So basically the entire state is now watching Rangers games, and that will remain the case even if CSN Houston can come to agreement with the other cable providers, since CSN Houston would only be shown in the Houston area? Please tell me I'm wrong, because that's a recipe for creating a ton of Rangers fans and reducing the number of state-wide Astros fans.
So explain to me why, if I am a Rockets fan in Houston, why I would be ok paying $3/month (or whatever it is) for FSSW? Because that is the crappy way TV has worked for years.
DirecTV/etc probably wouldn't pay $3/month for FSSW in Houston if that came up now. But at the time they negotiated, the $3/month would give all the major cities their own teams. With CSNHouston, that's not the case - all the major cities would get Houston's teams. That's less value because the San Antonio and Dallas fans don't get as much value out of it, but are being charged the same (or actually more). FSSW: Houston: Astros, Rockets Dallas: Mavericks, Rangers San Antonio: Spurs, Astros Austin: whoever is most popular CSN-H: Houston: Astros, Rockets Dallas: Astros, Rockets San Antonio: Astros, Rockets Austin: Astros, Rockets The latter isn't worth as much as the former, but is being priced even higher.
Or the other way to look at it, the $3/month for FSSW would be ransom by FOX to give you FOX, FX, FoxNews, etc. CSN has no such leverage.
Exactly! And the talk of Sec games matching Big XII games is not good either. How many SEC teams are in the 5 state area that CSN would effect? Texas A&M and LSU? Well LSU is almost always on a network or ESPN, and if A&M continues where they left off last year they will be also. FSSW will show TCU games (Ft Worth), Texas Tech games (Lubbock), Baylor games (Waco) and other games that appeal to a much larger market than a low ranked sec game would.
Texas A&M, LSU and Arkansas have substantial interest in the 5-state area. To even imply otherwise is hilarious.
They're horrible negotiators if they didn't give themselves an exit strategy in the event FSSW loses some of the teams. I find that unlikely, but even if that's the case, consumers shouldn't have to pay the price for their idiocy. P.S. The CSN folks -- notably, Jim Crane -- aren't basing the figure they're looking for on FSSW's per subscriber rate. It's based on the amount that Fox is directly paying the Rangers. CSN doesn't need the same per subscriber figure as FSN to give the Astros similar payout to the Rangers, since, as you said, it's divided among fewer teams.
I wonder how many A&M fans will be signing up with the csn crowd to "demand their providers" get csn so they can watch their team? Hmmm, I can't say an exact number obviously, but i'm not thinking it is great. I wonder how many LSU fans will be demanding comcast now, so they can watch their team on csn Houston? Hmmm, I wonder I wonder how many people out in east Texas will be "demanding" csn so they can watch all the Arkansas games on csn Houston? Hmmm, wonder if that is going to be a large crowd that will sway the negotiations? Hmmmm I wonder how many in San Antonio are demanding that Dish carries csn Houston so they can watch the Rockets? Hmmmm I wonder how many in Dallas are demanding that Directv carries csn Houston so they can watch the Astros? Hmmmm, not thinking that is gonna be a loud noisy group up there, but I certainly could be wrong I wonder how many in Waco are going crazy and "demanding" their provider picks up csn Houston so they can watch the Astros? Hmmmm I wonder how many people in Oklahoma have already called in "demanding" their provider picks up this station, so they can follow the Astros and by God they want to follow the Aggies up there too (although I wouldn't bet many games of their are on csn Houston, but I haven't seen the schedule so can't say that I know), hmmmmm, I wonder about that a lot Best of Luck Jimbo, and Les, and the great PR man Hutchings, i'm sure all of this "demand" from the five state area is gonna bring you your price, cause I can just feel the demand making the providers shake in their boots as I type
That's the whole point. There's a different standard the providers are using for CSN that they didn't use for FSSW. Congratulations, you just made the entire argument for the CSN side.
LOL, honestly this is just too dang funny Since they didn't tell people in other cities to demand fssw, they are somehow in the right on these negotiations? LOL, this is so funny I couldn't make it up if i tried Hahaha, the providers should just pay whatever csn is asking because if not there is a different standard LOL, this is awesome
No, they should use similar guidelines, under which they would probably come up with a similar value. From all I've read, they're not. They're drawing a hard-line stance because it's much more convenient (CSN isn't bundled with other properties the way FSN affiliates are, making it much easier for providers to wage war). That said, we don't even know what CSN is asking. It's all conjecture. Both sides need to be nagged and pressured into this public meeting with Mayor Parker so we can actually get some clue as to what the **** is going on.
Ok but i'm not sure why people in Fort Worth, Waco, Lubbock, San Antonio, El Paso, Baton Rouge, Ruidoso, Fayettville and wherever else, outside of Houston, will want to pressure the providers into a meeting with the mayor of Houston If you are trying to force demand, at some point it should become obvious that there isn't true demand. One side seems to understand this
FSSW is a small part of the package, though. FSSW comes as part of all the FOX networks - CSN is a standalone thing. That gives FOX a hell of a lot more negotiating leverage. Even if these guys have an out, it would mean renegotiating the whole FOX deal as opposed to one station - it's likely more trouble than it's worth. CSN simply doesn't have that kind of clout. They might want those rates, but they don't have the market power to get them.
Totally different situation. There is, and has been, a contract for FSSW. In my example, CSN is asking a completely disinterested fan base of another team to foot the bill for games they could give a damn about.
This. Anybody who does not realize the effect of the highly demanded FOX properties on this is either naive or intentionally ignoring it.
CSN doesn't have to be a stand alone thing. They could get packaged with NBCS, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo, USA, SyFy, TeleMundo, G4.
That's possible, if Comcast wants to risk that fight - but only when the contract for all those channels is up for renewal. Supposedly, that's what ESPN plans to do with the Longhorn Network - bundle it with ESPN so everyone is forced to take it, though I have my doubts they end up doing that. But they have to wait until their current ESPN deals are up for renewal to do it.
