Dish HD vs Disney (DISH sort of won...)

[Scherrman]

For those of you wanting Dish to drop the ESPN channels what would you do if they were dropped but your bill didn't go down. If Dish did drop those channels I can't imagine them lowering their package prices.

Now if Dish did drop the ESPN channels and lowered packages by $10 you could see them still being a major provider. They would take a big hit but they would keep their market of low cost customers. Dish would go back to being the obvious choice for the lowest cost for TV.

 

[smokey982]

I personally think it would kill Dish in the end if they lost those channels. I understand many on this site are not sports fans and many more are tech savvy enough to find that programming another way (Roku, Apple TV, ect). Even in my circle of family and friends I would say at least 75% of them are sports fans.

I personally love Dish and I love my hopper. I've stayed with them through other lost channels in the past. But I would leave in a heartbeat without ESPN and Disney (for my daughter).

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[Scherrman]

I would start selling DirecTV along with Dish and then I would drop my Dish and put DirecTV in my house. I would possible keep Dish but with only a Hopper and a cheap package with DirecTV but no way I would go without the ESPN channels.

 

[Teehar]

Charlie knows that the loss of ESPN would virtually kill Dish,he will do all he can to avoid that.

 

[NotMe546]

The big fat rat is to greedy to let it go!!!!!

 

[TheKrell]

Shove the damn channel into a sports tier and let the scoundrels charge whatever the market will bear. I personally wouldn't pay one red cent for ESPN. (But that's just me.)

 

[allargon]

Now if Dish did drop the ESPN channels and lowered packages by $10 you could see them still being a major provider. They would take a big hit but they would keep their market of low cost customers. Dish would go back to being the obvious choice for the lowest cost for TV.

The lower tier subscribers might keep the lights on, but they aren't as profitable. This higher tier subscriber (AEP+Blockbuster HD) would definitely leave with the loss of ESPN even if they did shave $10 off my bill.

Dish would fall from 2nd to 5th or 6th and become known as the bottom tier. Wall Street would be merciless with the stock price. No, I don't see Dish losing ESPN. They could lose it in HD, but losing ESPN in SD would kill Dish as it's known today.

 

[jbrelish]

Shove the damn channel into a sports tier and let the scoundrels charge whatever the market will bear. I personally wouldn't pay one red cent for ESPN. (But that's just me.)

And that is just what ESPN doesn't want to happen. It would show that what they(ESPN) charge is way overpriced for what they deliver. I know the sports fans are screaming at this but there are probably just as many who could care less if ESPN disappears tomorrow. All I watch there is Nascar Sprint Cup, that's it for what 14 races out of the season.

If I were allowed to pick what channels I wanted to see my bill would be under $50 instead of $170. Basically ABC/Disney/ESPN wouldn't see a dime of my money. I can get ABC OTA so all the rest is no loss to me.

So split off sports and let those fans pick that package if they so choose. Then ESPN's true worth would be shown.

 

[Ronnie-]

Your bill is $170? Is that because of the channel prices, or equipment fees?

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[Fitzie]

There are two other factors that also may come into play on this issue.

First, is that Charlie Ergen may be trying to interest capital funds (Roberts?) in doing a complete buyout of Dish Network so he wouldn't have to worry about the programming end. If he could cash out, he would be one of the richest people in the U.S.

Second is that the SEC may put together their own sports network (similar to the Big Ten Network) to sell to distributors such as Dish and Comcast to reduce the conference's dependence on ESPN and CBS. If ESPN is gone, more capacity would be available for the RSNs to provide additional programming in HD. NASCAR could also do the same if necessary.

Best regards,
Fitzie

 

[whatchel1]

Majority? No. But, a HUGE number would jump ship. HUGE. The loss would be 10% at minimum, but quite possibly as high as 25%. Sports fans and families with kids make up a huge demographic for any carrier.

For sure, Disney/ESPN/ABC revenue would take a big hit if they lost Dish viewers. But, I think Dish would lose a higher percentage of viewers than Disney/ESPN/ABC would, if Dish stopped carrying their channels.

Just like the loss of AMC cost them 10%.

 

[Curtis0620]

There are two other factors that also may come into play on this issue.

First, is that Charlie Ergen may be trying to interest capital funds (Roberts?) in doing a complete buyout of Dish Network so he wouldn't have to worry about the programming end. If he could cash out, he would be one of the richest people in the U.S.

Second is that the SEC may put together their own sports network (similar to the Big Ten Network) to sell to distributors such as Dish and Comcast to reduce the conference's dependence on ESPN and CBS. If ESPN is gone, more capacity would be available for the RSNs to provide additional programming in HD. NASCAR could also do the same if necessary.

Best regards,
Fitzie

You do know that the SEC network will be owned by ESPN don't you?

 

[Scherrman]

The lower tier subscribers might keep the lights on, but they aren't as profitable. This higher tier subscriber (AEP+Blockbuster HD) would definitely leave with the loss of ESPN even if they did shave $10 off my bill.

Dish would fall from 2nd to 5th or 6th and become known as the bottom tier. Wall Street would be merciless with the stock price. No, I don't see Dish losing ESPN. They could lose it in HD, but losing ESPN in SD would kill Dish as it's known today.

I completely agree. I would actually like to see how many pay TV customers out there feel they need to have ESPN and how many of them watch it at least 5 days of the week. I myself watch ESPN every day. I also watch NFL Network nearly every day.

 

[osu1991]

I love sports, but espn has only been on in my house once since the football bowl games and nfl ended and that was for the osu/ku basketball game a few weeks ago. Hasn't been on since.

There are many other sources for news and updates that are real time instead of watching the gazillionth repeat of sportscenter and most teams have the majority of their games on the rsn's for mlb, nba and nhl. So the need for espn is diminshing for many people.

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[Centex]

I love sports, but espn has only been on in my house once since the football bowl games and nfl ended and that was for the osu/ku basketball game a few weeks ago. Hasn't been on since.

There are many other sources for news and updates that are real time instead of watching the gazillionth repeat of sportscenter and most teams have the majority of their games on the rsn's for mlb, nba and nhl. So the need for espn is diminshing for many people.

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But when "your team" is playing, you watch it. I figure ESPN is table stakes for most cable/sat providers--not everyone wants it, but if a provider does not have it, they are no longer a serious contender.

The other thing is that for many casual sports fans--those people that watch one or 2 games a week during the season of whatever sport they are into--ESPN has replaced what used to be on network TV. MNF used to be on ABC, now it is ESPN, much of the NCAA tourney--ESPN.

 

[mike123abc]

But when "your team" is playing, you watch it. I figure ESPN is table stakes for most cable/sat providers--not everyone wants it, but if a provider does not have it, they are no longer a serious contender.

The other thing is that for many casual sports fans--those people that watch one or 2 games a week during the season of whatever sport they are into--ESPN has replaced what used to be on network TV. MNF used to be on ABC, now it is ESPN, much of the NCAA tourney--ESPN.

Disney moved all the sports from ABC to ESPN because Disney can charge more for ESPN than they can for ABC...

 

[Mochuf]

much of the NCAA tourney--ESPN.

Are you talking about the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament? That belongs to CBS, ESPN only shows conference tournament games.

 

[osu1991]

But when "your team" is playing, you watch it. I figure ESPN is table stakes for most cable/sat providers--not everyone wants it, but if a provider does not have it, they are no longer a serious contender.

The other thing is that for many casual sports fans--those people that watch one or 2 games a week during the season of whatever sport they are into--ESPN has replaced what used to be on network TV. MNF used to be on ABC, now it is ESPN, much of the NCAA tourney--ESPN.

Of course. I would bet most people only watch it during certain sports seasons. Thats why I think there needs to be some more programming tiers. Espn is going to stay in the basic tier no matter what people want, but I think the other espn nets will slowly get shifted to a sports tier.

Ncaa tourney is on cbs, tnt and tbs, not espn. Espn will have conference tournaments and the women's tourney

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[fuzzfacefrombboard]

This higher tier subscriber (AEP+Blockbuster HD) would definitely leave with the loss of ESPN even if they did shave $10 off my bill.

This high tier subscriber would not.

 

[hahler2]

Count me in the group that would jump ship if we lost Disney/ESPN. Not a huge sports guy but I do watch ESPN during nfl season. However all of my kids favorite channels are on Disney.

I actually really like my hopper and don't want to go back to directv but would have to in that situation.