DirecTV / Versus dispute: Who's side are you on?

[Will94]

The article Scott referenced was very interesting. I've always been a Sports Pack subscriber, which I had assumed Versus was a part of.

I've been a DirecTV subscriber since September 1995 but decided that I would switch to Dish if this isn't resolved before next year's Tour de France. Then I found out that you have to subscribe to their 250 channel package to get Versus.

I hate Comcast... dating back to the days of them deciding to use Prism's distribution method (They bought Sportschannel Philadelphia at the same time) to keep CSN away from their competition, but I think that Versus is a good channel which deserves to be available to both Dish and DirecTV customers in one of their less expensive packages.

I am sure as hell not going to the local cable monopoly.


DirecTV, please fix this situation!!

 

[Hookem99]

Looks like I am going to have to find a place to watch the Texas game tomorrow. GRRRR.... this crap better be over by Hockey season.....

 

[engguy]

Notably quite in all of this is the NHL. At least from anything I can find in terms of a public statement. The NHL has had so much bad press over not getting back on ESPN that this is the last thing they needed.

 

[scoop8]

This was just posted on the other forum:

FWIW, CSR just said DTV has handed in a new offer to Comcast/VS, and they haven't responded yet. I need it for my first Sharks game of the year on 10/1. VS ONLY.

Maybe there's hope.....

 

[TomCat4680]

This was just posted on the other forum:

FWIW, CSR just said DTV has handed in a new offer to Comcast/VS, and they haven't responded yet. I need it for my first Sharks game of the year on 10/1. VS ONLY.

Maybe there's hope.....

I'd take that with a grain of salt. CSR's will say anything to keep people from yelling at them. Its probably not true, but if it is I'm glad.

 

[ETS]

DirecTV must be feelin weird about this one. During the Indycar race from Japan, announcer Bob Jenkins annouced VERSUS just signed a deal with NASCAR! He said in 2009 VERSUS will air 10 Highlight Packages on Tuesday on the Sprint Cup for the Chase. But he hinted at more NASCAR coverage commin to VERSUS in 2010.

DirecTV is the offcial Cable/Satelite Provider for NASCAR and has their sticker on every car. So now NASCAR coverage wont be able to be seen in DirecTV? lol

Heres story about it: http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/business/09/18/versus.chase.program/index.html

NASCAR this year had trouble shoppin their East & West Series TV Deals to Networks(afed HDNET droped it) and SPEED picked it up in the last second and aired both series in a tape delayed program. NASCAR is also tryin to get a TV deal for their Whelen Series which SPEED aired 2 live races this year with good ratings. So I will take a guess VERSUS is gonna have the East/West/Whelen series next year. (Cup/N'Wide/Truck deals are locked till 2014)

 

[bgothard72]

Pissed here because I can't watch PBR!

 

[stonecold]

I'd take that with a grain of salt. CSR's will say anything to keep people from yelling at them. Its probably not true, but if it is I'm glad.

I can say I dont know where the csr got that bit of in our database on versus has not changed since the day it went off the air. DTV says they are still working to reach an agreement but nothing new from the day versus went off air.

I know that they wanted to have this resloved before Hockey season according to one memo just hope they do.

 

[scoop8]

A member on the other forum posted a site link about the story here . I posted a comment there. Can't hurt. Here's my post at their site:

Add me as another NHL fan that's not happy with this dispute. Admittedly a DirecTV customer, I tend to side with them on this issue but that's primarily due to the trend that Comcast has shown with satt providers in other matters regarding their properties, CSN Philly and CSN northwest. Those that follow the industry know the details. It appears to me that Comcast is following a strategy to try and remove more of their sports outlets from satt providers which only hurts satt customers. As a satt customer, I do not agree with the present laws that allow a programmer to own a national sports broadcasting outlet since that, to me, seems to represent a conflict of interest.

I don't have the option to add Comcast cable in my
area.

I agree with the original poster. DTV customers need to be able to view the VS NHL games in their out-of-mkt "Center Ice" subscription pkgs.

I posted a comment at the article site since there was another poster that "flamed" the NHL hard (the guy was not an NHL fan and from reading his post, doesn't think that anyone else is, due to the lack of posts at that site about the VS dispute. This guy also used "flaming" language and pointed out the lack of NHL fan's interest due to the small amout of post comments at the above site. I figured I'd add my 2 cents.

 

[Mark_R_G]

Your poll needs a third choice, neither.

To me this is just the latest pawn in the cable/sat battle. And both of them have done their own way to paint the opponent as the 'bad' guy.

My message to Comcast, there's simply no way I'm leaving DirecTV for yours, with or without VS. I specifically left your service many years ago to DTV over the poor service and extremely invasive salesmanship and after getting the whole system setup the way I want it in my home, nothing you can do will make me even consider looking at cable again. I really don't think Comcast understands this, they somehow think by playing this game with a channel they're going to get people to go to them.

DirecTV on the other hand has put up this whole thing of how they are trying to make a deal, but I'd be willing to bet what is truly fair is someplace in between DTV's offers and what Comcrap wants.

Frankly, they better both start to get more concerned about actually serving their customers, the fiber is currently rolling through my neighborhood. Even a setup I'm happy with notwithstanding, this kind of bully match putting us the viewer in the middle leaves a bad taste and opens the door for at least consideration of this third party.

 

[KillrBuckeye]

If it's really true that D* is trying to put Versus on the Sports Package, then I'd side with Versus on this one. I already pay D* what I feel is a ridiculous monthly subscription rate for dozens upon dozens of channels that I never watch. I'm not willing to pay more for a channel that I strongly believe should be available on the Total Choice package. My main concern is missing Red Wings games. The season opener in Sweden is on VS, along with 8 or 9 other regular season games. If a deal isn't reached by playoff time, I'm not sure what I'll do.

 

[wildbill129]

For the first time this VS dispute finally hit me where it hurts. The OSU vs. Arizona game is this weekend on Versus.....I doubt this will be resolved by then.....crap...

 

[SignGuyDino]

I side with DirecTV. Vs. had signed on for the United Football League many months ago and just now advertising it on their website. Not to mention their message board is horrible. They simply don't do everything professional.

 

[This1]

I side with Directv I ma pissed they don't have it but Comcast J3rkoffs they also will not put
philly comcast on DTV since there is a loop hole with when they were bought form prism
I miss that channel more then anything I wish I could get comcast philly/prism

Comcast U GUYS S***

 

[SpaethCo]

I think it's interesting that DirecTV's latest plea is about Versus/Comcast being anti-competitive due to price.

This is, of course, coming from the same company that is paying the NFL $1 billion per season for exclusive carriage rights for Sunday Ticket. It's also the same company who tried to make a similar exclusive arrangement with the MLB for the Extra Innings package, but instead just succeeded in raising the carriage costs for all players involved by 300%.

I don't know how you want to label it -- marketplace karma? -- but DirecTV is simply facing the challenges of the negotiating market that they had a huge hand in fostering.

 

[Jimbo]

I think it's interesting that DirecTV's latest plea is about Versus/Comcast being anti-competitive due to price.

This is, of course, coming from the same company that is paying the NFL $1 billion per season for exclusive carriage rights for Sunday Ticket. It's also the same company who tried to make a similar exclusive arrangement with the MLB for the Extra Innings package, but instead just succeeded in raising the carriage costs for all players involved by 300%.

I don't know how you want to label it -- marketplace karma? -- but DirecTV is simply facing the challenges of the negotiating market that they had a huge hand in fostering.

Your forgetting that the D*/ ST agreement goes WAY back to the BEGINNING when NO OTHER Provider wanted to get in on it.
D* was willing to take a chance on an unknown product.
They did and they won, this agreement was from way back in the mid '90's.

ALL others had the oppertunity to get in, but chose otherwise, NOW that want in ....... Sorry.

I don't have a problem with D* and it's exclusive contract with the ST AT ALL

Jimbo

 

[SpaethCo]

You're kind of missing my point -- if DirecTV wants to pay a premium to lock up these offerings, great. But if they do, they can't turn around and scream "unfair" when someone else plays a similar game -- at least not without a lot of "pot meet kettle" turnabout.

MLB EI is the better example -- they could have just continued to buy in at the same price and kept the pricing for everyone low, but instead they made an ultra-aggressive bid to lock up the package as an exclusive. Of course, we all know at this point that this strategy backfired on many levels -- the MLB backed off on an exclusive deal after the threat of regulatory intervention was involved, but the bidding war pushed the price of the package up 300% for the PayTV providers as a result of these actions. The MLB got their huge bump in revenue, Dish was financially forced to drop the package, iNDemand ponied up the cash to match D*'s bid, and overall subscribers got screwed as the package jumped in price from $159 to $199/season.

The actions of one company (DirecTV) negatively impacted the pricing situation for the entire industry (DirecTV included). This is why it's so amusing to watch them throw the "bully" label around, even if it is a 20% price hike on Vs.

 

[Jimbo]

You're kind of missing my point -- if DirecTV wants to pay a premium to lock up these offerings, great. But if they do, they can't turn around and scream "unfair" when someone else plays a similar game -- at least not without a lot of "pot meet kettle" turnabout.

MLB EI is the better example -- they could have just continued to buy in at the same price and kept the pricing for everyone low, but instead they made an ultra-aggressive bid to lock up the package as an exclusive. Of course, we all know at this point that this strategy backfired on many levels -- the MLB backed off on an exclusive deal after the threat of regulatory intervention was involved, but the bidding war pushed the price of the package up 300% for the PayTV providers as a result of these actions. The MLB got their huge bump in revenue, Dish was financially forced to drop the package, iNDemand ponied up the cash to match D*'s bid, and overall subscribers got screwed as the package jumped in price from $159 to $199/season.

The actions of one company (DirecTV) negatively impacted the pricing situation for the entire industry (DirecTV included). This is why it's so amusing to watch them throw the "bully" label around, even if it is a 20% price hike on Vs.

Why, I channel does not have anything to do with Package of channels.

Are you SERIOUSLY comparing the ST to VS ?
If it came down to that, it's easy, Bye Bye VS.

 

[SpaethCo]

Are you SERIOUSLY comparing the ST to VS ?
If it came down to that, it's easy, Bye Bye VS.

I didn't mention Sunday Ticket at all in the post you quoted. Again, I think you're missing the big picture.

In particular, I'm referencing the rhetoric in DirecTV's recent mass mailing: http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/188872-note-directv-customers-regarding-versus.html

We’re sorry that Versus’ stubbornness is keeping fans from seeing the sports they love, but we have to think about the overall long term economic effect on our customers.

So when D* makes aggressive bids for programming like they did with NFL:ST and MLB:EI it's a good thing, even though it means subscriber bills go up.

When Versus invests in contracts to carry the NHL and IndyCar racing and passes some of the expense on to the companies distributing the channel, all of a sudden DirecTV is concerned about the economic impact on their customers?

The same DirecTV that is so concerned about hurting their customers financially that they lock you into another 24 month contract if you need your dead receiver replaced? Or the same DirecTV that is so concerned with delivering value that they only give a fraction of the HBO/Cinemax/Showtime/Starz channels to you that other providers do? Or how about the DirecTV that wanted to put Versus into the separate Sports pack so they could charge their customer base even more money to have access to it?

 

[Araxen]

I'm on nobodies side. I just want Vs back ASAP. I am strongly looking at Dish at the moment. If Vs isn't back by the time WEC rolls around later this month and I'm leaning on switching. I've been with Directv 10 years and pay over $100/month for programming and not having Vs will become a deal breaker for me.