They can't with MLB games (MLBTV is very strict), and I don't think they can for the channel as a whole. That said, apparently they can for NBA games -- someone dug up that Portland offers streaming of their CSN during Blazers games for $100/year, or something like that. That could be where we're headed this year, sadly.
What exactly did they did talk about for three hours? Comcast: Will you pay 3.50 per subscriber? Dtv: No Comcast: Will you pay 3.50 per subscriber? Dtv: No What is the point of negotiations? CSN needs to lower the price. Houston only really cares about the Texans. Even with Yao and Tmac who were bigger stars than Dwight/Harden the rockets didn't sell out.
I feel like when that was brought up it turned out that it was only for areas that didn't have access to the channel, not areas where you could go with a provider that carriers them. So for example, some people in here mention that they live in areas where there is no Comcast.
That's only for those that don't have CSN available to them within that region. Wouldn't count for most of us.
Ah. I assumed that "unavailable" meant from the standpoint of the person's current provider, not whether they were willing to switch. If that's the case, you're right, it wouldn't accomplish much except for the Time Warner areas within the Rockets footprint (Beaumont, College Station).
Spewing out the same bull****. Lies, lies and more lies! Ain't nobody got time for that. Thanks for posting though, I guess, ha.
These are the available zip codes to sign up for the TrailBlazers stream. http://www.nba.com/blazers/streamingzipcodes.html If the Rockets pull this sort of deal off it will be awesome. Of course the Astros would go crazy because they CAN'T do the same thing and this would severely devalue the negotiating rights.
<iframe width="658" height="371" scrolling="no" src="http://www.sports790.com/player/embed.html?autoStart=false&useFullScreen=true&mid=23493515&startButtonColor=0xA33335" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" ></iframe> Starting at 25:50. MT: I felt like after reading David (Barron's) story that I got hit in the gut - that this could be a multiple year wait. TB: I like David a lot too. He does his best to gather information and report the facts as he knows them. I talked to David very little before that article came out and then a little after. All I can say is, the information that I understand to be the case is different the information David was provided in the report. The base numbers were wrong, the terms were wrong and if they were operating off those assumptions, their entire thesis was incorrect. It does no good to yell above that because it is what it is. All I can say is, I'm much more optimistic than the article led to believe. If it were easy, it would have happened. Once we pass a certain point on each season, the likelihood of getting a deal done in the middle of that season is difficult. Is it possible we get carriage deals finished between now and the time the Astros season is over? Yes, it is possible. I think the pressure points are now leading into the end of the Astros season and the Rockets season. One thing is for sure, we're going to make sure carriage deals get finished. We're in a much different position than a year ago(we as a network). The network is up and operational. We're solidified by the largest core carriage provider in the region, which is Comcast. We have 42-43% distribution throughout the territory. We got to make sure we get the other deals done to get there. We have an idea of the product (and where we are as teams). When you look at this as a long term cycle, there are ups and downs across many different factors. The Rockets have been championship contenders, we've been consistent playoff contenders, a few years we haven't been to the playoffs, now we're back up in that contention. The Astros over the years have been playoff contenders, they've been in the World Series, they've been consistent winners, now in a little down cycle but they'll be up very quickly. We know as you look over the term of building this, it's the right thing to do. We have a really good idea of how it can positively impact the sports landscape in the City of Houston. This is the part that gets lost quite a bit - one of the primary reasons for the creation of the network is not only for the teams to kinda control their destiny from a media relations standpoint but because Houston has been an afterthought from every single carrier about how to promote our sports teams. That was unacceptable to us. We were a free agent for the first time ever. We had an opportunity with Drayton, Les, myself and Pam Gardner at the time to go out and listen to pitches on not only how they would make things better for the teams but also how they would treat the city of Houston to make our sports broadcasts better and our sports info better. There is no question, anyone who has seen it and participated in it, says it's far and away the best thing that's ever happened in the City of Houston. The pressure point is not 'Dwight is one of the most popular athletes in the world.' The pressure point is 'Dwight is the best center in the world who will help us win more games that will make us a team that people will be anxious to see'. We know the process. Last year, a number of people were upset. Over 100,000 people signed the petition. All that's great. Then there is the other side. They trot out their metrics. We aren't losing ground, therefore we aren't doing deals, etc, etc. All that is garbage on both sides, including ours. The issue is, the pressure will come from the teams and fans. The carriage providers are getting away with keeping your money for a product you aren't seeing. There is one carriage provider who has specifically said they haven't had many who switched their services. We've had dozens of season ticket holders and customers of ours who have sent us notes saying they tried to switch their service but customer service reps at the carriage provider are so bad at what they do and don't know how to do it, it's literally taking an hour but once they get the right person, they're giving them their money back immediately and incentives to stay on with that carriage provider. They're acknowledging they're wrong. They acknowledge what they're doing is incorrect. They know trying to force Dallas-based programming down Houston's market is inappropriate but it's so hard to get them to make the switch that it requires discipline. We've had the IWantCSNHouston campaign. We've had all the things we've done from the team. Some of this will be organic. The way we look at it, the obligations we have as a team, the way Les and I have been looking at it, we're trying to build the single best team we can possibly build to create a championship contender here in the City of Houston. Everything else will take care of itself. That's what we're doing but we're not gonna go into the next season without a significant fight across all partners to make sure we get these carriage deals done. We already started working on that. We had a three hour conference call today. We're gonna continue this and we are going to make sure we have carriage deals done because the last thing Leslie Alexander is gonna allow is for our market not be able to see this team play next year. 42:55 if you want to hear two callers rip him.
Blow smoke up someone else's ass Tad. Every time I hear this guy talk I feel like he's trying sell me a jalopy. This part in particular is crap. The carriage providers are getting away with keeping your money for a product you aren't seeing. There is one carriage provider who has specifically said they haven't had many who switched their services. We've had dozens of season ticket holders and customers of ours who have sent us notes saying they tried to switch their service but customer service reps at the carriage provider are so bad at what they do and don't know how to do it, it's literally taking an hour but once they get the right person, they're giving them their money back immediately and incentives to stay on with that carriage provider. They're acknowledging they're wrong. They acknowledge what they're doing is incorrect
I went to a season ticket holder lunch I was invited to a few weeks ago and he said the exact same thing. I don't believe it. Quite frankly, it seems that Comcast has everybody by the balls right now, so nothing either team executive says will convince me that they will get a deal done. At this point, I am already in the mindset that I will be streaming Rockets game for the rest of contract life. Hopefully I can get the VPN going and I'll just buy League Pass.
The providers hold a lot of leverage. They know that people are going to be pissed about not being able to watch Dwight Howard...that would be a disaster for the Rockets. Hopefully they figure something out for yall soon. Although 3.50 a month doesn't seem like all that much considering league pass is like $150 or basically $13 a month.
It's been a disaster from day one with or without D12....we signed Harden last year, it did nothing. I'm willing to pay $3.40 for this channel but there's many who won't. though I'm being hopeful, I don't think they'll strike a deal this season perhaps when CSNHOUSTON goes down and FSSW takes over then maybe in 2015 we'll finally get to watch them play...
The problem is not you or I paying 3.50 - the Astros want your grandmother who doesn't watch sports to also pay 3.50 - they want ALL subscribers to pay for a product only 10% want to see This worked for Fox Sports because they bundled with FX, and other channels that NON SPORTS FANS wanted - this is not the path CSN is taking and it is the reason it is lasting so long
Just to clarify, the $4/subscriber that FSSW gets DOES NOT go to FX or other channels for non-sports fans. Your grandmother and anyone else that doesn't watch sports are paying $4/month just for FSSW. The bundling just helps from a negotiating leverage standpoint -- it's not actually a financial benefit for the consumer. It's the same way for every RSN in the country -- your grandmother and others who don't watch sports are paying for it. It's clear now that the Rockets/Astros didn't choose their partner or timing well, but I still have a hard time blaming them for a concept used by literally every other team and every other RSN in the history of cable television.
The model isn't going to change so there is no use in being mad about it. The Networks love it. No use in arguing about it. Best thing that could happen is Google becomes a player in online network creation and buys rights to sports like Netflix creates their own content. That's at least 10 years away at least for the Rox and Stros.
