ESPN Suing Verizon

[Wbbfan1]

http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...espn-sues-verizon-over-cable-offerings-042715

While I'll probably always watch ESPN, I do agree with Verizon that Consumers want choice and shouldn't have to pay for channels they don't watch. If I had a convenient way without signing a contract to get ESPN, I would drop Cable TV Completely. I watch many shows the following day/week over the internet.

 

[ndmb]

http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...espn-sues-verizon-over-cable-offerings-042715

While I'll probably always watch ESPN, I do agree with Verizon that Consumers want choice and shouldn't have to pay for channels they don't watch. If I had a convenient way without signing a contract to get ESPN, I would drop Cable TV Completely. I watch many shows the following day/week over the internet.

The only reason I have cable at all is because it's mandated under the contract that I have with my apartment complex. Most of my other friends in their mid-twenties have never had cable at all. What we're seeing with television is a delayed version of what we saw with the recording industry: a massive industry who's primary purpose is becoming outdated, slowly losing their power and dominance. Major cable channels are crying foul about internet piracy, but conveniently ignoring their own history of leveraging market power to force millions of Americans to pay for, say, TBS for years, despite never watching it or intending to watch it.

 

[Sonny44]

It's all crooked. You should be able to choose and pay for what you want.

 

[j66kicker]

http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...espn-sues-verizon-over-cable-offerings-042715

While I'll probably always watch ESPN, I do agree with Verizon that Consumers want choice and shouldn't have to pay for channels they don't watch. If I had a convenient way without signing a contract to get ESPN, I would drop Cable TV Completely. I watch many shows the following day/week over the internet.

I agree too, but I also think ESPN should be able to enforce the contract Verizon signed with them.

 

[CL82]

Of course Verizon is offing the basic plan at the same price as there introductory plan that currently includes ESPN, MSG, YES, SNY, etc. But apparently those will be offered ala carte.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

The only reason I have cable at all is because it's mandated under the contract that I have with my apartment complex. Most of my other friends in their mid-twenties have never had cable at all. What we're seeing with television is a delayed version of what we saw with the recording industry: a massive industry who's primary purpose is becoming outdated, slowly losing their power and dominance. Major cable channels are crying foul about internet piracy, but conveniently ignoring their own history of leveraging market power to force millions of Americans to pay for, say, TBS for years, despite never watching it or intending to watch it.

I assume you are including DirecTV and Dish in your things you wouldn't subscribe to, because you can watch it via the internet for less?

I'm sorry, but I sort of go for the current plan, I have DirecTV. If someone wants to rewire the entire system and make it both easy, and as high quality, to watch sports via the internet on my (relatively) big screen TV and it is going to cost me less , maybe. But at least in my (limited) experience, whereby I have used the internet for some selected Rutgers games, a few PAC-12 Arizona offerings (in several sports) and some episodes of the 2 CBS reality shows that we watch - it isn't easy, it isn't convenient and there is some drop off of quality at times.

Sure I support tons of stations I don't watch. Including a bunch that the non-sports fan will be more than happy to get in their sports-free package while the only stations I would probably watch in that sort of basic tier would be the very limited broadcast network programs we watch - at most 6 titles, not all of them on during the entire year. Other than sports, the vast majority of programs watched in my household are from the HGTV,Food Channel,Cooking Channel,DIY group of stations. I wonder what these would cost per year on an ala carte menu. Combined with the 15 plus sports channels I watch (plus NFL Sunday Ticket) - yikes.

 

[ndmb]

I assume you are including DirecTV and Dish in your things you wouldn't subscribe to, because you can watch it via the internet for less?

I'm sorry, but I sort of go for the current plan, I have DirecTV. If someone wants to rewire the entire system and make it both easy, and as high quality, to watch sports via the internet on my (relatively) big screen TV and it is going to cost me less , maybe. But at least in my (limited) experience, whereby I have used the internet for some selected Rutgers games, a few PAC-12 Arizona offerings (in several sports) and some episodes of the 2 CBS reality shows that we watch - it isn't easy, it isn't convenient and there is some drop off of quality at times.

Sure I support tons of stations I don't watch. Including a bunch that the non-sports fan will be more than happy to get in their sports-free package while the only stations I would probably watch in that sort of basic tier would be the very limited broadcast network programs we watch - at most 6 titles, not all of them on during the entire year. Other than sports, the vast majority of programs watched in my household are from the HGTV,Food Channel,Cooking Channel,DIY group of stations. I wonder what these would cost per year on an ala carte menu. Combined with the 15 plus sports channels I watch (plus NFL Sunday Ticket) - yikes.

Hey, to each their own. I'm just speaking to what I see as a trend.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Hey, to each their own. I'm just speaking to what I see as a trend.

Oh, I think you are right. Younger folk (and I'm not ancient, I'm in my 50's) who are active with life don't tend to sit a lot in front of the TV, they are used to catching things on their phone, pad or whatever device and all the rest.

My wife and I are, in some ways, "tweeners". A lot of folks watch a lot of TV series, and some folks watch a lot of movies on TV. Others don't watch any TV really, catch their movies on their phones, etc. etc. As I said, our TV viewing is very specific - food (mostly the competition shows), home improvement (mostly, related to purchase or sale of houses), Amazing Race, Survivor, Biggest Loser, 60 Minutes, Arizona Week (30 minute PBS issue show, often politics) and SPORTS. A few special shows, nothing mandatory. Other than PTI sometimes and Sports Reporters, I should say sporting events, not shows about sports. All delayed and commercials skipped.

That's it. All the rest of the channels could disappear and I wouldn't care, but that would have an impact on what I want to watch, so I'll support them if the non-sports fans will support my habit.

Just sayin.