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What's Happen To Directv "Being The Leader In Sports"

5307 Views 32 Replies 26 Participants Last post by  mreposter
For a long time before I made the switch to Directv.Their main selling slogan to entice non Directv customers to switch over was:

"Directv The Leader In Sports"

Now it seems with Mike White in charge their business approach has really changed.

My main gripe is the NASTY situation they are in over the discussion to carry the Lakers new Regional Sports Network which Time Warner has the deal and is producing this channel.

Also Pac 12 fans aren't happy with the situation also and still not having the channel while Dishnetwork has already made a deal.
1 - 20 of 33 Posts
kb24sd said:
For a long time before I made the switch to Directv.Their main selling slogan to entice non Directv customers to switch over was:

"Directv The Leader In Sports"

Now it seems with Mike White in charge their business approach has really changed.

My main gripe is the NASTY situation they are in over the discussion to carry the Lakers new Regional Sports Network which Time Warner has the deal and is producing this channel.

Also Pac 12 fans aren't happy with the situation also and still not having the channel while Dishnetwork has already made a deal.
Hello kb24sd,

:rant:The only professional sporting event I am even remotely interested in is the contract negotiations between management and the person(s) on the athlete's side. It could carry over to the broadcasting rights negotiations too. It could be a grudge or death match. To quote a movie "it's all about the Benjamin's". For those who care deeply about sports and sporting events (I was one many years ago) I know how passionate it is when your favorites (individuals, teams and sports) perform well or badly.
These are new channels...which almost always start out with an inflated view of their value. In one case, the owner of the channel has little incentive to make DirecTV more competitive since they are one of the competitors. I am sure these channels will appear eventually, just give it some time.
"kb24sd" said:
For a long time before I made the switch to Directv.Their main selling slogan to entice non Directv customers to switch over was:

"Directv The Leader In Sports"

Now it seems with Mike White in charge their business approach has really changed.

My main gripe is the NASTY situation they are in over the discussion to carry the Lakers new Regional Sports Network which Time Warner has the deal and is producing this channel.

Also Pac 12 fans aren't happy with the situation also and still not having the channel while Dishnetwork has already made a deal.
The new RSN you are referring to...doesn't even exist yet. DirecTV offers far more sports than anyone else. No one else even comes close.

I also see no evidence of it being nasty.
Just because DirecTV does not have every sports channel does not prevent them from still being the leader in sports. DirecTV still has more sports than anyone else. Does Dish have the Big Ten Network?

Does anyone other than DirecTV have NFL Sunday Ticket? Are there enough people outside of the local PAC 12 schools areas that care whether the PAC 12 network is on DirecTV? The PAC 12 has been pretty irrelevant in football and basketball for many years. The PAC 12 came up with a model for their network (one national channel and six regional channels) that was designed with cable in mind. That model does not work well for DirecTV. At some point, I expect the PAC 12 national channel and overflow channels for live games will be on DirecTV (and in HD) as soon as the PAC 12 comes to its senses.

The Lakers are relavent in the NBA, but a channel devoted to one team in one sport has little to offer for a national market. Serious basketball fans will have NBA League Pass, and the others outside of LA will not care that they are missing Lakers home games. That said, let's wait until the NBA season starts to see whether it will be on DirecTV. I expect it will be on DirecTV, too, but it might not be until the All-Star break.
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If DirecTV isn't the sports leader, then who is? Who's got ST, practically every MLB game in HD, Hotpass, a ton more coverage of every golf and tennis grand slam events, etc...?
sigma1914 said:
If DirecTV isn't the sports leader, then who is? ...?
Dish Network :hurah::hurah:

Dish just Launched Game Finder, I wonder if it tells its customers we found your game on Directv.:lol:
Large type must make your wishes come true.

There is a great thread going on right now which discusses this whole issue. With the tremendous diversification of sports networks that's happening today, it's a very interesting time being a service provider, whether it be Dish, Time-Warner or DirecTV.

When you signed up, it was a different world involving sports programming. DirecTV has historically made a major commitment to sports, and I suspect that will continue. I'd be surprised if we don't find some agreement on the networks you want down the line. But right now, DirecTV is playing the game cautiously and I don't blame them. I, too, want the PAC-12 network, badly. But I also don't want to see the tail wag the dog, and that's where we're heading, with the content providers telling the service providers what to do.
kb24sd said:
For a long time before I made the switch to Directv.Their main selling slogan to entice non Directv customers to switch over was:

"Directv The Leader In Sports"

Now it seems with Mike White in charge their business approach has really changed.

My main gripe is the NASTY situation they are in over the discussion to carry the Lakers new Regional Sports Network which Time Warner has the deal and is producing this channel.

Also Pac 12 fans aren't happy with the situation also and still not having the channel while Dishnetwork has already made a deal.
Perhaps a crying towel will help you get through your ordeal. :sure:
kb24sd said:
My main gripe is the NASTY situation they are in over the discussion to carry the Lakers new Regional Sports Network which Time Warner has the deal and is producing this channel.
This one phrase stuck out in your comment. I would wonder how eager TWC would be to make it available for a competitor. I could see the local TWC outlet being upset over giving up a competitive advantage.

BTW, one of the reasons why I would not switch to TWC is their failure to carry the Mid Atlantic Sports Network. It is my source for Nationals games and would be a deal breaker.
damondlt said:
Dish Network :hurah::hurah:

Dish just Launched Game Finder, I wonder if it tells its customers we found your game on Directv.:lol:
+1
!rolling
"kb24sd" said:
For a long time before I made the switch to Directv.Their main selling slogan to entice non Directv customers to switch over was:

"Directv The Leader In Sports"

Now it seems with Mike White in charge their business approach has really changed.

My main gripe is the NASTY situation they are in over the discussion to carry the Lakers new Regional Sports Network which Time Warner has the deal and is producing this channel.

Also Pac 12 fans aren't happy with the situation also and still not having the channel while Dishnetwork has already made a deal.
Based on a lot of your posts on this board, I'm guessing you're a Lakers fan? Just a wild guess.
And I'm droping DirecTV because they do not have one, not even one, shopping channel in HD!?!
kb24sd said:
For a long time before I made the switch to Directv.Their main selling slogan to entice non Directv customers to switch over was:

"Directv The Leader In Sports"

Now it seems with Mike White in charge their business approach has really changed.…
Look at DirecTV vs. Viacom!

Viacom apparently wanted DirecTV to take EPiX. And DirecTV ended up not conceding that.

Also Pac-12 fans aren't happy with the situation also and still not having the channel while Dishnetwork has already made a deal.
I believe DirecTV will get a deal made. Even if it doesn't happen before the end of September.

Dish Network beat DirecTV in getting Pac-12 Network, first. May not have happened had it not been for the combination of DirecTV's bandwidth issue and the whopping seven screens of Pac-12 Network.
How many threads are you going to make over the same thing? Do you think people will say different things just because it's a new thread?
Shades228 said:
How many threads are you going to make over the same thing? Do you think people will say different things just because it's a new thread?
He hasn't even been back or answered my simple question.
I haven't really been following the DirecTV/TWC squabble, but it wouldn't surprise me that five years from now, if you're a sports fan of certain baseball, basketball, football and hockey teams, you'll literally have to subscribe to three or more carriers to access them all.

Ludicrous. But considering the jockeying that's going on for sports franchises (as it's probably the last vestige of "original" TV), the aforementioned situation is a distinct possibility, especially as the lines between providers and distributors continue to get blurred.

Personally, everyone is to blame IMO, from the greedy sports teams and leagues all the way up through the distributors.

The only thing that will stop this, in my opinion, is a true alternative, complete consumer backlash and/or legislative action.
People should start contacting their congressman (or woman) and let them know what you think of the entire situation. I'm not talking just about the Lakers or the PAC-12 network, but the coming storm. I see it.

The FCC has been relatively silent in these matters, and there's nothing wrong with that, but considering the exemptions that a lot of these leagues are afforded, and the limited choices we're presented with, it's time we voice our opinions where it counts.
"Shades228" said:
How many threads are you going to make over the same thing? Do you think people will say different things just because it's a new thread?
I find all the posts particularly painful just because I despise the Lakers.... Lol.

But I can understand the frustration.
Bambler said:
People should start contacting their congressman (or woman) and let them know what you think of the entire situation. I'm not talking just about the Lakers or the PAC-12 network, but the coming storm. I see it.
I don't think there's a "coming storm." Time Warner still doesn't carry NFL Network and that's been going on for 9 years.
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