NBC Sports Channel Switching to Channel 159

[HanoverPretzel]

Nothing you mentioned that NBCSP offers brings in ratings or major viewers. If it did NHL would still be a fixture of ESPN programming. Dish negotiated a deal they felt was fair based on the number of viewers that channel brings in and the money Comcast wants. Dish can't do anything about what Comcast wants. Comcast sets the price they want. So in your opinion, Dish should lose money by giving Comcast the rate they want in addition to paying them MORE money by putting the channel in a lower package with more potential viewers.

NBC Sports Network's ratings take biggest drop in eight years after overhaul - NYPOST.com

64000 daily viewers according to Neilsen. Spread that over a dozen providers. Not much to write home about there. For their actual sports broadcasts NBCSP is barely averaging 500,000 viewers and that's with ratings increases for NHL and Indycar broadcasts.

You need to start badgering the media companies. This isn't DISH or Directv's problem. They are the middle man and they are getting squeezed just as much as the consumers. Tell Comcast, Viacom, Discovery, Disney etc.. that we don't need 10 or more niche channels with 12 hours or more of infomercials and crappy repeats all day. I'm the first one that wants about 20 or more channels to go away and consolidate the channels into a better package that has some relevant programming and not 4 hrs of rotating blocks repeated 4 times a days with infomercial filler. I watch some of NBCSP and CBSSN programming and hope they can get some bigger name packages away from ESPN's monopoly, but in order to do that it is gonna raise rates even more.

Dish offers a variety of packages that most other companies don't. They are not gonna lose any more customers than they normally churn if NBCSP or AMC are no longer available. People who think otherwise are dreaming.

I didn't realize NBC Sports Channel's ratings were so low. As a hockey fan, I find that disappointing, though I've known for a long time that hockey's ratings have generally always been lower than the other big four sports leagues. But I figured on better than that for the channel as a whole with some premium exclusive hockey games anchoring it.

Anyhow, I understand your point about channel creators creating too many channels, and charging television providers for them. We do wind up with situations where there are 15 channels with about 5 channels worth of programming on them, but instead of getting all that programming on the 5 channels in a base package, we have to find a way to pay for a package with all 15 channels to see the same thing, which costs more. As a consumer, though, I only deal with the end provider, that's who I pay my bill to. And that's really the only actor in the whole thing I have any leverage over, which isn't much (Jump to another company, but I'm just one guy and no one cares unless it's collective).

It's just kind of frustrating, I feel like I pay a good chunk of change and basically just want the same sort of programming I always had and grew up with, but that it's requiring higher and higher tiers to get, and even the basic tiers are costing more and more. I mean, sure, it's just tv, and just sports, but, frankly, those things do take on an oversized importance if you can't swing together things like a nice income and a family and whatnot. You spend a lot of time at home with the dog watching your favorite teams and trying to live vicariously through them, and really want those games to all be on.

 

[The Fat Man]

I bet NBCSP goes into Free Preview for the month of the Olympic's, further diluting the value I pay each month as an AT250 subscriber.

I'm a 250 subscriber as well. The only value I see in have the 250 is NBC Sports, Encore, and The Movie Channel. The rest of it is channels that have reruns of The Wonder Years and Doogie Houser. But as long as those two movie packages remain in 250 I will find it of value.

 

[osu1991]

I'm a 250 subscriber as well. The only value I see in have the 250 is NBC Sports, Encore, and The Movie Channel. The rest of it is channels that have reruns of The Wonder Years and Doogie Houser. But as long as those two movie packages remain in 250 I will find it of value.

Those are my main reason too, I also watch Fox Soccer and DIY net some too. Those 2 channels are usually on in the back ground in my office while I work, this time of the year. Football replays will be on during the season. Mondays is Top Gear marathons on BBCA, so that is what is on now (I can have those playing most anytime). I am on hold a lot working insurance claims, so it's either the tv or stare out the window.

I understand where you're coming from Pretzel, but it's not something Dish or Directv can control, other than by dropping a channel. People are going to complain if a channel goes away and they are going to complain if they have to pay more. Catch 22.