1/19/2013 UPDATE: Please sign the petition to help get the ball rolling: <HR> Since the board has had a ton of questions about this and I get asked on email and Twitter a lot, here is a thread I hope to update as providers are added. As of Wednesday morning, October 10th (date of Rockets' first preseason game), here are all the providers that have Comcast SportsNet Houston available: Coastal Link (channels 31/131 in Brazoria County, Texas). Comcast Cable (channels 39/639 in the Houston area; 86/1688 in Houma, La Place, Monroe and Shreveport, Lou.; 269/1687 in Little Rock, Ark.). Consolidated Communications (channels 42/723 in the Houston area). EnTouch (channels 73/473 in the Houston area). Phonoscope (channels 35/293 in the Houston area). Currently DirecTV, UVerse, Dish Network are shut out. The Rockets and CSN Houston want you to go to http://iwantcsnhouston.com to demand from your provider that they add the channel, but it's really just helping them push the demand for it and get more money for it. As it always does, it comes down to money for both sides. Keep in mind also the name "Comcast" being in the channel isn't helping when it comes to UVerse and the rest wanting to add it. It's like asking Coke to air the Pepsi channel. I'm going to guess they'll have something worked out by the season's start. We'll see. (Poll added by Carl Herrera)
With virtually NONE of the big providers having added the channel yet, I think Comcast is probably asking for an arm and a leg for the rights.
I hope you're not just saying that to keep people on here from freaking out about it in every post they make... Spoiler ... because it won't work! Come on, Uverse! Step it up or I'm going on a hunger strike!
I would think so. The same thing is happening in Los Angeles with the Lakers, and they have the caliber of team that gives them leverage to ask for a bundle... and no doubt they are. http://blog.pe.com/jim-alexander/2012/10/09/tvlakers-blame-em-all-for-blackout-fans-say/
If you are gonna contact the providers, I would also tweet folks in charge of the Rockets like Morey (@dmorey), CEO Tad Brown (@tadbbrown), Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) and Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) to tell them to get a deal done. With Parsons, make sure you tell him you are a 13-yr-old girl and is upset you can't see his face on TV and if a deal isn't done your parents are forcing you to become a Mavs fan and watch ugly Dirk all season.
I sincerely have no clue... just a hunch. But the Rockets and Astros both are living in a Texans World right now and I think both parties (Rockets and the providers) stand to lose if they don't come to an arrangement. The global interest in the Rockets may be more significant again this season with the addition of Jeremy Lin, but I think the local interest has dropped. Makes sense for both sides to do a deal and soon.
And the huge media market to make the rights valuable. A similar dispute lasted well into the season on NYC between MSG and Time Warner cable. Folks got really upset when Linsanity began and he is not on TV.
That sucks for you guys in Houston. Question though, does this possibly relate to the fact many are saying the game will not be on league pass. It seems to me league pass picks up whenever there's a channel covering it but maybe since no deals have been made with providers outside of Houston, the league can't get access to it either? You would think the NBA would be able to get coverage since they own the rights but not sure how this all works. side note: CSN tip off is in 1 hour and 13 minutes, is there going to be a special on or something?
Initially I threatened AT&T that I would cancel my service if they don't get CSN-Houston; however, I am thinking my stance over since I believe this is the primary reason for AT&T not having the channel yet. I live in Houston and I should be able to catch my local team. If the Rockets along with Comcast don't want me to do so, then they can go screw themselves. I'm a season ticket holder, but if the Rockets don't want me to watch them and support them anymore then I'll definitely be taking my money elsewhere.
This is complete bull****! I can't watch my hometown Rockets on my tv?? I've seen every game for the past 5 years, and now I can't?? Wtf?!
I have suddenlink, and I am not happy about missing my Rockets, but I cant stand comcast. I simply cant bring myself to help them impose thier name on a competing network. I WONT DO IT.
DirectTV carries a bunch of CSN regional sports networks (New England, Chicago and whatnot), so perhaps the CSN name is not a huge impediment. My guess the issue is still money (as it often is)-- CSN wants to get more, providers want to pay less. BTW, why does everyone hate Comcast? I have not been a customer so no personal experience with them.
Funny that I can't even watch my local Rockets while I can watch Chicago sports on WGN since for as long as I can remember/ like way back!!!! WGN is everywhere...
Considering the fact that DirecTV already carries many CSN sports networks, I am praying they add Houston before the season starts. I continue to call and email and will do so threatening to cancel if they do not get something worked out very soon. Even though I won't cancel because they are the best cable service provider around (IMO). The only reason I chose them was because they have every sports channel (NBA, NFL, etc, etc, etc) in their package.
Horrible, horrible customer service. In 6 months, they put me through 2 hours calls, transferring to the wrong department multiple times, lying to me, hanging up on me for no reason, their technical support never being able to help me with internet issues no matter how many times I called, etc. Plain horrible and never want to deal with them ever again.
I called Directv today and for those of us outside of Houston nothing big will change. We will still get the regular season games via league pass but not the preseason ones. The only difference is we won't be able to watch the pre-post games on CSN Houston.. so we will be at the mercy of the league pass button on how much of those we get to see.