DISH Cries Foul Over DIRECTV/MLB Deal

So - who BELIEVES that Echostar cares about competition? When they pulled the plug on Court TV or when they did it to Lifetime - and left the viewers of those channels high and dry (in order to leverage themselves with the content providers) - for WHOSE benefit was that. Certainly NOT for their viewers.


You are completly wrong. Competition is exactly why they did it. And left them high and dry??? For a few weeks??? Please.
 
I don't believe for a second the fan base will be lowered. This deal is only for the out-of-market package, not for any normal ESPN or FOX or Regional Sports Network games. This is an add-on package, just like Sunday Ticket. And Sunday Ticket has not cause the NFL to lose some of its fan base.

It's not really about "if it is local or out of market". They are taking a service away from some of its fans who already had the ability to purchase their product.

How do you think some fans feel if they signed a contract with Dish or a Cable company last year knowing that they were able to purchase MLBEI, and possibly even spent money for equipment or installation knowing they were able to purchase EI. Yet, this year, they no longer have the option. That's why I feel MLB is being ignorant.

Even the opening paragraph from the article Scott posted agreed that they are trying very hard to chase it's fan base away.

-----MLB Strikes Out With Marketing:

"Major league baseball is trying very hard to chase away its fan base and make football the national pastime. The latest move is to shut out fans who would like to buy out of market games by signing an exclusive deal with DirecTV."

"As detailed by Associated Press, baseball is close to signing a contract that would take away the "Extra Innings" package from cable and Dish Network customers, 230,000 of whom paid for the service last year."

So they take extra money to get less subscribers to their EI package. Now the idiots @ MLB will probably take that money and use it for Advertising and Marketing to try and get more fans to watch Baseball. Wise people, very wise.
 
MLB can sell their games to whomever they want too just like the NFL does with ST. Dish needs to quit crying and be the highest bidder for once. I dont like it but that is the way it is. Charlie is just too damn tight. You guys will lose every package like this to Directv. Hell, Charlie cant even keep his non pay channels from being dropped while he disputes the cost of HGTV or whatever and you expect the tight SOB to outbid D* for a sports package?
 
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Well I like many Philadelphia sports fans have been without Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia for years now on DBS, if this MLB exclusive deal goes thru, this will hurt even the 0% chance Philly fans have at getting CSN on satellite. It's all B.S. and I grew tired of it and gave up caring years ago. CSN-Philly still gets the loophole that nobody will do anything about, and now this will happen and once again we step backwards like with our current administration. Wow how much more motivated can we feel folks.
 
MLB can sell their games to whomever they want too just like the NFL does with ST. Dish needs to quit crying and be the highest bidder for once. I dont like it but that is the way it is. Charlie is just too damn tight. You guys will lose every package like this to Directv. Hell, Charlie cant even keep his non pay channels from being dropped while he disputes the cost of HGTV or whatever and you expect the tight SOB to outbid D* for a sports package?

yeah let's just keep everything going up 200% a year in inflation for tv viewing, really good idea. meanwhile people are losing jobs to india/mexico, retirement, pensions. Exclusive deals hurt everyone. No competition.
 
Here is my take on Charlie not spending the money to get EI. Just say that Charlie did out bit D* on this, then lets say that not enought people subscribed to the service. Who do you think will make up the difference? The rest of us who have E*.

I am one of the lucky baseball fans who live in the market for my team so EI doesn't really get me anything. But I can tell you that MLB doing this is really shoooting themselves in the foot. I just dont see 230,000 people switching from their current provider weather it be cable or E* just for MLBEI.
 
This is just a poor move. It would be one thing if Charlie didn't want to pay for MLB but to have an arrangement that makes it exlusive just isn't right. The anger should be directed at MLB for allowing this deal to happen. D* saw an opportunity to do something that it thinks will help them and they took it. MLB did not have to allow D* exclusive rights. I wonder how much it is going to cost for those that have D*. I am sure it will be more than last year. Only the baseball fan gets hurt in this deal.
 
Kerry: FCC Probing DIRECTV-MLB Deal

http://www.tvpredictions.com/kerryfcc022207.htm

The Massachusetts senator says the agency has requested more information.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (February 22, 2007) -- The Federal Communications Commission has asked DIRECTV and Major League Baseball for more information on a proposed exclusive deal to carry out-of-market games.

That's according to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who has criticized the proposed arrangement.

The league reportedly is close to giving DIRECTV an exclusive contract to offer 'MLB Extra Innings,' a pay package of up to 60 games each week. If approved. DIRECTV could broadcast many of the games in High-Definition.


However, the proposed deal has sparked outrage from Kerry and other critics who say it would deny cable viewers the opportunity to see the games. The 'Extra Innings' package has been available to cable and satellite viewers for several years.

Kerry says FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has informed him that the agency will report on how the deal would affect consumers after he gets more information from DIRECTV and MLB.

While that's a long way from the FCC intervening in the deal, Kerry said: "It's good to know that (Martin) also has concerns about a deal that has the potential to deny choice to so many consumers, all apparently in the interest of a short-term profit for Major League Baseball."
 
Its not about the cable companies not bidding enough. MLB went for an "exclusive" contract. There is no way a cable company like Mediacom or Insight could have the resources, or the customers, to bid on an exclusive contract.

MLB said "hey lets get an exclusive deal" and DirecTV took the bait.

Well if the above two companies can't pay for MLB then they are just out of luck. MLB and D* have a right to have an exclusive contract and I say more power to them. Perhaps all the cable outlets could have pooled their resources to outbid D*. But they didn't and the best man won as far as i'm concerned.

ron
 
not even close.

NFL ST wnt to Directv before Dish was even a company. Little hard to bid when youre not even a company yet (yes I know Echostar was a company. Im talking Dish Network)

When the contract comes up, Directv gets first dibs to keep it and they have. If they didnt then it would go out to all bidders

I have to add an edit...the last contract was available to all but DirecTV outbid them all. But the 3 times before that it wasn't

I believe when a bid is up for renewal the previous holder of the contract has a right for first refusal. So D* excepted the offer without it ever having to go out for bid. I don't know for certain if this happened but woudln't be surprised if it did.

I still say if you want MLB switch to D*. If you live in an apartment where you can't put up a dish. Get your development to sign a contract with D* where they wire the entire development. I'm sure they'd be happy to do that for them.

It's just a bunch of whiners who are complaining as far as i'm concerned. Get over it already. You can't run to big government everytime you don't get your way. Kerry , Specter and the rest should stay out of it. It's between D* and MLB what they do. To the best of my knowledge they havent' broken any law. remember no one said life was fair.

Ron
 
Maybe some here can post information on how we can contact the FCC and file our complaints on the deal. Does anyone know how to contact the FCC ?
 
Maybe some here can post information on how we can contact the FCC and file our complaints on the deal. Does anyone know how to contact the FCC ?

What are you gong to complain about? You aren't getting your way. I don't think so.

I still say anyone who wants MLB and has a view of the sat. can't subscribe to D*. I'd say that's most people. If you want to stay with your cable company or E* that's your choice. You just won't get to watch MLB is all.

Instead of complaining to your representatives about losing MLB why don't you write to them telling them you want our troops home from Iraq? I'd say that's a bit more important.

I believe D* is doing this to increase subscribers which makes sense ot me. Why MLB is doing this I haven't the slightest idea. I'm sure it will and does alienate people but at the end of it all it is MLB's right to make this decision if they wish. Complaing all you want isn't going to make them change their mind.

Ron
 
What are you gong to complain about? You aren't getting your way. I don't think so.

I still say anyone who wants MLB and has a view of the sat. can't subscribe to D*. I'd say that's most people. If you want to stay with your cable company or E* that's your choice. You just won't get to watch MLB is all.

Instead of complaining to your representatives about losing MLB why don't you write to them telling them you want our troops home from Iraq? I'd say that's a bit more important.

I believe D* is doing this to increase subscribers which makes sense ot me. Why MLB is doing this I haven't the slightest idea. I'm sure it will and does alienate people but at the end of it all it is MLB's right to make this decision if they wish. Complaing all you want isn't going to make them change their mind.

Ron

I say if you don't care about MLB Extra Innings (which you obviously don't) than why don't you just get out of this thread. It is no business of yours. People here care about and want MLB Extra Innings. I mean what do I say to my elderly father who wants to watch his Met games in Florida. He has cable and subscribes to MLB Extra Innings and cannot have a dish in his retirment home down there. It is anti-consumer if people cannot get programming they want. Remember, everyone cannot have a dish. Why just you just go and participate in threads of things you care about and leave the MLBEI comments to people who care about it. :mad:
 
petition online?

Bloggers have started a brushfire of complaints across the Internet and Kerry has asked Federal Communications Commissioner Chairman Kevin Martin to investigate the proposed deal, which neither party has discussed in public thus far. But neither the grass-roots campaign backed by petitions with a few thousand signatures, nor Kerry, even with support from plenty of people in Congress, is likely to stop the deal."

Anyone know how I (and maybe the rest of us who care) can sign this petition?

For the record, I will be one of the current 50,000 Dish Network subscribers to EI who will not switch to DirectTV. Nor will I subscribe to EI via broadband connection.

If Dish is unable to carry Extra Innings in the future, the only major effect will be that I will save about $180 a year.

MLB sure has a way of shooting itself in the foot.
 
I say if you don't care about MLB Extra Innings (which you obviously don't) than why don't you just get out of this thread. It is no business of yours. People here care about and want MLB Extra Innings. I mean what do I say to my elderly father who wants to watch his Met games in Florida. He has cable and subscribes to MLB Extra Innings and cannot have a dish in his retirment home down there. It is anti-consumer if people cannot get programming they want. Remember, everyone cannot have a dish. Why just you just go and participate in threads of things you care about and leave the MLBEI comments to people who care about it. :mad:

I have as much right to post here and comment about people like you as you do. Just becasue i'm not interested in purchasing MLB doesn't mean i don't have an opinion on the subject and can't post here. According to you only people who want it can comment/complain like you can post Well dude yo're wrong about that. I actually would love to say something more to you but know ther are guide lines to follow on this board.

Why can't your dad get D*? There is no reason why his retirement community couldn't iwre the entire place with it. I'll tell you why. They're getting a kick back fromthe local cable company is why. I they all want it they should go to the board and demand that the place be wired for D*. This would solve the you aren't allowed to put up a dish on the wall.

Complain all you want. It's not going to change the situation one bit.

I guess Lucky isn't so lucky after all.

Ron
 
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It was reported yesterday that the FCC is requesting information from Directv and MLB to be submitted to them.
 
Thanks Iceberg. I think everyone who wants MLB Extra Innings on Dish Network or cable should write to the FCC. I certainly couldn't hurt to have our voice heard.

What law might I ask did D* and MLB break? i'd love to know that. Also when did the FCC get into what can or can't be programmed? i beleive they only care if it's offensive and that is only true when it's OTA.

Believe me if I wanted MLB i'd switch to D*. It doesn't matter to me who my provider is if they give me what I want.

Ron
 
Why can't your dad get D*? There is no reason why his retirement community couldn't iwre the entire place with it. I'll tell you why. They're getting a kick back fromthe local cable company is why. I they all want it they should go to the board and demand that the place be wired for D*. This would solve the you aren't allowed to put up a dish on the wall.

yep sure there Ron. You make it sound so easy. Just tell you're community/apartment complex to wire the whole building for Directv. Yeah sure. Like they'll jump at that chance. Then what? Raise the rates on association fees or other fees or raise the rent to pay for that "renovation". Yeah that will go over real well. Hey, maybe DirecTV can pay for that.

Most places don't get "kickbacks" from anyone. They just happened to be wired for cable or in some cases Dish Network.

Competition is good for the world. Good example is NFL ST. Lets see. Its what 230 bucks on DirecTv for that "exclusive" contract?
Hmmm...lets look at somewhere where there is competition for NFL ST. Canadians (and southern subs) can get NFL ST for either provider for LESS THAN HALF of what you pay here...And that's in Canadian money.

yep...them old exclusive contracts are really good. All it does is make the consumer bend over even more.
 

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