Altice v. Disney

[Chin Diesel]

Is this affecting anyone? Altice is the new Cablevision after a buyout?

Curious if this is the point in time where a cable provider actually carries through on a threat.

If I understand it correctly, Altice takes the risk that the loss of money paid to Disney is less than the loss of revenue it will lose from customers going elsewhere to get Disney channels including ABC and ESPN. Disney takes the risk that the number of people willing to forego Disney through cable is less than what it will get by other streaming revenue.


Disney, Altice face-off over price of ESPN, other channels

 

[pepband99]

This is going to bear watching. I have a feeling Altice will blink, as losing ABC and all of the ESPNs will make people question the need for pay TV, in general.

 

[Fishy]

Altice is Cablevision.

This isn't really new for us - we've lost major channels before.

They'll settle it, but we might lose ESPN/ABC for a few days.

One of the things in Altice's favor is that a lot of their customers do not have many options - if we want to switch carriers, we need to go to one of the dish companies.

 

[mjmoney23]

Altice is Cablevision.

This isn't really new for us - we've lost major channels before.

They'll settle it, but we might lose ESPN/ABC for a few days.

One of the things in Altice's favor is that a lot of their customers do not have many options - if we want to switch carriers, we need to go to one of the dish companies.

In CT, does each cable company have a monopoly the towns they service? For example, in watwrtown, I can only get optimum, but in Naugatuck I can only get Xfinity. I for one would never go back to Direct TV, the sports were terrible and the Internet was an embarrassment at how slow it was.

 

[huskeynut]

In CT, does each cable company have a monopoly the towns they service? For example, in watwrtown, I can only get optimum, but in Naugatuck I can only get Xfinity. I for one would never go back to Direct TV, the sports were terrible and the Internet was an embarrassment at how slow it was.

Yes.

When we lived in Danbury, we only had Comcast. When we moved to Newtown we had Charter, now known as Spectrum.

 

[Fishy]

In CT, does each cable company have a monopoly the towns they service? For example, in watwrtown, I can only get optimum, but in Naugatuck I can only get Xfinity. I for one would never go back to Direct TV, the sports were terrible and the Internet was an embarrassment at how slow it was.

I really don't know.

I live in New York - in this area, we're really limited in terms of providers.

Optimum is our only choice for broadband internet and cable television. If we want to go to one of the dish networks, obviously we can, but for internet, it's Optimum or nothing.

 

[Poe]

Yes.

When we lived in Danbury, we only had Comcast. When we moved to Newtown we had Charter, now known as Spectrum.

No, where I live I have the option of Charter (Spectrum) or Frontier (Vantage). Still only two options, but you can always threaten to switch to the other if your current provider jacks up the prices.

Spectrum also now offers a streaming package with 25 channels for $20, which includes CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, but no ESPN. You can also get Sling for $20 if you want ESPN, but you don't get the national broadcasting channels.

If you don't mind streaming, there are options if you're unhappy with your carrier.

I would say the streaming option gives Disney a slight advantage and should make Altice a bit more nervous, since customers could dump them, switch to a streaming service (even if it's temporary during a dispute) and Disney could recoup some of the lost cable revenue from streaming services.

 

[uconnfan68]

Altice is Cablevision.

This isn't really new for us - we've lost major channels before.

They'll settle it, but we might lose ESPN/ABC for a few days.

One of the things in Altice's favor is that a lot of their customers do not have many options - if we want to switch carriers, we need to go to one of the dish companies.

Took about 2 months to settle with WFSB in Hartford, Litchfield, and New Haven counties last year. Altice doesn’t care about any of their American customers. They are headquartered in Europe.

 

[uconnfan68]

In CT, does each cable company have a monopoly the towns they service? For example, in watwrtown, I can only get optimum, but in Naugatuck I can only get Xfinity. I for one would never go back to Direct TV, the sports were terrible and the Internet was an embarrassment at how slow it was.

Effectively yes. Very little overlap or competition. Internet is slightly better for options, but who wants DSL anymore?

 

[whaler11]

In CT, does each cable company have a monopoly the towns they service? For example, in watwrtown, I can only get optimum, but in Naugatuck I can only get Xfinity. I for one would never go back to Direct TV, the sports were terrible and the Internet was an embarrassment at how slow it was.

Pretty much. Some places have access to Frontier, which sucks so bad you may as well not have a choice.

 

[Fishy]

Took about 2 months to settle with WFSB in Hartford, Litchfield, and New Haven counties last year. Altice doesn’t care about any of their American customers. They are headquartered in Europe.

Can you tell me which cable company cares about their American customers?

I will say this about Alice/Optimum - their customer service is and has always been ridiculously good compared to others.

If your service goes out with FiOS, you will see a technician...eventually. If your service goes out with Optimum, someone will be in your house within hours, even on a Sunday. I called a few weeks ago to merely gripe about our internet speed which had dropped badly - they sent someone over and he replaced every connection between the street and the modem, replaced the modem and cable boxes and then spent an hour doing some sort of network test.

I now download posts from the Boneyard before they're even written.

 

[The Funster]

i LOVED at&t Uverse. Then felt lucky as I escaped most of the problems others felt immediately after the switch to Frontier. I started having issues this past April and got sucked into the Frontier vortex. I have found their customer service people really want to help but they are so incompetent that things keep getting worse. I'm getting very close to cutting the cord.

 

[uconnfan68]

Can you tell me which cable company cares about their American customers?

I will say this about Alice/Optimum - their customer service is and has always been ridiculously good compared to others.

If your service goes out with FiOS, you will see a technician...eventually. If your service goes out with Optimum, someone will be in your house within hours, even on a Sunday. I called a few weeks ago to merely gripe about our internet speed which had dropped badly - they sent someone over and he replaced every connection between the street and the modem, replaced the modem and cable boxes and then spent an hour doing some sort of network test.

I now download posts from the Boneyard before they're even written.

I agree about Optimum internet. Had it for many years. Never had any complaints about tv until they started holding channels hostage. How about state or federal law mandating competition, not monopolies?

 

[Fishy]

I agree about Optimum internet. Had it for many years. Never had any complaints about tv until they started holding channels hostage. How about state or federal law mandating competition, not monopolies?

Who's really holding the channel hostage?

Disney is just as capable of caving to Altice's demands as Altice is at caving to Disney's.

Disney/ESPN has a fading product that they would like to charge even more money for - and they want Altice to include the SEC Network and ACC Network in their basic packages.

The closest SEC school to this area Kentucky. The closest ACC school is in Boston. I don't want to pay for those, so I'm all for Altice holding out.

 

[billybud]

I'm with Fishy...I wonder why I pay for the BTN at my North Carolina Cabin on DTV....and BTN in Tallahassee on Comcast.

But....now I get why College Game Day was in New York last weekend.....

 

[shizzle787]

i LOVED at&t Uverse. Then felt lucky as I escaped most of the problems others felt immediately after the switch to Frontier. I started having issues this past April and got sucked into the Frontier vortex. I have found their customer service people really want to help but they are so incompetent that things keep getting worse. I'm getting very close to cutting the cord.

Playstation Vue. Get a Roku and you'll be good.

 

[whaler11]

Once again Disney wins.

 

[Rappin'Rodney]

Disney-Altice Deal Shows Operators Will Still Pay for Sports

"Disney is said to have won price increases for major channels."

Bob Iger says,

"Like butta!"

 

[billybud]

Sooo...It looks like, as a marketing strategy, Disney-ESPN will be rolling out the SECN and ACCN tied to the ESPN channels...

Altice may be a bellwether.

Similar strategy to BTN being shown nationally by DTV, Dish, and AT&T U-verse.

 

[pepband99]

This is going to bear watching. I have a feeling Altice will blink, as losing ABC and all of the ESPNs will make people question the need for pay TV, in general.

I'll take my victory lap now.

 

[billybud]

Dish put up more of a fight with BTN before caving...BTN went dark on Dish for a week.

 

[CL82]

Disney-Altice Deal Shows Operators Will Still Pay for Sports

"Disney is said to have won price increases for major channels."

Bob Iger says,

"Like butta!"

Disney won price increases for its major channels, though not as much as the Burbank, California-based entertainment giant originally asked, according to two people familiar with the terms who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Altice also agreed to pick up two collegiate sports networks, the people said.

Seems like a pretty typical contract renegotiation with both sides walking back their original positions to meet in the middle.

 

[huskymedic]

NYT: A Good Day for ESPN After Disney Reaches Altice Agreement

 

[buddy]

A Good Day for ESPN means a bad day for UConn.

 

[huskymedic]

ESPN Release: The Walt Disney Company and Altice USA Announce Comprehensive Distribution Agreement