Cable companies vs NFL Network

[chester]

I have Cox Cable and pay an extra $5/mo for a sports tier that includes the NFL network. Well worth that small price...

 

 

Local Charter said they WOULD carry it if they can put in on the sports tier, but the NFL said no'

 

Article from local rag (you have to register):

 

 

Charter, NFL at impasse

Fans may miss Packers-Vikings game next month

Andrew Dowd

Leader-Telegram Staff

 

The Green Bay Packers-Minnesota Vikings rematch is less than a month away, and Charter Communications subscribers in the Chippewa Valley are no closer to seeing the game that will be broadcast by the NFL Network.

 

Two of the country’s major cable providers, Charter and Time Warner, have refused the NFL’s ultimatum of purchasing its channel or missing out on airing the Dec. 21 game at Lambeau Field between the NFC North rivals.

 

“Our position is still the same,” said Mike Hill, Charter’s local government affairs and public relations manager.

 

Charter would agree to buy the channel, but only if it can be placed in the sports tier, a package that can be purchased for $5 in addition to expanded basic cable, Hill said.

 

Except in eastern Wisconsin and the Twin Cities, the NFL’s cable channel will be the only place to catch the Dec. 21 game. Charter has 6 million customers in the U.S. with 40,000 in the Chippewa Valley.

 

Viewers who have Dish Network or Direct TV satellite service will be able to watch the game.

 

Aside from airing eight games, Hill said NFL Network doesn’t have enough programming to warrant the additional cost, an amount Hill said he is not allowed to disclose.

 

“They just don’t really have much to offer,” he said.

 

Local network affiliates in the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and Green Bay are allowed to broadcast the Packers-Vikings game because they are considered “home markets” for the two football teams.

 

Charter customers in Menomonie and Rice Lake get Twin Cities CBS affiliate KSTP and will be able to see the game.

 

Hill said the NFL won’t let Charter pick up the KSTP broadcast in Eau Claire because the region is not considered the home market for either team.

 

Some smaller cable providers added the NFL Network this fall because of backlash from customers.

 

“We just felt we had to,” said Christy Berger, general manager of Chippewa Valley Cable Co. in Durand.

 

Customers left when they first heard the eight NFL games wouldn’t be shown, and Berger said the company didn’t want to lose more subscribers.

 

Rates won’t increase because of the new channel because the cable TV service is absorbing the cost, Berger said. Chippewa Valley Cable Co. has about 2,000 customers in Durand, Mondovi, Plum City, Gilmanton and Eau Galle.

 

Rates will increase for the 7,000 customers of Tri-County Communication in Trempealeau County, CEO Fred Weier said.

 

“It will, yes,” he said. “The costs will eventually get passed on to the consumer.”

 

Moving the channel from a digital tier to basic cable left a “sour taste,” Weier said, but the cable provider needed to do it to stay competitive.

 

“Personally, I’m very disappointed with the NFL Network,” he said.

[chester]

In response, NFL Network's Seth Palansky said, "While the NFL Network games will be carried by a large number of cable companies, we unfortunately are involved in a commercial dispute with specific cable operators who are acting in their own self-interests - not in the interests of our NFL fans. We will continue to discuss the matter with those cable operators in the hope that the problem can be resolved."

 

 

pot, meet kettle

[Easy n Dirty]

 

 

Aside from airing eight games, Hill said NFL Network doesn’t have enough programming to warrant the additional cost, an amount Hill said he is not allowed to disclose.

 

 

 

I'm fairly certain that their asking price is $0.70 per subscriber per month - another reason to be put on the basic tier is that then the cable company has to pay the network for all of its subscribers, not just those who opt in to buy it on a premium tier. So being on the basic tier enhances both the network's affiliate and advertising revenues.

[Gunther]

Local Charter said they WOULD carry it if they can put in on the sports tier, but the NFL said no'

 

Interesting, so how does Comcast get away with this? (rhetorical)

 

You have to be a digital subscriber to get the NFL Network (at least where I'm at), which is not the "basic" tier.

[Ursa Majoris]

I saw that they more narrowly defined the "Home Market" for local broadcast of NFL network games. Local market for most Packer games cover most of Wisconsin, but the "local market" for the NFL network games for the Packers is just Green Bay and Milwaukee.

 

That's insane. The Packers local market should be the entire State of Wisconsin at the very least.

[bustedflush16]

I tried to do the dance with customer service at Time Warner. I spoke to two customer reps and went as far as setting up a time to cancel service. The only thing they would offer as incentive to stay with Time Warner is they would lower my bill by $20 for a year, BUT they would have to lower my internet bandwith to that equal of DSL. Not much of a bargain there, dsicount for lesser service.

 

Every angle I tried they deflected away and they were more than happy to lose my business (no surprise really). Has anyone else had any luck with Time Warner and a discount for staying with them?

Edited November 28, 2006 by bustedflush16