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ESPN sues Verizon over skinnier, cheaper cable offerings


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This one is odd in that ESPN/Disney starts off objecting to Verizon offering slimmer bundles tailor made for each customer, as customers ask for, and says they depend on the bundles to force viewers to take both ESPN and ESPN 2? We are cutting the cable once we get settled in our new house. We program our TVs to skip all the sports channels. If it isn't on network TV like Super Bowl and Saints/LSU games, we don't watch. These issues are having an effect on all content providers as well as carriers like cable, satellite, and Telco providers, in addition to us customers as we decide we don't need or want their bundles.

 

Excerpt:

 

"ESPN filed suit against Verizon on Monday for creating cheaper, smaller cable offerings that included the sports operator's channels, allegedly without permission.

 

Earlier this month, Verizon announced its FiOS cable service would offer "Custom TV," which are slimmer and less expensive packages of channels grouped by genres, such as sports or kids entertainment, to appeal to potential cord cutters.

 

Several networks protested, including ESPN, NBC and Fox, whose revenues are closely tied to preserving the long-standing cable bundle. ESPN, which is owned by The Walt Disney Co., protested saying Verizon's slimmer bundles violated their licensing agreements for ESPN and ESPN 2.

 

Deirdre Hart, a spokeswoman for Verizon, responded: "Consumers have spoken loud and clear that they want choice, and the industry should be focused on giving consumers what they want. We are well within our rights under our agreements to offer our customers these choices."

 

However this comes out has an effect on how we can get our Internet and content. The full article is here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/04/27/espn-sues-verizon-to-stop-the-cable-bundle-from-breaking/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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In the satellite community, there are numerous advocates of ala-carte channel selection. What they don't understand that under the current bundles, ESPN is almost mandated in every channel package and ESPN is about the most expensive channel bundle there is.

 

With ala-carte, many users could choose to not have ESPN which will drive the cost up for the people who want ESPN. Thus the belief that ala-carte will drive costs down will probably not happen.

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Streaming and over the air broadcasts are taking away more and more of the cable company business. The majority of users just don't want to have to buy a 200 channel package costing $100 a month to get the ONE channel they really want.

We cut the cord at home and in the RV 18 months ago and don't miss cable at all.

We also cut off cable company provided internet and phone and now everything goes thru AT&T with a 30 gig data package we got for less than we were paying for cable and cell phones.

We bought a $40 amplified Digital TV antenna from COSCO that provides us with access to PBS which we watch most and the local channels. The one thing we did miss was being able to watch Formula 1 Grand Prix on NBC sports. We solved that by finding the local Formula 1 fan club who we meet up with to watch the races when they come on.

On the road when we can't get a cell or TV signal we have some new technology. It's called "A-Book". It's completely self contained, needs no power or internet signal and completely portable. It's digital in that you turn the pages with your digits (fingers).

 

Funny story: DW was reading "A-Book" last weekend and suddenly looked up and said "It's broken".

I asked her what could be broken about a book? She showed me.

She'd picked it up upside down and it didn't automatically invert the page like her Kindle does!!

We both laughed out loud imagining a modern kid being unable to fix "A-book"

BnB

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We are about to get a new house and the only thing we will have is Internet at 45 bucks a months for 30mbps fast enough service. Our HP is a Magic Jack Phone. We are dropping cable as we get 18 channels OTA digital here better than on cable, because cable and satellite has to compand the signal. (Compress/Expand) Our cable TV provider dropped Comedy Central so we can get all we want including LPB 1, 2, 3, and stream anything else we want. I'm getting the Channel Master big antenna and rotor system as well as their $249.99 DVR that needs no subscription. I have a commercial power injected amplifier already for the TV, and the Internet Cable signal will come into the central part of the house and Wireless to the rest as we do now. Here's the world's only subscription free DVR: http://www.channelmaster.com/Antenna_DVR_s/336.htm I already have more external enclosed USB 2.5" drives than I use, and several USB docks to use my 2 TB 3.5" drives too.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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In the satellite community, there are numerous advocates of ala-carte channel selection. What they don't understand that under the current bundles, ESPN is almost mandated in every channel package and ESPN is about the most expensive channel bundle there is.

 

With ala-carte, many users could choose to not have ESPN which will drive the cost up for the people who want ESPN. Thus the belief that ala-carte will drive costs down will probably not happen.

There's a shock. If those of us who have no use for ESPN didn't have to pay for it, perhaps those who want it wouldn't be able to afford it. Thus they might have to reduce their prices and cut back on the billions they pay the sports teams. Oh the scandal of it all. Imagine that. People who want it pay for it and those who don't, don't.

Michael

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