I agree wholeheartedly that Cable companies are losing subs faster than even DISH. I agree , I think that Directv is pumping up their numbers with the Latin America subs. DISH can spin off the sports channels into their own premium pack and the sports subs can pay for what they want to watch. While the rest of us that don't like sports can save some money. Besides if DISH doesn't take a stand against the Espn extortion , they will join the ranks of the cable companies and continue to lose subs without the internet to fall back on.
Charlie knows when to cut his losses here and I think we are fast reaching that point. The type of customers that DISH has always attracted have been the low cost customers. They base all their advertising on that fact against DIRECTV. IF they continue to let ESPN and other sports channels pump up the price of their programming , they will reach a point of diminishing returns . I think that in some ways they have already reached that point ,evidenced by the last three quarters of continued sub loses. One more big price hike will only push that count higher. Unless he takes a stand and be the first to spin the sports off to it's own premium pack. Cost conscience customers will continue to think of DISH as a low cost provider of cable channels if they do this. Other wise I think that instead of just switching to other video companies, they will simply cut the cord and will be lost for ever as a pay tv sub of any company. That is the future all tv providers face here and in the future. New generations of kids don't even see the reason to ever EVER pay for tv at all, that is only going to grow as the next generations come of age to have tv of their own. ESPN continued extortion for channels that maybe only half the tv customers watch, will only accelerate the trend of cord cutting ,which will endager the entire industry as a whole.
Now for the sports people, who see no reason why we should all pay a premium price to keep the cost of their channels lower, imagine this concept. What if the premium movie channels like HBO were now included in the price of basic programming packs to keep them low. Would you be offended at having to pay more for your basic programming packs in order for the movie subs like me , who want to keep their movie channels price lower? Same concept if you think about it. We pay at least $10.00 - $15.00 more for each basic programming pack in order to keep the sports channels and the rsns lower priced. Why not do the same thing for movie channels like HBO? What you object? Same idea, Premium movie packs at a premium price vs Premium sports pack at a premium price included in your basic programming packs. OR how about premium sports packs ala cart and premium movie packs ala cart, and each pays for what they want or don't take either at all saving consumers more money.
A True Free market concept.