He's using vague terms like "reportedly" for a reason. Why do you think Barron hasn't come out and directly said what the price is (without vague and unsourced attribution)? Journalists are VERY careful with how they word things. When you hear things like "reportedly" and "sourced", it's because they don't have personal knowledge of the situation and are relying on others. And, as I said weeks ago, the providers have a lot more motivation to play the media game and "leak" things to him than CSN does. Crazy discounts? Giving $50/month off for one year to a small handful of subscribers is NOTHING to these people. Their margins are through the roof. Those discounts won't even raise an eyebrow to the bean counters. As I said, go back and read the Grantland article. It's not a "conspiracy" -- it's common ****ing sense. This is a pretty massive dispute right now between providers and the new regional sports network model. To the CEOs and the people that matter, a few short-term discounts or the opportunity to gain a handful of local subscribers (should one of them add CSN Houston) is NOTHING compared with the larger battle they're engaged in. You're taking an incredibly simplistic, short-sighted and small-town philosophy to a much bigger and broader issue.
Same here. The lack of reading comprehension in this thread baffles me. I'm most certainly not pro-CSN. I've said over and over again that I believe CSN is greedy and asking for a figure that is too high based on recent ratings evidence. I just don't think the major cable conglomerates are any less greedy. Both sides are fighting for every last cent of margin, and the most likely way a deal eventually gets done is if both feel the public outrage. In terms of the dispute, I'm not pro-anything... I'm decidedly anti-both.
They are balking en masse to an RSN pricing structure that is not reasonable given the very modest ratings that those channels draw. The initial point that I made is that the price is unreasonable. You countered with an insane conspiracy by the providers that is unlikely at best in that industry. Whether it is just CSN Houston or a variety of RSNs nationwide, the premise is the same. If the asking price was reasonable given the value added, some provider would pay it and use it to gain subscribers from their competitors. Regardless of whether the price is $3.40 or $3.00 or any other number, CSN has overestimated the value of its channel to a cable lineup. They have flat overestimated the willingness of providers, across the board, to simply increase the bill of all subscribers to satisfy the small number who would watch every night.
Insane conspiracy? THE PROVIDERS HAVE THE MOST LEVERAGE IF THEY ALL HOLD OUT. What, exactly, is insane about that? It's common ****ing sense. My goodness, this is one gullible perspective. No wonder corporate America gets the ridiculous loopholes they do. If the asking price was $0.03 and the providers believed they could eventually get CSN down to $0.02 or $0.01, they'd at least strongly consider holding out. The "small number who would watch every night" -- your words -- also represents the proportion of the marketplace that a provider could potentially gain from their competitors (if, say, Dish were to add CSN). Small. The handful of $50/month discounts for one year... the subscribers a hypothetical provider could take from competitors if they added CSN... these are all small potatoes compared with the big-picture issue of what the final per-subscriber price ends up being. If the providers think they can ultimately get a better deal by holding out, that FAR outweighs the handful of subscribers who would switch just for the Rockets or Astros. Especially when you consider that most subscribers open to switching for the games have already done so, but to Comcast. This is corporate politics. It's not about simply hitting a magic "value" number where it's economically feasible. It's about getting every last penny they can through whatever method they have to use, subscribers be damned. Clutch is pretty plugged into matters involving the Rockets, and he's reported that the providers aren't even willing to come to the table and negotiate. If that doesn't scream leverage play, I don't know what to tell you.
Except that it hasn't happened before at any normal price level for an RSN. Now that the networks are asking for far in excess of the normal,price for an RSN, they are balking. Why exactly would you waste time negotiating when you have been told time and again that they will not come off the price you find unreasonable? Do you really find it a coincidence that as soon as the season started, Comcast used this as a way to seek people to switch to their service? By the way, a conspiracy is simply a coordinated effort or plan of attack planned and carried out by multiple parties. That is precisely what you accused the providers of.
Who's to say the former prices weren't too low? Who decides what "normal" is? In addition, CSN Houston isn't the same as Fox Sports Southwest. Not by a longshot. The scope of Astros/Rockets programming is far and beyond anything ever done before. It's a new model, and if the providers are as loyal to their customers as you make it seem, what's the harm in at least sitting down at the table and talking about it? Actually, no. Here's the definition of conspiracy. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conspiracy In each definition, you'll find terms like "unlawful", "evil", "crime", "fraud" and "wrongful". I'm not suggesting anything of the sort. What I'm suggesting is merely sound business negotiating principles. That is, providers have the highest potential leverage in a given situation if they are all on the same page and seeking the same goal. But instead of debating the specifics of this situation, you're wildly and inaccurately throwing out the loaded "conspiracy" term to try and devalue my argument without actually tackling it on merit.
This is finally getting on my nerves. I am tired of watching crummy links and having to hook my laptop up to my tv. screw all of the parties involved.
Again, I don't blame Clutch for doing what he's doing. And I'm not saying that he's pro-Comcast corp. The people who work there are probably great. The broadcasters, the behind-the-scenes people...they're probably Rockets fans and are doing great things. Everyone just works for the devil, and Clutch certainly is dancing with the devil, and that's a common theme in a lot of companies. Now Comcast isn't the devil that poisons people or uses slave labor, but it is the devil that craps on over half of Houston with their greed turds. Now I'm not advocating Clutch uses his power to go militant uprising vs Comcast, but it was just a response to "what can he do?" He could do that, but it might not even make a dent of a difference. The Rockets decided to do business with the devil and screw their fans...and if you're a Rockets fan, unless you want to go crazy militant, you just have to take it and change the way you follow team (like do something illegal, or go to sports bars every night, or listen on the radio).
Typical For the record, of course I'm irritated you have zero respect for the site and for the guy who has worked his butt off making it the good standard for fan sites. What am I supposed to watch it on? As I have said multiple times, my sat dish doesn't have the stupid channel either. So take your passive-aggressive punk ass and shove it.
For the record I never "took a shot" at clutch. Yes I made a smarta$$ remark when I was chastised for posting about csn in a discount tickets forum. I'm probably more upset than most because I have worked with that specific department so many times through the years and sold so many tickets for them, probably well over two thousand. Now to be in this situation sucks, I get upset when Joelle sends me "discount" offers that are still very costly. This whole situation sucks for those of us that followed jelly bean Bryant, Allen leavell and the boys in those times, camped overnight for tickets to rox/Knicks finals, and all the other stuff through the years and now les is sticking us the finger. Wouldn't surprise me if like drayton he is getting his value on this and will be out soon. In any case this whole thing sucks and so many people do not have a clue how it feels as they watch the games
Just got off phone with AT&T and got $100 bill credit even though I would have never actually disconnected. Was interesting that the rep told me she did not think Comcast was planning on letting any major providers get the channel anytime soon. She was in Nashville but originally from Houston and has family here. No way to know what info she has
Let me ask this... If Comcast strikes a deal with your TV Provider and still hasn't done so with another major provider, are you still going to come here and fight the fight for whomever is still out in the cold? I have U-verse so I'm screwed too. I just wanted to make sure that we are being fair judging Comcast subscribers using standards we may not live up to either later on.
This is very fair point. I'm in the same boat as you and if Uverse strikes a deal with Comcast, I'd probably avoid this thread. It's one thing to feel sympathy for those who aren't in your shoes, but it's another to truly try to help. But I do recognize that I'd be doing business with the Devil. Comcast has screwed Rockets fans and the best evidence to combat the conjecture on all sides is what is happening in Portland. It's gone on for years and other providers have shown the numbers and have complained and there's even legislative complaints...Comcast just doesn't budge up there. No reason to be surprised if the same thing happens down in Houston. Be prepared for the new normal for potentially years: Rockets games only available by 40% of households, sports bars, or illegal streaming. But back to your original point, we're just not great fans (on both sides of the Comcast dispute). Those who have won't seriously help those who don't have and those who don't have are just b****ing to those who have about Comcast. It's not like Comcast is really listening to us here. I strongly believe that if it wasn't for the efforts of our very own Jeff Balke, the Rockets wouldn't be in Houston. It took one extremely dedicated Rockets fan going beyond what anyone else was willing to do to save the Rockets. I'm thankful for his efforts. It will take a Jeff-like effort to really make a difference in this dispute.
I really like International League Pass Broadband. I'd recommend you guys to get a fast VPN service, connect from Romania or something when you sign up (lower price) and then just set the VPN to Mexico or something close and you can see all the games. You can also use Apple TV or something like that, to watch them on your TV.
