Versus Situation

[HanoverPretzel]

Versus, a network that carries exclusive hockey games in the regular season, and much of the NHL playoffs including some exclusive Stanley Cup Finals games, is not available as far as I can tell on anything lower than the America's Top 250 tier. Typically, even a normal expanded basic cable package includes Versus -- you don't even have to go to a digital tier, if you get ESPN on cable, you usually get Versus. If you're a hockey fan and don't get it, you miss some of your team's biggest regular season games, and a lot of *playoff* games (Including some of the ones your local team plays if they qualify), if you don't make arrangements to watch outside your home.

I gather part of this is because Comcast owns Versus, and Dish isn't eager to put money into the hands of a competitor. It is a huge "hole" in the America's Top 120+ and America's Top 200 packages, though. A lot of folks including me can't afford to go to the America's Top 250 package.

So, what's the inside scoop on this? Are Dish and Versus eventually going to work something out to get Versus included in the lower-tier programming packages so more people can watch it? Or is the status quo likely to continue indefinitely? Any possibility of it getting offered al a carte?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

They just renewed not to long ago so I don't see the channel moving anywhere anytime soon. Sorry.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Alternately, is there any possibility that the NHL itself might revisit it's deal with Versus and move those games back to ESPN or something? Anyone know how much longer the NHL's contract with Versus runs for?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Reading this report it seems as though their contract is through 2011. This article even goes on to state that Versus might not exist as a network after the season is done.

NHL, NBC and VERSUS: Next TV deal is 'complicated' - Puck Daddy - NHL  - Yahoo! Sports

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Reading this report it seems as though their contract is through 2011. This article even goes on to state that Versus might not exist as a network after the season is done.

NHL, NBC and VERSUS: Next TV deal is 'complicated' - Puck Daddy - NHL  - Yahoo! Sports

Thanks for the info. The NHL switching from Versus to ESPN would be just as good as Dish Network adding Versus to a lower tier. I just want those hockey games. I couldn't care less about Versus' other programming, really. It's rough to miss important regular season and playoff games my region's team plays in over a dispute like this, though.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Oh come on, I actually like Pro Bull Riding.

But other then that I wouldn't miss Versus.

 

[kikenovic]

the problem is Versus is paying more than ESPN is willing to pay. It'll depend on whether or not Comcast is making a profit.

 

[dwarren2]

Reading this report it seems as though their contract is through 2011. This article even goes on to state that Versus might not exist as a network after the season is done.

That might not be a bad thing. If it is rebranded as NBC Sports and they move content from NBC Universal Sports, which very few people get, over.

 

[DishSubLA]

Keep in mind the bad history that Versus made for itself when it arbitrarily demanded more money from just about every cable and sat company when it got NHL and Stanley Cup or those MVPD's would have to black out all NHL. In short, Versus was changing the terms of the contract all signed in "good faith." DirecTV just paid (they are the sports leader); most cable companies refused to pay and just blacked out the NHL games; mean Brian Roberts of Comcast (not the owner of the channel then) and our mercurial Charlie just took Versus down and out altogether from their offerings (their legal ground was the Versus was in breach of contract). I can even remember the Charlie Chat when a caller asked why Versus was no longer offered, and Charlie sat up ram-rod straight with a cold, mean look in his eyes and said, "I just don't think Versus is the kind of company we want to be doing business with and [not fair to our customers]." And that was that (had this occurred a few years before when Charlie was a bit younger he would have gone on a 5 minute rant, but he's mellowed over the years, and how I do miss his rants of years ago). No mass defections (not like losing ESPN) and hardly a burp from any sports fans I knew. In fact, the sports fans I know think Versus is a joke with no content they are interested in seeing.

Well, overall it backfired on Versus, and in the case of Comcast and Dish, Versus came crawling back--NHL in the clear--and Charlie made sure to keep them in the top tier. Hey, most recently, the sports leader, DirecTV, dumped Versus rather than pay the big bucks. That says quite a bit when sports heaven DirecTV dumps you. Of course, in the end, Versus sucked it up and played to DirecTV's tune.

Versus is bull riding, and while I do enjoy that coverage, it aint the NBA, NFL, or MLB that so many Americans love, no matter what region they may live. As far as I'm concerned, buh buy Versus.

 

[Tampa8]

Very well said. Had they played the "economy" sports channel card, made themselves available at a cost that Dish (and others) could put them in the lower tiers, they might have thrived. That the NHL made a deal with them says more about the dire situation that the NHL is in than about Versus. But instead of building on their good fortune of at least getting a major league sport, Versus decided to exploit it.

 

[dwarren2]

Back when it was OLN, they had a lot of good sportsand other programing. But the shift to hunting, bull riding etc was a turn off. Now about the only time I watch it is when the have Indy car, bike riding, hockey and sking. I'm hoping that if the do change, we'll get more of that back.

 

[JosephB]

The problem for Versus is that the NHL isn't a sport that can move mountains like baseball or football, or even college conferences. Sucks for NHL fans, but it's not Dish or DirecTV or non-Comcast cable companies that have put them in this position, it's the NHL and Versus. The NHL could have put in certain requirements for Versus to negotiate for better carriage in the contract, but they didn't. NHL fans should be complaining to the NHL to either put pressure on NBC Universal now that Versus and NBC are together or to consider switching to ESPN/ABC. The problem for the NHL with trying to go with ESPN/ABC is that ESPN isn't nearly as desperate as the NHL or even Versus; but the NHL does have the fact that ESPN may want to preemptively do as much harm to the new NBC Sports as they can and not give them a major professional sport.

 

[HanoverPretzel]

Sounds like the NHL is facing a choice between a lot of money now and the long term health of the sport. Versus will pay them like they need them (Which they do), whereas ESPN will pay them like they don't need them (Which they don't), but ESPN offers the better platform to reach the most sports fans and grow the sport.

If I had to make a prediction, I'd say NBC Comcast keeps the NHL by rebranding the channel and offering a bunch of promises that they don't live up to. Bad deal for the fans. I wonder how many actual fans they've lost by not having their teams' big games available to them, and how many potential fans they've lost by not being there when the average Joe clicks over to ESPN looking for some sort of game.

 

[JosephB]

The only saving grace is that Comcast is putting NBC people in charge of Versus, instead of Versus or existing Comcast people in charge of NBC Sports

 

[riffjim4069]

I love both the NHL and WEC on Versus...if only the NHL would revert back to more fisticuff friendly hockey. Regardless, as much as I love hockey (and sports programming in general) it's time to move all the ESPNs and Versuses into a Sports Tier and stop gouging the folks who don't ever watch sports programming!

 

[HanoverPretzel]

As long as we're on the subject:

Any chance of Versus getting added to that $7 ala carte sports pack thing? If they tossed in the NFL Network and Versus, they'd suddenly be very attractive for America's Top 120+ subs, I'd imagine.

 

[JosephB]

As long as we're on the subject:

Any chance of Versus getting added to that $7 ala carte sports pack thing? If they tossed in the NFL Network and Versus, they'd suddenly be very attractive for America's Top 120+ subs, I'd imagine.

It'd probably drive the cost up. Plus, Versus might not want to be marketed as an a la carte channel. A lot of times where a channel ends up is in the hands of the channel as much as it is the provider.

 

[CK SatGuy]

Since Comcast and NBC have now officially merged, I wouldn't be surprised if comcast changes Versus into a new, separate NBC Sports Channel within the next few years (probably to better compete against ESPN) By then, either the NHL would have moved to ESPN/ABC or they would still be with Versus/NBC. Either way if my prediction comes true, then DISH would more likely move that channel to AT 120 or at least put it in Multi-Sport. Until then, if that happens, if you want Versus, then you have to go with either AT 250 or DISH America Gold.

 

[dwarren2]

We can only hope that 151 becmes the new home for NBC Universal Sports. I'm so frustrated when NBC annouces on weekend sports show that you can see xxx on NBC Universal Sports. Neither of the 2 NBC OTA's that I can get carry it. One has told me they have no plans to add it.