[per 610] CSN Offers 45 day free trial to providers

Tell everyone!

 

The free offer WAS a negotiating ploy, the Astros were hoping that if they did the free trial BS that the carriers to bit wouldn't be able to pull the channel after the trial was up, forcing them to offer more money.

 

Um, yes there is every reason not to do it.

If they offer the 'free trial' as soon as the trial is over, people who have been watching for six weeks start screaming at them.

That does not benefit DirecTV at all. All it does is strengthen CSNH's position.

All this is is the same thing it was last year - a cynical PR stunt by CSNH.

 

The letter to the Court says it was their idea....the same way it was the Astros idea back at the start of the Astros' season. It's their broadcast rights...so they all consent to it, but it's going to come from the team who is in season when this happens. That's part of the spin, as well.

 

The reason this failed is because no one is going to blow you for their first hit of crack. The Astros first approached this by walking up to Direct TV and Uverse with their zippers down, and once they were rejected, they offered a free sample....it doesn't work like that. They let them know what to expect later (zipper down) so they sure as hell don't want the free sample now.

 

If DirecTV, Dish, and Uverse really cared about the fans then they would show the channel during the trial period. I guess money is more important to them then doing what would be nice for the fans. Business decision over the good of the people. But, I have seen businesses do nice things sometimes just to be nice. Why not this time?

 

Because what you described about businesses sometimes doing nice things just to be nice is the exception and not the norm.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>FYI re <a href="https://twitter.com/CSNHouston">@CSNHouston</a> free view, reason I haven't mentioned Dish Network is court testimony indicated Dish uninterested in net at any price.</p>&mdash; David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/396319357170491393">November 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>That could change, of course, but it likely would require customer requests to Dish, and probably quite a few of them.</p>&mdash; David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/396319612804939776">November 1, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Can the Rockets not just stream the games for us?

 

if C$N is genuine about us fans missing out on the rockets. how about broadcasting the free trial online for all of us. yeah, that's what I thought, freaking suits.

 

Yes, DirectTV is just bad as CSN for the normal fans. Now it is the time to stop saying DirectTV is better than CSN, just do the switch when the good deal is over there regardless which company.

 

@DirecTVService just tweeted "we are not participating in the preview"

 

You're right, but it does mean that the ball is publicly "in their court". We need to do our part to put the pressure on them.

 

Still waiting for Uverse to say something......anything. I submitted the online survey.

 

Why do satellite companies owe specific sports fans anything? They didn't ask for this. CSN went to them and CSN is pressuring them to show their channel.

Satellite companies aren't refusing to air CSN to spite the fans. They are refusing because it isn't a good deal for them or for the majority of their customers.

 

If they did this then they couldn't continue to say that there is no demand for the channel, there would be actual data to look at how many people were watching. And the demand for the channel would likely increase once viewers got a taste, and then had it removed. People who didn't really realize what they were missing might start caring. Of course it's also possible that the data would support their claims that there was no demand, but the benefit to DirecTV to find that out is much less than the negatives if they were wrong. None of the networks care about the fans outside of how much money it will make or cost them in the end. That's certainly not a Comcast exclusive trait.

 

Six weeks? The majority of fans this has impacted (since October 2012) had been watching for 10, 20 or 30+ years. You know who the majority blamed (and still do)? The CSN partners. Why would it suddenly be different after six weeks?

 

I'm not sure, but there may be NBA league rules against that.

 

I didn't say satellite companies owe fans anything. I said it would be a nice thing to do. Haven't you ever done something for someone just to be nice? Sometimes businesses do nice things for their customers just to be nice.

I don't see where showing the free preview isn't a good deal for their customers. I think their customers would appreciate the kind gesture by the provider. All I said is wouldn't it be wonderful if the satellite companies did something nice for their customers by providing the free preview. But the providers are more concerned about business decisions than doing something nice for their customers.

 

The Rockets could certainly do what Portland has done and offer their games via online stream at a fee. The problem with doing that is greatly devalues the broadcast rights.

Once the networks know you will put the stream online you lose bargaining leverage as a lot of fans will just go that route. Makes it easier for the networks to lowball.