I’m as pissed as anybody else that Time Warner (and Charter) and the BTN/NFLN can’t pull their collective heads out of their asses. Both sides want something that is not part of the deal between the networks and the satellite companies; the networks want on basic cable (that’s channels 2-99 that just about any TV made in the last dozen years can get) for ESPN money, while the cable companies want not only to put it on digital cable, but to bundle it with the likes of Fox Soccer Channel and the Outdoor Channel at an additional cost. By way of comparison, you have to get the 100-channel package from either DirecTV or Dish (or AT&T U-verse IF you can get it) to get either network. Funny thing is, that’s precisely what the “standard” digital package is on cable. However, both sides are too greedy to take the compromise.
What’s worse is the bi-partisan Party-In-Government in Madistan, full of self-righteous anger over not being able to watch the Wisconsin-OverratedSU football game live on Saturday. They want to step in and create a binding arbitration system to force the cable companies to take channels they don’t want at a price they aren’t willing to pay. What would be better is to simply get rid of the franchising monopoly altogether so more upstarts like AT&T can waltz in with better deals without giving tribute to either the locals as is the case now or the state as is the proposed case.
Losers from top to bottom.
[…] people want the bill just so they can be sure and see the Badgers. The Big Ten Network is not worth ESPN money. I’d say, call DirecTV or find a friend who has […]
I don’t really care about why they’re arguing, although its obviously a money issue all i know is there are 3 games left in the regular season and I don’t get to see the Osu/Wisconsin game because of these 2 greedy groups…..its just total crap
Here where I live Dish network is just a bit player. Conflicts like this are an old story in the greed of the cable companies, though now the NFL is taking a bigger bite.
Just look at the Sunday Ticket I need to be sure I can watch the Packers each week –
It’s now over $200/season, and has fewer games each year. Starting with a max of 16/week, take out Monday night, Sunday night, Thursday night from Thanksgiving on and at least 2 games missing during the bye weeks, leaves a max of 11 or 12 games for Sunday afternoon.
And this overseas crap will no doubt affect it further.
On a separate note, I just found this site and would like to register to login but did not find that capability.
I expect to read and comment here on a regular basis.
Keep up the good work (and GO PACK!)