Got this from Morning Bridge. Maybe ESPN is about to get a rude awakening.
Last month, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said the rising costs of ESPN is a "tax on every American household." A few short weeks later, news has leaked that Cox is set to launch an economy subscription package without the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" giving pay-TV customers a choice on the four-letter sports net 'surcharge.'
According to company communication, Cox is launching its TV Economy package for $35 per month at the end of January. The package includes all of the channels in its "starter" package, plus a handful of national cable nets not named ESPN.
The news comes from a letter written by Cox Government Affairs Manager Barrett Stork to a county administrator in Williamsburg, Virginia. The document is Stork notifying the company's local franchise authority in the area that it will offer the limited package at $34.99 per month, which includes the rental fee for one standard def STB. (CableCARD customers will pay $31/month.)
As part of the tier's "expanded" line-up, Cox is offering AMC, BET, Cartoon Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney, E!, Food Network, Fox News, History Channel, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, TruTV, TV Land, USA and the Weather Channel. Not only is ESPN notably absent from the line-up, but there is no sports-related equivalent to take its place.
To be clear, Cox did start notifying local authorities late last year that it would roll out the new reduced package. The company said the TV Economy tier was at first a trial run in select markets but now is a "permanent" product among its service packages.
Last month, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said the rising costs of ESPN is a "tax on every American household." A few short weeks later, news has leaked that Cox is set to launch an economy subscription package without the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" giving pay-TV customers a choice on the four-letter sports net 'surcharge.'
According to company communication, Cox is launching its TV Economy package for $35 per month at the end of January. The package includes all of the channels in its "starter" package, plus a handful of national cable nets not named ESPN.
The news comes from a letter written by Cox Government Affairs Manager Barrett Stork to a county administrator in Williamsburg, Virginia. The document is Stork notifying the company's local franchise authority in the area that it will offer the limited package at $34.99 per month, which includes the rental fee for one standard def STB. (CableCARD customers will pay $31/month.)
As part of the tier's "expanded" line-up, Cox is offering AMC, BET, Cartoon Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney, E!, Food Network, Fox News, History Channel, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, TruTV, TV Land, USA and the Weather Channel. Not only is ESPN notably absent from the line-up, but there is no sports-related equivalent to take its place.
To be clear, Cox did start notifying local authorities late last year that it would roll out the new reduced package. The company said the TV Economy tier was at first a trial run in select markets but now is a "permanent" product among its service packages.
