Cracks in the cable business send media stocks tumbling | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Cracks in the cable business send media stocks tumbling

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J187Money said:
Lol. Sports is entertainment. You guys take this way too seriously.
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I seriously wonder why I take anything way too seriously! I spend a lot of time being serious about things. Am I wasting way too much of my precious mortal time? I'm seriously considering becoming an idiot. But knowing me I'd seriously ponder if I've always been an idiot and have just become more cavalier about it.
 
Well...in the late 19th century, a deficiency in self knowledge was assigned as a characteristic of idiocy...I think you are OK there.

Now, saying that, self absorption is the modern disease....I mean, fer gawd's sake, you can even buy a "selfie stick".
 
Big changes are coming to the cable and satellite providers a lot faster than we thought. The cord cutting has really accelerated. Another 600,000 customers cut the cord in quarter number two.
 
J187Money said:
Lol. Sports is entertainment. You guys take this way too seriously.
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Sports is Entertainment - but it is also a business! A very lucrative multi-billion dollar business! I don't support ESPiN and I like many others posting here avoid any form of contributing to them. I live in CT, are they paying their fair share in our taxes??? Did they help the revenue stream, by using their tax breaks, to promote any of in-state public Universities? So ESPiN is a taker and the only thing in my tiny world that I can do is to ensure I don't contribute to ESPiN as much as I possibly can. So what this means is, I don't own cable, I pay nothing to anyone trying to market or make money with ESPiN! I find something else to do with my entertainment dollar. I go to the bar down the street and I cost average the games they are playing on their TV's lower by adding my presence to the room. If the game is not on their TV, I don't request it. Pretty Simple - An Active Avoidance - not crazy, as I know I am just one person with their voting dollar(s). I don't lecture people on what they should or should not do, but I do inform others what it is that I am doing. If you find this offensive - well, turn on your ESPiN and ignore/avoid me! It won't be too hard, I am not offered on your TV for your entertainment, and you can select to "Ignore Me" for any of my posts!
 
Stray_Dog said:
Sports is Entertainment - but it is also a business! A very lucrative multi-billion dollar business! I don't support ESPiN and I like many others posting here avoid any form of contributing to them. I live in CT, are they paying their fair share in our taxes??? Did they help the revenue stream, by using their tax breaks, to promote any of in-state public Universities? So ESPiN is a taker and the only thing in my tiny world that I can do is to ensure I don't contribute to ESPiN as much as I possibly can. So what this means is, I don't own cable, I pay nothing to anyone trying to market or make money with ESPiN! I find something else to do with my entertainment dollar. I go to the bar down the street and I cost average the games they are playing on their TV's lower by adding my presence to the room. If the game is not on their TV, I don't request it. Pretty Simple - An Active Avoidance - not crazy, as I know I am just one person with their voting dollar(s). I don't lecture people on what they should or should not do, but I do inform others what it is that I am doing. If you find this offensive - well, turn on your ESPiN and ignore/avoid me! It won't be too hard, I am not offered on your TV for your entertainment, and you can select to "Ignore Me" for any of my posts!
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I don't find it offensive at all. Don't think you understand my point. You are free to do whatever you want. But just remember, ESPN itself isn't a person. It doesn't have feelings. To the extent that your boycott does anything? It will just mean that ESPN will fire some guy who lives down the block from you to cut costs. Yay.
 
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J187Money said:
I don't find it offensive at all. Don't think you understand my point. You are free to do whatever you want. But just remember, ESPN itself isn't a person. It doesn't have feelings. To the extent that your boycott does anything? It will just mean that ESPN will fire some guy who lives down the block from you to cut costs. Yay.
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How about the bar back that would lose his job if @Stray_Dog didn't enjoy a nice beer when watching games at his neighborhood bar. . .
 
I just rejoined the cable hordes. Left Directv.

200+ channels, Extreme internet 50 mbps, cable phone, and home security intelligent system for $145 a month.

This saves me $105 for phone plus Directv per month, $68 for a 20 mbps turbo internet, $35 for wired security system.

So, from $208 to $145.

When you bundle it all together, it's hard to figure out how to disconnect. The next move would be to get rid of my home phone and security system, I suppose, but... I think I need them right now.
 
itgoeslike said:
How about the bar back that would lose his job if @Stray_Dog didn't enjoy a nice beer when watching games at his neighborhood bar. . .
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I don't care about the random ESPN employee or the bar back. Just calling B/S on the thought that by boycotting anything you hurt your intended target.

I remember when people were going crazy because the Dominos founder was pro-life so they tried to get everyone to stop ordering pizza when I was at UCONN. Like that hurt anyone other than the people that work at that particular Domino's franchise. Once the owner of Domino's got to the point where he was filthy rich, there was nothing you could really do to him. Sure, some activists felt better. But so what?
 
J187Money said:
I don't care about the random ESPN employee or the bar back. Just calling B/S on the thought that by boycotting anything you hurt your intended target.

I remember when people were going crazy because the Dominos founder was pro-life so they tried to get everyone to stop ordering pizza when I was at UCONN. Like that hurt anyone other than the people that work at that particular Domino's franchise. Once the owner of Domino's got to the point where he was filthy rich, there was nothing you could really do to him. Sure, some activists felt better. But so what?
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It's usually about drawing attention to a cause, changing behavior, improving conditions or simply rooted in principle. But, in many instances, the impact can be loss of revenue. Sea World is a good example. Ask investors if it mattered when their stock plunged 33%.
 
upstater said:
I just rejoined the cable hordes. Left Directv.

200+ channels, Extreme internet 50 mbps, cable phone, and home security intelligent system for $145 a month.

This saves me $105 for phone plus Directv per month, $68 for a 20 mbps turbo internet, $35 for wired security system.

So, from $208 to $145.

When you bundle it all together, it's hard to figure out how to disconnect. The next move would be to get rid of my home phone and security system, I suppose, but... I think I need them right now.
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What would you have paid without the phone? I have ooma VoIP, it's awesome and I pay $4 a month including taxes.
 
itgoeslike said:
It's usually about drawing attention to a cause, changing behavior, improving conditions or simply rooted in principle. But, in many instances, the impact can be loss of revenue. Sea World is a good example. Ask investors if it mattered when their stock plunged 33%.
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So do you think that the 19 UCONN fans that are huddled in a basement wearing tinfoil hats matter? If ESPN actually did what you think they did they made way more people happy than sad. You just happen to be one of the sad ones. Cord cutting for ESPN is an actual issue. Worrying about people that they may or may not have been wronged in CR (of which there might be 2 or 3 schools worth of fans) is hardly going to move the needle.

As to Seaworld, pretty much everyone hates the mistreatment of animals. So a good reason to organize a boycott. Because it actually had a chance of affecting change.

Maybe if you walked up and down the street in front of the capital building wearing a sandwich board protesting tax cuts for ESPN I'd take it seriously. But you not watching ESPN? That is the definition of the tree falling in the forest...
 
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huskypantz said:
What would you have paid without the phone? I have ooma VoIP, it's awesome and I pay $4 a month including taxes.
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It's all bundled. As soon as you break up the bundle, stuff skyrockets. Put it this way, the internet alone would be $85. $40 a month for security is standalone.

So, if I want extreme speed internet and security, I'm at $125.

This means I'm getting 250+ channels and cable phone for $20.
 
J187Money said:
So do you think that the 19 UCONN fans that are huddled in a basement wearing tinfoil hats matter? If ESPN actually did what you think they did they made way more people happy than sad. You just happen to be one of the sad ones. Cord cutting for ESPN is an actual issue. Worrying about people that they may or may not have been wronged in CR (of which there might be 2 or 3 schools worth of fans) is hardly going to move the needle.

As to Seaworld, pretty much everyone hates the mistreatment of animals. So a good reason to organize a boycott. Because it actually had a chance of affecting change.

Maybe if you walked up and down the street in front of the capital building wearing a sandwich board protesting tax cuts for ESPN I'd take it seriously. But you not watching ESPN? That is the definition of the tree falling in the forest...
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I don't wear tinfoil hats, not that I have anything against them. I'm invested in UConn, whereas you appear to be invested in ESPN (perhaps you work there and things are getting a bit stressful). I'm not sad, trust me. Like I said in an earlier post, I was disappointed at the disintegration of the Big East, which I found to be profoundly entertaining. But, disappointment eventually evolved into disinterest with regard to college football in the broader sense. Watching Oklahoma take on Oklahoma State has been replaced by other, more fruitful, endeavors. The Boneyard is my only vice (that and gin).

UConn aside, I watch sports when I can and if it interests me. If it happens to be on ESPN, I'll still watch it (exactly what I stated above). The point that you appear to be missing is that when it comes to college football that circle of interest has narrowed and in some instances has been replaced by other things. Maybe I've graduated to bigger toys—and I really don't care how that affects or doesn't affect ESPN.

It sounds like you're the guy taking things too seriously, hanging out in the basement, wringing your hands over whether a Boneyarder avoids ESPN on purpose or chooses to go down to the neighborhood bar to watch a game because he cut the cord. Lighten up. . . it's just sports.
 
itgoeslike said:
I don't wear tinfoil hats, not that I have anything against them. I'm invested in UConn, whereas you appear to be invested in ESPN (perhaps you work there and things are getting a bit stressful). I'm not sad, trust me. Like I said in an earlier post, I was disappointed at the disintegration of the Big East, which I found to be profoundly entertaining. But, disappointment eventually evolved into disinterest with regard to college football in the broader sense. Watching Oklahoma take on Oklahoma State has been replaced by other, more fruitful, endeavors. The Boneyard is my only vice (that and gin). UConn aside, I watch sports when I can and if it interests me. If it happens to be on ESPN, I'll still watch it (exactly what I stated above). The point that you appear to be missing is that when it comes to college football that circle of interest has narrowed and in some instances has been replaced by other things. Maybe I've graduated to bigger toys—and I really don't care how that affects or doesn't affect ESPN. It sounds like you're the guy taking things too seriously, hanging out in the basement, wringing your hands over whether a Boneyarder avoids ESPN on purpose or chooses to go down to the neighborhood bar to watch a game because he cut the cord. Lighten up. . . it's just sports.
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Lmao. Thanks for that. Just having a lively discussion about the way the world actually works. I watch or listen to what I like when I like. I'm not the one that is here advocating that ESPN is the devil. There is good programming there and bad programming there. I just don't believe that avoiding a network is going to make anything better for UCONN (or punish some fictitious set of evil doers). As to work? It would great for me if ESPN crashed and burned and ceased to exist. And as to bigger toys? Now I feel we are getting personal. And I won't take the bait. This board is entertainment for me. I like intellectual jousting. If you want to make the argument as to how a small handful of UCONN fans can bring down ESPN I'm all ears. If not I'm not really sure what we are arguing about. That's the only point I was trying to make.
 
J187Money said:
Lmao. Thanks for that. Just having a lively discussion about the way the world actually works. I watch or listen to what I like when I like. I'm not the one that is here advocating that ESPN is the devil. There is good programming there and bad programming there. I just don't believe that avoiding a network is going to make anything better for UCONN (or punish some fictitious set of evil doers). As to work? It would great for me if ESPN crashed and burned and ceased to exist. And as to bigger toys? Now I feel we are getting personal. And I won't take the bait. This board is entertainment for me. I like intellectual jousting. If you want to make the argument as to how a small handful of UCONN fans can bring down ESPN I'm all ears. If not I'm not really sure what we are arguing about. That's the only point I was trying to make.
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I know where the numbers fall and where the motivations are for CR. However, I think most fans that make a concerted effort to limit their intake of ESPN do so as a matter of principal. Although, if college football continues to evolve into a semi-professional league, I can see how some fans lose interest. They may as well watch pro sports and get a much higher level of play.
 
itgoeslike said:
I know where the numbers fall and where the motivations are for CR. However, I think most fans that make a concerted effort to limit their intake of ESPN do so as a matter of principal. Although, if college football continues to evolve into a semi-professional league, I can see how some fans lose interest. They may as well watch pro sports and get a much higher level of play.
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Fair point. But if I'm ESPN I act in my own self interest. That's my job. It sucks that UCONN lost. But they were way late to the table. I've said it before - I grew up in Wisconsin and moved out here as a teenager. When I went to UCONN it was mostly based on price and it killed me that we were playing 1-AA football and I never went to any games. The reputation of UCONN football across the country is not weak. It is non-existent. Nobody cares. It is not a brand. If people think that ESPN should have acted differently they don't work in the real world.

CR has ruined things for lots of people. Even the winners. They have more cash but that's it.
 
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J187Money said:
http://d1lge852tjjqow.cloudfront.ne...9-66eb-469e-9c4c-54efea414b54.pdf?noexit=true

Btw. Read this and let me know how much pain the CEO took. He got paid out a ton of cash and the new CEO came in with a salary of $1M.

All I could have hoped for is they are UCONN fans and would donate money to the AD so Nelson could calm down.
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I'm actually surprised the new guy isn't getting paid more. Righting the ship when it's listing this bad usually commands bigger numbers. There may be performance milestones that pay out. Was there any doubt that the former CEO was going to get paid? Although, I think the CEO (and management team) would have preferred to stay or left on different terms. At the end of the day, the company was/is affected by the boycott.
 
itgoeslike said:
I'm actually surprised the new guy isn't getting paid more. Righting the ship when it's listing this bad usually commands bigger numbers. There may be performance milestones that pay out. Was there any doubt that the former CEO was going to get paid? Although, I think the CEO (and management team) would have preferred to stay or left on different terms. At the end of the day, the company was/is affected by the boycott.
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Yes. But apples and oranges. Cord cutting is real. A boycott by UCONN fans is like standing in Bristol and throwing racquetballs at ESPN and expecting the building to come down.
 
J187Money said:
Yes. But apples and oranges. Cord cutting is real. A boycott by UCONN fans is like standing in Bristol and throwing racquetballs at ESPN and expecting the building to come down.
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I get the impression you are never going to understand this, but I couldn't give a sh!!t less if preventing ESPN from getting my $6 per month makes no difference to them.

At least I won't be contributing to the bottom line of a corporation that is trying to make my alma mater, the most significant economic and social entity in the state, irrelevant nationally.

And if we're completely honest here, that's what they're doing. I'm taking that $6 per month and sending it to UConn instead.
 
If anyone thinks CR made college football less popular.... they should probably go look at television ratings.
 
I watch ESPN...I watch a lot of college football. And yes, I'd pay $50 a month to watch ESPN.

Between my North Carolina place and my Florida place I pay Comcast (internet included) and Direct TV about $275 for internet and TV . It's the cost of entertainment.

My son, who is 30, is a cable cutter because he is single and active and makes a budget choice that works for him....during football season he watches games with friends and at my house when I am in North Carolina.

A lot of us will pay for sports programming...but, if debundled, you could kick the 175 channels that I do not watch to the curb. it will just simplify the guide.
 
Mr. Wonderful said:
I get the impression you are never going to understand this, but I couldn't give a sh!!t less if preventing ESPN from getting my $6 per month makes no difference to them. At least I won't be contributing to the bottom line of a corporation that is trying to make my alma mater, the most significant economic and social entity in the state, irrelevant nationally. And if we're completely honest here, that's what they're doing. I'm taking that $6 per month and sending it to UConn instead.
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So I suppose you don't let your kids consume any ABC or Disney product also? You don't let your wife watch Scandal?
 
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whaler11 said:
If anyone thinks CR made college football less popular.... they should probably go look at television ratings.
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I know. Like ESPN's goal is to make UCONN irrelevant. They want to make money.

BTW - the boycott must be working. Disney only made $6.7 Billion over the first 9 months of the year (up 13% y/y).
 
And to be clear - do what you want. Just don't delude yourself into thinking it matters.
 
J187Money said:
I know. Like ESPN's goal is to make UCONN irrelevant. They want to make money.

BTW - the boycott must be working. Disney only made $6.7 Billion over the first 9 months of the year (up 13% y/y).
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Generally I respect your posts - but on this subject - what's wrong with someone not liking a corporate establishment and therefor electing to minimize their business with said establishment? Of course ABC/ESPN/Disney will do just fine w/o us, but that isn't so much the point as the point being they (the consumer) have decided that they don't want their $ going that firm. Frankly, we do this every day as consumers - sometimes with conscientious objections to a brand and sometimes with deep seated bias that many probably don't give much thought too. The classic example would be coffee, many loathe either Dunkin or Starbucks for what they perceive the other brand stands for - whether its really true or not.

Admittedly I have mixed feelings. As I said earlier, as a CT resident & tax payer, I want ESPN to succeed very much...but as a consumer - I purposefully avoid the channel as much as possible and if I could, I would probably cut out of my sports package. Yes - I do feel - given the anecdotal evidence collected over the past 5 years of CRA that ESPN has had an active hand in forcing realignment. They have been an enabler. Partly this is the force of Adam Smith (straight economics) and partly - in my own opinion - due to bias at worst or indifference at best by ESPN beancounters & decision makers. That all said, I hope someone at ESPN pens a tell all book at CRA 30 years from now that gets the truth out there - what ever it is.

One other thought about ESPN....the channel is chock full itself and its brand. Its especially good at ignoring all other media outlets, particularly national media outlets it perceives as competition.

Bottomline - yes I am bitter about CRA and that bitterness drives me to minimize my ESPN watching (I don't watch their news/non live sports broadcasting). Silly, perhaps. Unproductive, perhaps. Do I feel a little better about myself...yes.

These days - for tv sports news coverage, I mostly watch SNY Geico Sports Night. 'Get your NY sports here.'
 
J187Money said:
And to be clear - do what you want. Just don't delude yourself into thinking it matters.
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Of course not... but it matters how I feel and so - as a consumer - I look to make other choices when I can.
 
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