Dish Network drops OLN

[hockeytown9321]

Seems OLN went to the Gary Betman school of negotiation and have found themselves off Dish Network all together. Is OLN (or the NHL) really in any posiotion to extort cable and dish companies?

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/
(req required at the business wire site, the release can be read at the site above)

Click to read more...

 

[Sec of Partying Down]

Son of a *****! I have Dish Network back at home, I was planning on catching some games...

 

[Jori]

From what I've read, Comcast wanted OLN to be in Dish Network's top 120 package, whereas Dish Network had it in their top 180 package. I hope this gets fixed, but I'm definately on Dish Network's side here.

 

[Thresher]

LOL = OLN

from now on, if I read something that makes me laugh - the response will be

OLN!

 

[cecilnyr]

this is no different than the dispute here in NY/NJ between Comcast and Cablevision a few years back when Comcast wanted to add Metro from Cablevision and Cablevision said no, unless you agree to add 3 other Cablevision owned channels to Comcast's network. As a Comcast subscriber this aggrivated me because I was unable to watch about 10-15 Rangers games a year, the dispute never was resolved and Cablevision dropped Metro earlier this year during the lockout.

OLN isn't asking for more money from DISH they are merely asking that it be included in the networks basic package. Same thing w/ Cablevision now in NY/NJ area who has OLN on a paid tier, Cablevision is still telling people that yes they can see games in order to get people to pay the $5 extra per month to get OLN, when in fact they can't see the games. It's stupid and once again we are the pawns!

 

[Pavel]

I feel bad for the subscribers who just want to watch hockey. Just another reason to go with DirecTV if you choose satellite.

 

[hockeytown9321]

OLN isn't asking for more money from DISH they are merely asking that it be included in the networks basic package.

Including it in basic packages does mean more revenue for OLN. That's why they're demanding it.

 

[Jori]

Including it in basic packages does mean more revenue for OLN. That's why they're demanding it.

I think this would also be an increased cost to Dish Network customers. I'm a hockey fan so I want this to be resolved, but I can also live without OLN. I personally get the majority of my games through Bell ExpressVu.

Comcastic indeed

 

[lemieux32*]

I have Center Ice, so from a hockey standpoint I don't care. I am also a cyclist and it pisses me off that Comcast pulled this BS.

 

[rekrul]

Right now the move looks bad, BUT I thought the this move to OLN was part of a plan by comcast to start a new sports network to rival ESPN.

RIght now OLN does indeed look like they had 2 months to prepare, not even getting games broadcast in some markets. However anyone remember the early espn days? there was no baseball, or NFL. USFL games plenty of NCAA BB and then truck pulls, Aust rules Football and whatever they could do. It looked nothing like the behemoth it is today.

I was Hoping ( HOPING!) that Gary and Co would be savy for once and get into something that wouldn't shame hockey fans again by having thier product put on the first place they were shown some love. I thought that going to OLN was just part of the new NHL getting on the ground floor of new network that was going to get the thursday night NFL package, NASCAR and MLB, a real sports network not a fishn' n huntn' thang which also has this 'hockey league'.

Well MLB quickly was wooed back by ESPN but the other legit sports are out there still. Comcast should hopefully drop the "OLN" name and their pathetic supermarket looking logo and be new named thing, say Comcast sports net or American Sports chanelle or whatever. Get the NFL thursday night games and the second that happens DISH Network and every cable company has them in as many homes as ESPN. Get NASCAR they will love the 'neck programming anyway but will give plenty of new eyeballs to see a clever NHL promo ( if it is ever made ) and perhaps get them interested in their canes, Bolts or other southern teams.

Right now survivor reruns and Ted Nuget don't exactly make some Cable suit jump up and want to get that network on their prime packages.

 

[RangerBoy]

OLN shut down their NHL forum after taking abuse day after day concerning their coverage of the NHL and the disputes with the cable and satellite companies over the blackout

OLN Statement Regarding Dish Network

"We are surprised and disappointed that Dish has unilaterally chosen to stop providing OLN to its customers -- and denied fans the opportunity to watch sports coverage on OLN. We are also disappointed that EchoStar cut off the ongoing discussions with OLN that were designed to bring OLN's great programming to Dish customers. Fortunately, those customers do have the ability to explore other cable and satellite options that carry OLN."

http://www.olntv.com/nw/article/view/1364/?tf=NHLArticleWrapper.tpl

What negotiations?Comcast negotiates like Gary Bettman.It's my way or no way.Heads I win,tails you lose

Great programming Watching two guys fish or shooting a deer is not great programming

 

[RangerBoy]

Right now the move looks bad, BUT I thought the this move to OLN was part of a plan by comcast to start a new sports network to rival ESPN.

RIght now OLN does indeed look like they had 2 months to prepare, not even getting games broadcast in some markets. However anyone remember the early espn days? there was no baseball, or NFL. USFL games plenty of NCAA BB and then truck pulls, Aust rules Football and whatever they could do. It looked nothing like the behemoth it is today.

I was Hoping ( HOPING!) that Gary and Co would be savy for once and get into something that wouldn't shame hockey fans again by having thier product put on the first place they were shown some love. I thought that going to OLN was just part of the new NHL getting on the ground floor of new network that was going to get the thursday night NFL package, NASCAR and MLB, a real sports network not a fishn' n huntn' thang which also has this 'hockey league'.

Well MLB quickly was wooed back by ESPN but the other legit sports are out there still. Comcast should hopefully drop the "OLN" name and their pathetic supermarket looking logo and be new named thing, say Comcast sports net or American Sports chanelle or whatever. Get the NFL thursday night games and the second that happens DISH Network and every cable company has them in as many homes as ESPN. Get NASCAR they will love the 'neck programming anyway but will give plenty of new eyeballs to see a clever NHL promo ( if it is ever made ) and perhaps get them interested in their canes, Bolts or other southern teams.

Right now survivor reruns and Ted Nuget don't exactly make some Cable suit jump up and want to get that network on their prime packages.

Gary is an accomplice in Comcast's blackmail

 

[RangerBoy]

Sources said EchoStar stunned Comcast brass by yanking the channel without warning. Company executives flew to the satellite service's Denver headquarters Thursday to negotiate a truce, but after 10 minutes of discussion, EchoStar ended the meeting, citing an unspecified crisis

By the time the Comcast delegation's plane touched down at its home base in Philadelphia, EchoStar had issued a statement signaling its intent to pull the plug

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051021/sp_nm/comcast_dc_1

 

[ScottyBowman]

Another disaster by the NHL. Funny thing is that most people predicted that OLN was not a smart choice and they should have BEGGED espn. I guess the NHL Kool-aid drinkers who hate espn must be excited at the prospect of this channel reaching nobody.

 

[Kardi]

dishnetwork does have the center ice package thou right? (if you order it of course)

 

[RangerBoy]

dishnetwork does have the center ice package thou right? (if you order it of course)

Yes they do

 

[Motown Beatdown]

dishnetwork does have the center ice package thou right? (if you order it of course)

Yes they do, I'm kinda pissed about this being a Dish Network customers but i understand why they told Comcast to go F themselves. I have Centre Ice and will only miss a few games that are exclusive to OLN. Then again i bet i can find a buddy or a sports bar who has OLN.

 

[Spydey629]

Yes they do, I'm kinda pissed about this being a Dish Network customers but i understand why they told Comcast to go F themselves. I have Centre Ice and will only miss a few games that are exclusive to OLN. Then again i bet i can find a buddy or a sports bar who has OLN.

I think the above is part of the problem the NHL has with ratings, and now with OLN. How many NHL fans have Center Ice? I'm willing to be it has a higher subscriber rate than the other three major sports.

A lot of people have said, "Oh well, I don't need OLN, I have Center Ice". But isn't this the problem? The LEAGUE needs OLN (or any other TV deal for that matter), to get the revenue.

I know... I'm ranting. I just hope this gets resolved soon. The more homes that are able to watch more hockey sooner, the better.

And here, I was going to make a post today asking everyone if OLN was getting better... more people seeing it, the production quality, etc.

 

[lemieux32*]

Blackmail is all it is. Why would they only black out the NHL games and not take the network away from those companies if it wasn't.

 

[Diamond Dan 5150]

LOL = OLN

from now on, if I read something that makes me laugh - the response will be

OLN!

Agreed, this is hilarious.

 

[TexSen]

Including it in basic packages does mean more revenue for OLN. That's why they're demanding it.

If that is what they are demanding out of DISH, then why here in TX do we still not get the games on OLN despite it being on the basic cable package?

 

[hockeytown9321]

Another disaster by the NHL. Funny thing is that most people predicted that OLN was not a smart choice and they should have BEGGED espn. I guess the NHL Kool-aid drinkers who hate espn must be excited at the prospect of this channel reaching nobody.

The only reason the NHL went with OLN is becuase they were insulted that they would be relegated to ESPN2. Its baffling.

 

[hockeytown9321]

If that is what they are demanding out of DISH, then why here in TX do we still not get the games on OLN despite it being on the basic cable package?

They're probably demanding more money.

 

[LazRNN]

Damn, this sucks. I have Dish Network and I was planning to upgrade to the 180 package at some point before the playoffs just because of OLN.

Question for the Dish Network subcribers who have Center Ice: How many exclusive to OLN games are there, and will any of those games be playoff games (in other words, if you play for Center Ice will you be guaranteed every playoff game?)

 

[Diamond Dan 5150]

The only reason the NHL went with OLN is becuase they were insulted that they would be relegated to ESPN2. Its baffling.

The reason they went to OLN was that they could not understand why ESPN wanted to lock them into a revenue sharing deal.

Apparently they honestly thought OLN could be successful, instead they are finding out what I thought all along, OLN has no muscle. Without any valuable programming other then the NHL, there is no way any cable operator will take their ****.