Pac 12 Network Trouble With Directv - When is the BTN Contract Up?

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Iceland12

Iceland12

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The Pac-12 Network is telling their "fans" to find somewhere else to get their network besides through Directv. Now while Fox still owns 49% of the BTN, they no longer own Directv. That's now controlled by Liberty Media. Yeah, it's complicated. Directv, like Cable companies and Dish want to keep costs down and offer networks in packages a la carte. Dish got in a dispute with the BTN just last year. They haven't had the problem with Directv - because it used to be partially owned by Fox too.

Now, just when is that BTN contract up? :rolleyes:

""I urge our fans that are intent on not missing their team's games this fall to drop DirecTV and switch to one of the many providers that have it. All of our coaches and athletic directors that previously had DirecTV have now switched to a provider that has it and they are urging their fans to do the same." -- Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott during the Conference Media Days on the conflict between DirecTV and the Pac-12 Networks

Yes, the Pac-12 Networks are about to celebrate their first birthday and about to head into their second year of not being seen by DirecTV subscribers. This is another example of a silly dispute between a cable sports network and a cable/satellite provider. Again, subscribers are left holding the bag.. Usually, these disputes end after both sides compromise and come to an agreement, however, there does not appear to be any give from either side. So, it appears that Pac-12 fans won't be able to watch a 35 game college football schedule through DirecTV.

The issue is over access and cost. The Pac-12 wants to be on expanded basic. DirecTV wants to offer the networks on an á la carte basis. The conference wants DirecTV to pick up all seven of its networks. DirecTV only wants one. Pac-12 Networks reportedly wants $0.90 per subscriber. DirecTV wants it lower.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, a DirecTV spokesman said, "... lower the price so that it's affordable to all of our customers or let us sell the network only to those who want to pay for it."

We're at an impasse and it's apparent that unless a miracle happens before August 29, the beginning of 2013 college football season, the Pac-12 Networks won't be seen on DirecTV.

There was a time when DirecTV was the home to wayward sports networks. It was one of the first on-board with Big Ten Network, CSTV (which later become CBS College Sports and then CBS Sports Network), MLB Network, NFL Network, the mtn. (now defunct) and Outdoor Life Network (which through its various rebrands became NBC Sports Network).

In recent years, DirecTV has played hardball with sports networks. In 2009, it got into a 6 month dispute with Comcast over Versus and pulled the network until March 2010. Last year, in addition to the Pac-12 Networks, the satellite provider refused to pick up Comcast SportsNet Houston citing its high cost. The company even has a website explaining why it's not picking up Pac-12 and Comcast SportsNet Houston.

And DirecTV so happens to be one of the cable and satellite providers that has yet to hash out a carriage agreement for Fox Sports 1.

So where does this leave us? It leaves Pac-12 and college sports fans out in the cold waiting for DirecTV to pick up the networks. In the meantime, subscribers can either go to Dish or their cable provider i.e., Comcast, Cox, or Time Warner to begin watching the networks or just wait it out. If Larry Scott's statements are any indication, that wait could be very long. "

(from L.A. TIMES)

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013...c-12-networks-on-directv-for-a-long-time.html
 

Here is how this is going to work when I become Grand Poopaa.

All TV networks will set their per viewer price and the distributors; cable/satellite providers will add their standard mark-up price.

The TV viewer will decided which channels/networks he is willing to purchase at that price.

The price and success of the networks will be decided by the customer and no one will be forced to buy products they have no interest in.

Until then we are living in Mudville.

Casey, you're up next.
 

Comcast doesn't carry the national feed of Pac-12 Network in Minnesota and several other markets. I'm pretty sure no Comcast markets outside the West get the channel in HD.
 

This is nothing more than negotiations. The Pac 12 cannot be viable unless they are on all the platforms. See getting the Big 10 Network up and running. It will be on Direct TV, Dish, etc.
 

husker70 said:
This is nothing more than negotiations. The Pac 12 cannot be viable unless they are on all the platforms. See getting the Big 10 Network up and running. It will be on Direct TV, Dish, etc.
Click to expand...

Sort of, but not really. It's been on Dish since September of last year. The National/Regional networks are available in "every home of their respective region in Pac-12 territories" too. It's comparable but far, far more successful to the Longhorn and BYU Networks. Like them and unlike the BTN, they are seen as being Regional in nature, not National. The coverage for those two is laughable. Even a connection with ESPN hasn't guaranteed National blanket coverage for them. Heck not much coverage period.

It will be interesting to see what coverage the mighty SEC ends-up getting. So far the coverage is fairly good, but far from blanketing the country.

You want your team/conference to have great success on the field? The SEC is the way to go. Probably the Big 12 after that. You live far away from your Conference's footprint but first and foremost want to see your team play?

Big Ten and the BTN baby, all the way! :cool:

http://espn.go.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/44297/dish-will-be-the-pac-12-networks-satellite-provider

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEC_Network
 


I don't do hiking anymore so I don't care about footpaths!:rolleyes:
 


Dr.Don said:
I do care about and need one footpath, 19...The worn footpath in the carpet to the bathroom.
Click to expand...

Doc, remember the gold old days when you could find your way from the kitchen to your bathroom without using that map?
 

Unfortunately, this type of problem is only going to get worse. I know a guy who manages a municipal cable t-v system, and consults with a regional broad-band network. he says that the providers are getting harder to deal with every year. The networks like ESPN tell the cable outlets that "this is our cost - take it or leave it," forcing the cable outlets to either raise their rates, or drop popular channels. Also, the providers force the cable outlets into these bundling deals - essentially, if the cable outlets want the popular channels, they have to agree to carry other channels from the same provider.

My friend told me that a contract agreement with one of the major providers will typically run 100's of pages - he compared it to the twin cities phone book.

And, if you think this is going to change, the big providers have the money to lobby congress, and are pushing hard to prevent any bill that would allow "ala carte" pricing. They have also threatened that, if "ala carte" pricing was approved, they would jack up the price on the most popular channels to make up any revenue they would lose from people dropping the lesser-watched channels.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
Unfortunately, this type of problem is only going to get worse. I know a guy who manages a municipal cable t-v system, and consults with a regional broad-band network. he says that the providers are getting harder to deal with every year. The networks like ESPN tell the cable outlets that "this is our cost - take it or leave it," forcing the cable outlets to either raise their rates, or drop popular channels. Also, the providers force the cable outlets into these bundling deals - essentially, if the cable outlets want the popular channels, they have to agree to carry other channels from the same provider.

My friend told me that a contract agreement with one of the major providers will typically run 100's of pages - he compared it to the twin cities phone book.

And, if you think this is going to change, the big providers have the money to lobby congress, and are pushing hard to prevent any bill that would allow "ala carte" pricing. They have also threatened that, if "ala carte" pricing was approved, they would jack up the price on the most popular channels to make up any revenue they would lose from people dropping the lesser-watched channels.
Click to expand...

It's called restraint of trade. Calling Uncle Sherman.
 


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