Dish LIVE Retailer Chat Recap - December 20, 2006

[yaz96]

Do you have NFL games including Monday Night Football on ESPN? Thats a major part of the increase just for one channel. Plus they added the NFL Network, another expensive channel, and other channels also riased their pricing as per their contract with Dish.

These increases are passed on to the customers.

Me I never watch ESPN, and actually wish I could turn it OFF, everytime I hear ESPN announce that they just signed a deal with some sports league, I can hear my wallet yelling NO!

I expect that most if not all of this increase wil go to pay these increased costs and that we will not see a boost in Echostar earnings because of it.

$5 a month for those 2 channels? From every sub at AT100 or higher. I don't think so Scott.

PLUS the $5.00 more for my HD pak? WHY?

If NFL was that much, maybe DISH should have held out like these cable companies, or had it a-la-carte for those that wanted to pay for it.

As for ESPN and MNF, if I recall ABC had MNF for years, and we didn't pay more for it then. ESPN is a Disney company just like ABC. With that logic, shouldn't we have had a reduction in price for ABC, so it would be a wash?

 

[Drone35]

My response to that is u don't keep kicking ur customers in the nuts just because u can, Dish has to absorb some of this, its not like their not making any money! Give us a freeking break Dish!!!!!!!!

 

[JohnH]

Dish is the only provider carrying ESPN? I did not hear the others raising prices. Dish should be ashamed of this move. There is NO justification for this increase. The service is too expensive and over-rated already, and many people are watching EVERYTHING on Dish for free. Dish subscribers are paying for the lost revenue from the pirates....truth be known.

Let's bash DiSH some more - or - let's go read about the Comcast increase - or - wait for Rupert to announce their annual increase.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

$5 a month for those 2 channels? From every sub at AT100 or higher. I don't think so Scott.

I think you need to check your facts before you post. Rates are only going up $3 except for the everything pack which is going up $5. There are more channels just those two which have caused this increase, but these are the biggest offenders.

PLUS the $5.00 more for my HD pak? WHY?

Again check your facts, if you figure it out now in the medal packs, the price is $20 more then its AT counterpart, they are just dropping the medal names. Not sure where you are getting $5.00 more a month (maybe I am mising something)

If NFL was that much, maybe DISH should have held out like these cable companies, or had it a-la-carte for those that wanted to pay for it.

Everyone has been whining they wanted dish to add NFL, now that they added others whine that Dish should have never added it.

Alacarte would be great, but the programmers wont allow it. If Ala carte was in place MOST of the channels we have today would be off the air.

As for ESPN and MNF, if I recall ABC had MNF for years, and we didn't pay more for it then. ESPN is a Disney company just like ABC. With that logic, shouldn't we have had a reduction in price for ABC, so it would be a wash?

You pay for ABC? Man I get it free with my antenna. Even if you get your locals from Dish the pricing setup is a lot different for locals then it is for Cable type channels such as ESPN, so in that your logic here is also flawed. (But we still love you just the same)

 

[Tom Bombadil]

The ESPN and NFL Network increases help to explain the $3 increase for AT200 and AT250. But that still leaves explaining the additional $7 increase for HD-Platinum subs. I suspect a bit of this is due to small increases from the premium movie channels.

But I suspect even more is a bait & switch kinda strategy for E*'s highest paying customers. They offered an aggressive price on HD-Platinum which drew people in to picking up 1 or 2 622's, with 18 month commitments, to the $99 HD-Platinum level with DVR fees waived. Now that they have a lot of people there, they are sticking that tier with the highest price increase, figuring that customers will find switching to lower tiers to be difficult and frustrating.

This is the 2nd year in a row that Dish has unveiled a Christmas / CES surprise that brings negative news to their best customers. Last year they cut the legs out from under 811/921/942 owners, this year they hit this group with a 10% rate increase.

I'm getting the feeling that Dish does not like their highest paying customers. Or at least feels they can gouge them with little consequence.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

But that still leaves explaining the additional $7 increase for HD-Platinum subs

I guess I am missing something and I don't understand where this $7 figure is coming from, it's only $5.

What am I missing? (Obviously something) someone please explain it to me.

 

[Poke]

Yeah this always happens when they change things around. But I think your math is right Scott $3 increase and just $5 on the other is all. It seems folks are making this harder than what it really is overall all I don't think a $3 increase is not that bad. Your getting more for your money heck the cable companies have increase all the time and you don't get nothing. What I would like to know is what SD Channels are they adding to the new SD Plans.

 

[Hall]

Dish subscribers are paying for the lost revenue from the pirates....truth be known.

How is there "lost revenue" from people pirating ?? There's not.... It costs Dish the same amount to provide TV regardless if someone pirates it or pays for it. Their uplink centers still operate, as do their satellites, call centers, etc, etc. They have to for paying customers. So long as their paying customers and the revenue they receive from them stays above some level, Dish can "support" endless numbers of pirates.

You can't say that a network charges Dish for (2) customers when one is a paying customer and the other isn't. They simply don't know the pirate exists !

I'm not condoning piracy and other than the costs associated with fighting it, there's nothing else to factor in. Look at it this way, when a pirate customer gets shut down, do they call Dish the next day and order "America's Everything Pak" ?? Nope.... They simply aren't willing to pay and given the choice between 'a lot for nothing' vs 'a lot for $$$', you can guess which they choose....

 

[yaz96]

I think you need to check your facts before you post. Rates are only going up $3 except for the everything pack which is going up $5. There are more channels just those two which have caused this increase, but these are the biggest offenders.

I have PlatinumHD, so mine is going up $5.00. My error, the increase is $3.00 on other packages.

Again check your facts, if you figure it out now in the medal packs, the price is $20 more then its AT counterpart, they are just dropping the medal names. Not sure where you are getting $5.00 more a month (maybe I am mising something).

When I first had the HD pak, it was $15 per month-$5/month rebate. When I got their new receiver I was required to get for those MPEG4 HD channels, I signed up for an 18 month commitment, $199 to lease their receiver, and the privilige to pay DISH an additional $6.00/month lease fee. I signed up for the PlatinumHD package. It was still only $15 more per month. NOW I must pay $20 per month for the same content.

Everyone has been whining they wanted dish to add NFL, now that they added others whine that Dish should have never added it..

You didn't hear me whining for this.

You pay for ABC? Man I get it free with my antenna. Even if you get your locals from Dish the pricing setup is a lot different for locals then it is for Cable type channels such as ESPN, so in that your logic here is also flawed. (But we still love you just the same)

ESPN/ABC = Disney. My point is, this amount just changed from 1 line on the ledger to another. We didn't pay extra for MNF on ABC, why now on ESPN?

I am one of those folks who signed up for the PlatHD pak to avoid the DVR fees for three DVRs. I already pay a fee for each receiver. If I were to drop PlatHD for something lower, I gain the DVR fees. So it's a lose/lose situation. I've been a DISH customer since 1999. They used to be the ANTI-CABLE, now, they seem to have embraced the cable mentality whole-heartedly. And I feel screwed!

My original post in this thread referred to Dish begging to ther loyal customers (us) to help with their various plights(DNS, etc.), yet, they turn right around and charge me $10 more per month. What the f*@#? Throw me a bone, Charlie........

 

[BobMurdoch]

I think that the HD channels only cost $15 extra for AEP subscribers (some kind of package discount - could be wrong here, but I haven't looked at my bill that closely). Now that discount goes away PLUS we get the $5 hike PLUS any other hikes to other a la carte channels (sports pack, adult channels?). Also, most of us lost the discounted Superstations when they yanked our distants, so we are paying a few bucks extra for those now as well...

Yes, NFL and ESPN probably added $3 a month all by themselves. There must have been increases from the other channels as well....

Thefocus shouldn't be just on the hike, but on the hike in comparison with other providers. A lot of the package discounts seem to be going away though....

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I guess I am missing something and I don't understand where this $7 figure is coming from, it's only $5.

What am I missing? (Obviously something) someone please explain it to me.

An HD-Platinum sub is looking at a $10/mon increase. That is $7 more than someone with AT120 -> AT200 is looking at.

The $3 increase for the AT-packs is for increases in channel costs.

The $10 increase for HD-Platinum is for channel costs increases, premium movie pack increases, and Dish eliminating the HD discount for these customers.

There is a very high probability that some the $3 increase is profit for Dish, and that some of the extra $2 increase for AEP is extra profit for Dish. Then the $5 increase for HD is all additional profit for Dish.

Thus Dish is going to make a lot more money off of the HD-Platinum subs next year.

 

[BobMurdoch]

As for the FIOs in New Jersey, it isn't available in my area yet, but they just added a Verizon Fios kiosk at the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, NJ so it looks like a big push is coming soon.....

http://www22.verizon.com/content/ConsumerFios

You can check to see if it is available in your area here.... Better HD appeals to me, but they HAVE to get the PVR ready for prime time first...

 

[yaz96]

I guess I am missing something and I don't understand where this $7 figure is coming from, it's only $5.

What am I missing? (Obviously something) someone please explain it to me.

Currently
Plat HD - $99.99

Feb.1
AEP - $89.99
HD Pak - $20.00
Total - $109.99

$10 increase

so, $3.00 + $7.00 = $10.00, or $5.00 + $5.00 = $10.00, depends on how you look at it.

 

[navychop]

Hey Navy, you can keep being the DISH Apologist if you like,

So anyone who disagrees with you is an apologist? Let's leave out the name calling so this is a nice place to visit for all.


our exorbitant DVR and lease fees.
That still doesn't change the fact that DISH is screwing us.

YOUR opinions, not facts. We disagree. That doesn't call for verbal abuse. And you certainly don't have to stick around if you feel you are being mistreated. But I think you'll find D* MORE expensive. They have a price increase coming too.

And please give me some facts about what costs are going up for DISH?

You might have read about renegotiations for carriage. They certainly aren't going to publish exact figures, any more than your local grocery store or gas station do.

Your analogies are useless........

I own my home, and my mortgage hasn't gone up, and gas goes up and down. When's the last time DISH rates went down?

I own mine too. Not everyone does. Fuel prices fluctuate, but the trend is certainly upward. This is inflation. All utility bills increase- my electric bill is going up far faster than DISH, percentage-wise. I'm not happy to pay another $3, but that's the way it is. If you like, you can pay, cut back, move elsewhere- but TV services are going up for cable as well as satellite.

Doesn't the bill go up every year at about this time? Why the shock, the anger? We all knew the rates would go up, or should have. They do for everything else. The only prices I see going down are for certain electronics, like HDTVs. Everything else seems to go up. Inflation.

 

[yaz96]

Doesn't the bill go up every year at about this time? Why the shock, the anger? We all knew the rates would go up, or should have. They do for everything else. The only prices I see going down are for certain electronics, like HDTVs. Everything else seems to go up. Inflation.

$3.00 a month is somewhat reasonable. $5.00 a month is too much, BUT $10.00 a month is ridiculous.

If I were to drop to a lower tier, they would add on $17.94 per month for DVR fees.

What is OK about that?

 

[mdonnelly]

Waaaaah! Dish baited the hook by giving Platinum and AEP a relatively low cost for some period of time, compared to other packages, to suck people in. You swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker. Now Dish is reeling in those who've grown dependent on the programming.

Classic marketing technique.

 

[yaz96]

Waaaaah! Dish baited the hook by giving Platinum and AEP a relatively low cost for some period of time, compared to other packages, to suck people in. You swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker. Now Dish is reeling in those who've grown dependent on the programming.

Classic marketing technique.

I guess that's what Dish takes us for......SUCKERS!

 

[mdonnelly]

I guess that's what Dish takes us for......SUCKERS!

If the shoe fits, ...

 

[Dish-Direc]

So You Know

How is there "lost revenue" from people pirating ?? There's not.... It costs Dish the same amount to provide TV regardless if someone pirates it or pays for it.....

Do you know how many dish network customers have cancelled their paying service to pirate it, and when the pirate service goes down for extended times, they pay to subscribe again? Is that lost revenue?

 

[navychop]

So you can move UP a tier, get more for less money, and you complain that it doesn't work in reverse? The top package is still a good deal, just not as good as before.

Let's see- paying customers moving to be pirates, then moving back? Gee, I just don't see that happening often.