anyone - including them. Cox tried something sorta similar if I recall a while ago. You can see how well that worked out by tuning to channel 694 on your Directv receiver. This too will fail and within a couple years, I wouldn't be surprised to see TWCSN LA and TWCSN merge.

 

[dodger72]

is it true extra innings does have SNLA feed? i see it in the guide

 

[robjlevin]

Even if they do, it would be blacked out in LA. Much the same as CSN Philly feeds for the Flyers and Philies being blacked out in Philadelphia/Southern NJ for Center Ice/Extra Innings.