[Ken S]

If DirecTV dropped the ESPN channels would you drop DirecTV and move to another service?

ESPN is the most expensive base channel package carried by almost all cable/satellite operators. I'm just curious how important it is to dbstalk.com folks.

 

[dettxw]

Just wondering about the reason behind the poll.
Is there talk of this happening?
Seems that ESPN is too entrenched and powerful (for better or worse) for any cable/satellite/etc provider to not carry them.

 

[Ken S]

Just wondering about the reason behind the poll.
Is there talk of this happening?
Seems that ESPN is too entrenched and powerful (for better or worse) for any cable/satellite/etc provider to not carry them.

dettxw,

No talk that I know of...but in an article recently some small cable operators were complaining about the cost and how it is a "must carry" for them. So, I was curious to see if it really is a "must have" for DirecTV folks.

 

[tf92]

I would have to have my ESPN since the SEC just signed on with them so I would have to go to Dish.

 

[spartanstew]

I'd be out of here.

 

[GodisGreat79]

Being a huge sports fan, (College Football and the NFL) I have to have my ESPN.

 

[phat78boy]

I would leave the minute the channel went blank. Also, if all they had was the main ESPN channel and another provider had the whole ESPN package.... I would leave for that provider.

 

[Upstream]

The only reason I have cable/sat service is for ESPN and my regional sports networks. Eighty percent of everything else I watch is available on OTA channels. If they canned Food Network or Discovery, I might miss those channels. But without the ESPN channels and my RSNs, I'd have no reason to pay the monthly subscription price for DirecTV.

 

[bwaldron]

Just don't see it ever happening.

I will say that, even as a major sports fan the ESPN channels are no longer among my absolute favorites and I could probably live without them if I had to -- and if my monthly bill went down accordingly.

The various out-of-market league packages are more important to me than the ESPN "family."

 

[studdad]

at $4.99 for the "bonus" HD pack, I believe we are being raked over the coals for those channels. Why not add it to that pack before considering dropping it?

 

[Grentz]

Dont really need it, barely watch it to be honest.

Only a game or two now and then, but its not life or death.

Would be great if it was an addon to save a couple bucks a month, but I know tons of people that would not sit happily with and I think it overall would be bad for Directv.

 

[ccr1958]

i could live without ESPN on DirecTv as long as i am able to have
access to high speed internet...

 

[Newshawk]

The only time I'd miss ESPN would be those few weeks that they carry the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Other than that, what's ESPN?

 

[flipptyfloppity]

I need ESPN 1 and 2. Don't need the rest. But of course I have to pay for them anyway because ESPN knows the 1 and 2 are must carries, and thus force bundles in the rest of the channels.

 

[crawdad62]

Most of the sports channels are a total waste to me. Now don't get me wrong I realize they are important to a lot of people and I also realize D* probably is were they are today because of sports. But honestly I don't ever watch ESPN.

I'd rather have Fuel show actual HD content. That's about as "sport" as I get.

 

[luckydob]

ESPN is a MUST have for College sports...no ESPN, no more D*.

 

[grape]

Dropping ESPN would be the death of any provider unless they were going after a small niche.

 

[armophob]

I would never know it was gone.

 

[xIsamuTM]

I could care less. drop ESPN, TNT, Lifetime, FOX news, all that waste of channel space. If I'm left with Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, Nick, G4 and Discovery I'll be happy.

 

[Grentz]

I wish you could take it off then. Kinda like you used to be able to with locals.

Not really advertised as such, and it is "included" with all the standard packages. But say for -$4/mo you could get rid of it. That would be pretty neat.

I could care less. drop ESPN, TNT, Lifetime, FOX news, all that waste of channel space. If I'm left with Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, Nick, G4 and Discovery I'll be happy.

There are channels WAY more worthless than those that could be dropped first

Thats why I love favorites lists, although I still have to pay for those other channels (or depending how you look at it, have those channels there to help pay for the others)!