I want the Tennis Channel

[maleman]

Hey guys I'm an avid tennis fan. The tennis channel bought the rights to French open earlier this year but they came into an agreement with ESPN to share coverage. So all is not lost, but I wanted to plea to you guys that when you call D* customer service could you mention that you want this channel even if you really don't? I and many other tennis fans would appreciate it. I mean for provider that prides itself on its sports line-up and coverage it's pretty ridiculous that they don't carry this channel.

This is your mailman. Help in the spirit of valentine's day.

 

[charper1]

I too would love to have this sports channel. I think having the US rights to the French Open will help their cause, unless they totally have NBC backing them up. Until now it seemed the only great tennis they had was the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup; not great sellers here in the US, even though I would watch. I know they do a few other "net oriented" sports, maybe they will add the AVP one day as it needs its own outlet as well.

 

[cpemberton]

I want the Tennis Channel too! I've written three emails and sgned numerous petitions. I don't know it we'll get it. I actually thought about switching to Dish for the Tennis Channel, but DirecTV is the only service I've ever had, so I decided to stick with it.

 

[maleman]

I think those of us who want is should organize and set a time to call them during a certain period so they'll take notice of the fact that this channel is wanted. I almost switched too before I realized I was under a contract.

 

[cpemberton]

I don;t understand what the problem is. DirecTV keeps adding junk channels all the time, so it can't be bandwidth. They could put it in a sports pack (that's the only way I'd pay for a sportspack). Is there anything we can do? Like I said, I've called, emailed signed petitions ... I don't know what else to do.

 

[charper1]

You have to remember just because you see channels added today, doesn't necessarily mean that those agreements were reached recently; they may in fact have been many, many months ago or were not included in some packaged "parent company" deals. We also have to realize that until the addition of the French Open, top quality programs have been very rare. I too want this channel to have more complete tourney coverage, but I doubt any services that doesn't carry it, is trying to keep from carrying it. The Tennis chnl site says they are in talks with DirecTV.

 

[Jimbo]

5 tennis fans here and 1.5 million subs, theres a ratio that D* can't ignore !

Jimbo

 

[clayky]

5 tennis fans here and 1.5 million subs, theres a ratio that D* can't ignore !

Jimbo

Jimbo, just because you got Logo added is no reason to get your panties in a wad! For the serious tennis fans I would simply do as I will in May....go to the provider that airs it.

 

[cpemberton]

Perhaps The Tennis Channel is expensive to carry? I can't imagine who watches fishing, paintball and whatever else is on OLN, but they carry it no problem. What about HGTV? Do you think more people would watch the stuff on HGTV than The Tennis Channel?

 

[charper1]

For your OLN reference do you mean the current Outdoor Channel (a very sought after and viewed channel) or Outdoor Life which is now called Versus?

Well with HGTV is maybe so or maybe BUT is should be remembered that HGTV is one of a "family" of cable channels (HGTV, DIY, Fine Living, Food Network and Great American Country) owned by a large parent group (E. W. Scripps Company). If 1 or 2 very, very popular channels exist and the parent company has 3 or 4 other new or non-popular channels they are wanting to push or add, the carriage contracts are generally negotiated to include (some may say forced) the unpopular/new channels just to get the popular ones at a decent per-sub cost, sometimes just get them at all. Disney/ABC/ESPN is a really great example. Acquiring channels is not as easy as most people think and in most cases its RARELY a one channel thing.

 

[FlSun]

I contacted The Tennis Channel by email concerning Directv and received a reply to look for them in 3rd quarter '07 on Directv.

 

[cpemberton]

I contacted The Tennis Channel by email concerning Directv and received a reply to look for them in 3rd quarter '07 on Directv.

I hope that will happen. That will be after Roland Garros, but I'd take it anyway. I know that Dish carries The Tennis Channel, so there must be a decent number of people watching it to make it profitable for them.

 

[lou_do]

The "Lets Watch the Grass Grow" channel would be more interesting.

 

[FKy.Guy]

The "Lets Watch the Grass Grow" channel would be more interesting.

:haha Damn that was good !!! :clap I gotta admit I really dont care much for tennis,but anytime that you can get new sports channels added to the line up I`m for it. I can also say that I do enjoy watching tennis when that cute little Russian chick is doing battle on a hot sweaty day against another cute hot and sweaty opponent.

 

[clayky]

The "Lets Watch the Grass Grow" channel would be more interesting.

We already have those.......

 

[adawhi]

Hey, it is not all about the tennis! When I was a Dish subscriber, I would wake up early on Sunday morning in anticipation of the wicked ping-pong matches on the Tennis Channel . . .

OK, maybe not. But I would be interested in getting the Tennis Channel again . . . although I would be MUCH more interested in D* picking up Sky Sports!

 

[cpemberton]

Eurosport would be great too! They have great sports coverage.

 

[Jhon69]

The "Lets Watch the Grass Grow" channel would be more interesting.

Bring it on!.That's why I left E* for D*.D* has more national channels!.I'm looking forward to a "channel explosion" once D* has the bandwith.

P.S. Plus D* doesn't lose channels during "contract talks" like E*.

 

[Tony1097]

Hey, it is not all about the tennis! When I was a Dish subscriber, I would wake up early on Sunday morning in anticipation of the wicked ping-pong matches on the Tennis Channel . . .

OK, maybe not. But I would be interested in getting the Tennis Channel again . . . although I would be MUCH more interested in D* picking up Sky Sports!

unfortunately, getting Sky Sports would be difficult to do since Setanta has American rights to carry a lot of the things Sky Sports has . . Heck, they even have rights re-transmit the sky-sports feed for a lot of their EPL matches, and that's how they get many of their rugby feeds. you would have to get Setanta completely out of the picture in order to get a pure Sky Sports channel in the US.

 

[maleman]

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=120928

There seems to be good news guys. I emailed both D* and TTC and hopefully they'll confirm it.