March 1. DirecTV. Versus. WTF.
by macvechkin on Mar 1, 2010 4:44 PM EST
23 comments
At this point, does anyone really think this is not going to end with us DTV subs missing playoff games?
At least I have the most accessible owner in pro sports to help state my case, but I was a little disappointed with what I got in reply.
I want to re-iterate that although some of those answers sound flip, he was just being direct and he was not necessarily blowing me off. However, this troubles me:
I will call them again - so far it hasn't worked.
How about all 30 of you and good old Gary B call them?
Why is it my issue?
Um, you know...that whole growing the game thing? Trying to establish a national presence?
Comcast SportsNet - that is really my product.
An isolationist, regionalized approach? Really? Certainly life is good for CSN and Ted right now, but wouldn't life be better if more people could watch his Caps on Versus?
What are you fellow DTV folks going to do come April? I can't believe that this absurdity continues. Versus doesn't want to be on a limited tier so - they get nothing and like it? And the NHL, largely roasted for this TV deal to begin with, sits back while this goes on for an entire NHL season? Fans getting corn-holed again? Why not.
If this FanPost is written by someone other than one of the blog's authors, the opinions expressed in it do not necessarily reflect those of this blog or SB Nation.
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Verizon Fios. Thats how you stick it to Directv.
by Hammerfists of Doom on Mar 1, 2010 4:55 PM EST reply actions
In my case, unless I want to pay a ridiculous cancellation penalty I’m stuck with DTV through next May.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Has anyone argued that DTV is in breach by not providing VS to subscribers at any price? Might get you out of your contract…
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
by iwearstripes on Mar 1, 2010 10:00 PM EST up reply actions
oh you definitely have rights to get out of the contract, no questions asked. but what does that get you?? directv has no one close when it comes to hd, especially with the hr-23 box, and total number of sports channels…so what can you do…?? like i mentioned below, there are websites that have the feeds live for free..go that route for the games…tired of the little man always getting the shaft….f both directv and versus
by lifetime caps fan on Mar 2, 2010 10:20 AM EST up reply actions
Well seeing as the barrier to getting out of his DTV contract seems to be the cancellation penalty (as opposed to the availability of HD programming) it seems he could scream at a few CSRs, exercise his option to void his existing contract, and switch to a provider who has what he wants (VS).
I switched to Fios because Directv was garbage. It doesn’t matter if I have more HD stations if I have a box crap out every month, and the techs that came to the house were worthless.
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
you have no obligation to honor that contract based on what they did. they could be sued and would lose.
by lifetime caps fan on Mar 2, 2010 10:21 AM EST up reply actions
You're acting like that's an option for everyone.
It’s not like I want DirecTv. It’s satellite or nothing in my neck of the woods. Comcast refuses to wire 40% of Wicomico County. Fios isn’t offered within 75 miles of my house.
If only it were that easy…
"The moment you stop thinking you're the best, it's time for you to get out the game." -'King' Mo Lawal
A decent number of folks that frequent this site don’t live in the Mid Atlantic and therefore don’t get games locally. I guess we don’t count??? Even though we buy merchandise, view games on TV/online, attend NHL and other hockey games in our own areas, and attend Caps games when we are in DC.
He’s part of a group of owners who now have their national games on a network that a large number of people can’t even get if they wanted to. This Versus deal has been a mess from day one. They took more money up front instead of choosing to invest in a deal that could grow the game by increasing not decreasing viewership. Now all of a sudden they care about which tier providers put Versus on. Please.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by CP2Devil on Mar 1, 2010 5:06 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Don’t overlook the usefulness of a phone call or email to your senators and congressperson, especially if those people happen to serve on any relevant committees. They still think the market is handling this issue, and it isn’t as long as there isn’t equal access in every residential area.
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
Good suggestion
Leave it to a fan of a DC team to come up with the political solution ;-)
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 1, 2010 7:35 PM EST up reply actions
Sondern mit Eisen und Blut!!!
There's a fine line between arrogance and ignorance and only I manage to erase that line.
I know I'll be following the threads here...
… and listening to the radio broadcasts. I managed to finagle Center Ice from DirecTv when this whole thing started (I live in BFE Ohio) so I’ve enjoyed watching the games. Once this season’s over, I’ll drop DTV and move to something else.
i have all but given up. i have bitched and moaned to no avail. I will say THIS…i have found more than 1 website for FREE that i have been using to watch the versus games on. The quality is not hd, but the feeds are pretty good, and its live and you can see the game..Already paid 40 EXTRA dollars per month back in nov/dec just to have cox and directv at the same time by just getting basic cox service plus versus. Too much money to pay for one channel. Tired of being caught in the middle…oh by the way, directv decided to raise up my rates for my package in the past 30-60 days… if ANYONE wants a few links, just email me directly and i will send them to you …not selling anything, just a mega Caps fan who did some research and found a few good sites to watch games…
by lifetime caps fan on Mar 2, 2010 10:17 AM EST reply actions
I, for one, believe that Ted, the other 29 owners, and the NHL executives are pretty powerless here.
This is a power struggle between DTV and Versus/Comcast. DirecTV has no agreement with the NHL, Versus does. The NHL brass can state their dissatisfaction with Versus, but ultimately it is Versus that has a contract in place with the rights air the games (which hopefully won’t be renewed in light of all this). Unfortunately, it is we, the fans that suffer.
I used to be a DirecTV subscriber, but after this, it would take quite a bit for me to go back. As long as they have exclusive rights to the NFL games, they are pretty much going to be able to do whatever they want, because that will always be their number 1 selling product.
I would hope, that when it comes time to work out the next television contract for the NHL, they are at least smart enough to include provisions allowing them to break said contract if the network awarded the coverage rights is unable to maintain it’s availability on all major carriers. I believe Versus does have a contract through the end of next season.
And don’t even get me started on what real dispute is between VS and DTV. It’s not the first of it’s kind, but is why no matter who you decide to go with (cable, satellite, Fios, etc), you’ll end up paying a lot more than you think you should for a lot of channels you don’t want. Basically, it’s not just a fight over how much VS charges DTV (and hence, its customers) to air the network, but also what “tier” it falls on. Networks try to leverage deals to make sure that their channels get put onto the basic packages, rather than the more expensive premium ones, because that has an obvious drastic effect on the number of viewers they can reach. Ever wonder why you can’t just call the cable company and be like, “here is a list of 20 channels I want to watch, I don’t need any of the others, how much do I owe you?” It’s because part of the deal that the networks work out with the providers is what tier of programming they fall on. Most of us could save a LOT of money on our cable/sat bills every month if we actually had the ability to only pay for the services we wanted/needed, instead we’re subject to huge packages and all-or-none type deals.
I hear a lot of folks say, “fine, make it a premium channel, I’ll pay for it!” The thing is, I’m sure DirecTV would be a lot more likely to go for a deal with VS if that was an option, but it’s not—this is where VS is being stubborn. They don’t just want to charge $xxx rate for their network, but they also want to ensure it’s part of the base package.
One thing is for sure, one party is going to have to compromise. Either VS will have to agree to lower their asking price, or allow themselves to put into a different tier (i.e. the sports package, which costs extra), or DTV is going to have to give in to what they’re asking…and, as I mentioned before, as long as they have NFL Sunday Ticket and no real threat of losing substantial subscribers, that’s not gonna happen.
"I am ready for his provocations"
by PaintDrinkingPete on Mar 2, 2010 11:32 AM EST reply actions
Oh, and just in case anyone was unaware, part of the reason both sides are being so stubborn is also because this exact same thing happened a few years ago with the NFL Network, expect that now the roles have been reversed.
"I am ready for his provocations"
by PaintDrinkingPete on Mar 2, 2010 11:39 AM EST up reply actions
I, for one, believe that Ted, the other 29 owners, and the NHL executives are pretty powerless here.
Ted and 28 owners. I find it hard to believe that Ed Snyder has no say or influence with the Roberts Family and Comcast.
"We'll just reload our weapons and be ready for the second half of the season." - AO
I can see why he is saying that it is not his problem as the dispute is between Direct TV and Versus and is a national dispute. When CSN added CSN+ and stopped using NewsChannel 8, when there were conflicts, my local cable company, Cox, did not originally pick up CSN+. Several Caps fans were e-mailing and calling Cox on a regular basis to complain. There was one away game that we missed due to the lack of CSN+. Leonsis did try to help get that problem resolved. I can see why in that that dispute between Cox Communications and Comcast in Fairfax County was a local dispute. Cox did pick up CSN+ before the Wizards season started that year.
mma fans get screwed over with versus
even the casino’s can’t or won’t add it to thir lineup. i like watching my mma for free. we gets spike and all the ppv’s for free in nevada casino’s but versus is a whole different matter.
I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. I was building a house, I don't deserve this, deserves have nothing to do with it. Bang. "Unforgiven" I drink your milkshake. I drink it up! "There Will BE Blood"
by wolfmanshowlforever on Mar 7, 2010 10:13 AM EST reply actions
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
82 | 54 | 15 | 13 | 121 |
|
Atlanta
|
82 | 35 | 34 | 13 | 83 |
|
Carolina
|
82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 80 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
82 | 34 | 36 | 12 | 80 |
|
Florida
|
82 | 32 | 37 | 13 | 77 |
(updated 4.12.2010 at 9:21 AM EDT)
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