[John W]

An impasse between the Big Ten Network and satellite company Dish Network could prevent customers from watching the opening weekend of the college football season.

Elizabeth Conlisk, the BTN's vice president of communications and university relations, said today that the agreement between the Big Ten Network and Dish expires Friday - one day before BTN begins its 2012 college football broadcast schedule.

"We've offered proposals to Dish that are consistent with the current market value of the network," Conlisk said. "Dish is insisting on some kind of preferential treatment and is looking for terms below market value."

http://www.jconline.com/article/20120826/SPORTS020101/308260022/BTN-Big-Ten-Network-Dish-Network

 

[Chihuahua]

Here we go again!

 

[ehilbert1]

Here come the "I don't give a damn never ever watch it" people. Drop it and save me money!!!!!!!!

Don't underestimate college football fans and their love for their teams and watching them. Way more people will leave over this than AMC.

 

[RAD]

BTN has their site up http://www.iwantbtn.com/learn-more.php .

 

[beavis]

Yeah, I'm watching 49ers - Broncos and just saw the commerical.

 

[nmetro]

This is getting old. I pay for BTN because as part of the Sports Pack.Just like I paid for AMC, IFC, Sundance and We. So far no credit for the latter. You are told it is the cost of doing business. Of course, we never got credit when almost all the ESPN/Disney channel HDs feeds were removed. Now, it is BTNs (Big Ten Conference and FOX) turn to gouge customers, and we won't get a credit for that either.

The idea that carriers (cable and satellite) put their customers in the middle of their disputes just only add more ire to the situation. It is getting to point that a subscriber has to play a game of chance when they choose a provider, because the programming they subscribed to could be dropped because of greed by either the carrier or the provider.

Of course, if I lived in Columbus, Ohio, I would just go to the Ohio State game this Saturday. I am a seaon ticket holder. But, alas, I live in Colorado and my relatives use the tickets; at least they will get to see this week's game.

Finally, BTN telling folks to go seek out alternatives. Guess what? The HD feed is not carried by COMCAST in my area. I am in a two year committment with DISH; will they pay the $200 fee to change? Matter of fact, they are the only carrier in the area that will carry the PAC-12 network. Dish and DirectTV are is a dispute with them, as well. And, if I did change, what happens when COMCAST gets into a dispute? It gets expensive jumping from one carrier to another.

So this is the price people pay for media consolidation. Not only for the greed, but for the ever decreasing variety of programming that is now available. And we have politicians and government agencies which continue to ignore this problem.

So, if anyone knows a way to watch Big Ten games on my laptop come Saturday, please post the URL in this blog.

One last comment, didn't BTN require DISH, when BTN started, to pay $1 a subscriber for each subscriber in the Big Ten states and include BTN in DISH 100+? For those outside of the Big Ten States, one has to pay $7.99 (at the time it was $5.99) for the Sports Pack. This is not enough?

 

[buck1973]

T

Of course, if I lived in Columbus, Ohio, I would just go to the Ohio State game this Saturday. I am a seaon ticket holder. But, alas, I live in Colorado and my relatives use the tickets; at least they will get to see this week's game.

So, if anyone knows a way to watch Big Ten games on my laptop come Saturday, please post the URL in this blog.

If your relatives have Time Warner or Directv as a provider, use their logon to watch the game on bnt2go.

 

[Rainbird]

In April this year Dish got in a dispute with Fox West Sports over carrying the Anaheim Angeles games that were formerly carried on KCOP Channel 13 in Los Angeles. Dish was wanting to add the games to it's current lineup. Negotiations dragged on and never did get resolved.

 

[Oswald13]

Wonderful. Just switched from Directv this spring, so I have a 2 year commitment. Anyone know what is the lowest package I can downgrade to without penalty?

 

[nmetro]

If your relatives have Time Warner or Directv as a provider, use their logon to watch the game on bnt2go.

Thanks. Well, there is always Buckeye Vision for $9.95 a month. Though, it looks like Buckeye Vision is part of BTN Digital fro $119 a year or so.

It is almost cheaper to drop DISH, go with DirecTV and pay the $200 for breaking the two year commitment.

 

[Stewart Vernon]

BTN has their site up http://www.iwantbtn.com/learn-more.php .

What amused me from that site... from the Q&A section of the "Get the facts" link...

"Q: Are your proposals "unreasonable?"
A: No. BTN's proposals are entirely reasonable and in line with the BTN agreements already secured with other TV providers within the marketplace."

Why amusing?

Because... what else would they say to that question? Yes, out proposals are entirely unreasonable. In fact, we are amazed that Dish didn't laugh in our faces when we threw the numbers on the table... I mean, we are SO out of bounds it isn't even funny... if only I could tell you, you'd say 'yeah, that is unreasonable!'

Talk about useless Q&A...

How about this... any Web site that puts up a link that says "Get the Facts"... whether it is Dish or anyone else... you MUST actually put the facts on that link destination!

Don't say "our request is reasonable and in line with market values" without actually telling people what you are requesting.

 

[sregener]

Don't say "our request is reasonable and in line with market values" without actually telling people what you are requesting.

I agree. Say, for example, "We currently get $1/subscriber from Dish. We are now requesting $1.10.". It is insulting to be told to trust them when they say they are being reasonable. Dish could counter with, "95% of subscribers to packages with the BTN never watch it. This is not a popular channel. Other channels with similar peak ratings receive $0.40/subscriber or less.". But the days of transparent contract negotiations are likely never going to come.

 

[festivus]

It's no wonder people are ditching cable and satellite packages and going with OTA plus online options. I'm tired of these stalemates.

 

[jdskycaster]

The timing of these negotiations are always a killer for the viewers and seem to be in favor of the content provider. It stinks for the fans as I like to watch Big 10 football but maybe it would be better for Dish to wait until the season is over and sign a deal which expires on that date in the future. Yes, we lose a season of viewing but there is at least a chance at moving the expiration date beyond the beginning of the season.

 

[APB101]

Another programming negotiation dispute?

Is Charlie Ergen trying to nickel and dime?

This seems to have now become the norm with him and Dish Network!

 

[Ira Lacher]

All the latest technology is useless if there are no channels to watch.

 

[nmetro]

Another programming negotiation dispute?

Is Charlie Ergen trying to nickel and dime?

This seems to have now become the norm with him and Dish Network!

After 14 years, I have decided to jump to DirecTV. The now weekly disputes became more and more annoying; and is costing me money. One of the reasons I subscribed to satellite was that one way or another I would be able to have access to Ohio State/Big Ten sport. Be it ESPN, ABC, and, in the past few years, BTN. Comcast, until recently, did not carry BTN and ABC regionally shows either Big 12 and now PAC 12 (University of Colorado recent relocation helped spur the change.

I pay extra money to get BTN, because I do not live in a Big Ten State. To me that is $7.99/month or about $96/year. So, to me it is not a $1 per subscriber. I generally do not watch out of market RSNs and rarely watch other channels which are in the Sports Pack.

I am fully aware that DirecTV has its issues, many are mentioned in these blogs. They had an issue with Viacom a few weeks ago. But, the DirecTV provider disputes are not the norm, like they have become at DISH.

In the end I will be paying about $20/month more, once all the promotional credits run out. But, I do not have to play channel dispute roulette almost on a weekly basis and not see any credit for lost channels.

 

[Stewart Vernon]

Good luck to you... I mean that sincerely, not sarcastically... I think DirecTV's recent temporary drop of Viacom signals a brand new day where DirecTV will be playing hardball like Dish has done... so I don't think there will be a provider immune.

We even have the do as I say not as I do scenario with AMC calling Dish penny-pinching for dropping them, while simultaneously Cablevision (with many of the same board members as AMC) has dropped other channels that wanted more money... so when the shoe is on the other foot, the channel owners don't want to pay more either!

I expect DirecTV to step up and negotiate harder in the coming years.

 

[nmetro]

By the way, after I wrote what I posted, I learned that a company called "Local TV", which seems to be made up of mostly FOX stations, is about to be dropped by DirecTV for WJW in Cleveland (FOX 8). The usual, the stations want more money for transmission. While they have not said they will do the same in Denver (KDVR and KWGN) are owned by "Local TV". So, that thread about FOX being dropped by DISH may actually have some traction in a few weeks; as it is now happening with DirecTV.

So, Sinclair is not the only group playing the increase the transmission cost game.

Another argument that local TV stations should not be allowed to charge for their signals. If I owned a cinema, and charged people to see a local broadcast (you can do this now with Digital Transmission), I would get in trouble with the FCC. Because the frequencies are owned by the public; you cannot charge for them. But, NAB and our so called "representatives" in Congress has let them do just that with Satellite and Cable; sell their signals.

 

[DCSholtis]

By the way, after I wrote what I posted, I learned that a company called "Local TV", which seems to be made up of mostly FOX stations, is about to be dropped by DirecTV for WJW in Cleveland (FOX 8). The usual, the stations want more money for transmission. While they have not said they will do the same in Denver (KDVR and KWGN) are owned by "Local TV". So, that thread about FOX being dropped by DISH may actually have some traction in a few weeks; as it is now happening with DirecTV.

So, Sinclair is not the only group playing the increase the transmission cost game.

Another argument that local TV stations should not be allowed to charge for their signals. If I owned a cinema, and charged people to see a local broadcast (you can do this now with Digital Transmission), I would get in trouble with the FCC. Because the frequencies are owned by the public; you cannot charge for them. But, NAB and our so called "representatives" in Congress has let them do just that with Satellite and Cable; sell their signals.

All stations owned by Local TV LLC are up for renewal on 9/1. There are 21 involved. IIRC