Does Vs. really need to be rebranded again

BigFatCat999

First Fubu and now Pred303. !@#$! you cancer
Apr 23, 2007
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By packaging it with the NBC name they also can package it as a part of the WHOLE NBC package to broadcasters. It's no longer Versus by itself but....

NBC
MSNBC
CNBC
What ever the hell they rename Versus
Syfy
USA
A&E
Bravo
ETC

By merging with NBC (And thus gaining the new NBC name) they are part of the package. Pure and simple, this seems to me a matter of leveraging versus into the market and more TV markets.
 

Brodie

the dream of the 90s is alive in Detroit
Mar 19, 2009
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And how well is MSNBC doing?

How are CBS Sportsnet and Fox Sports doing? The latter utterly failed in its attempts to be a national network and the former has no national profile to speak of. Branding is a difficult science... there's an argument to be made that erasing 5 years of brand building and publicity (most of it negative, I'll admit) to take the name of a last place network whose sports operations have largely been the object of ridicule could be a negative.

I'd almost prefer they do the reverse: Pull an ESPN and turn NBC's sports department into Versus. No matter what the name is, you're not going to get much better publicity than having Sunday Night Football covered in Versus logos.
 

Spydey629

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Jan 28, 2005
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How are CBS Sportsnet and Fox Sports doing? The latter utterly failed in its attempts to be a national network and the former has no national profile to speak of. Branding is a difficult science... there's an argument to be made that erasing 5 years of brand building and publicity (most of it negative, I'll admit) to take the name of a last place network whose sports operations have largely been the object of ridicule could be a negative.

I'd almost prefer they do the reverse: Pull an ESPN and turn NBC's sports department into Versus. No matter what the name is, you're not going to get much better publicity than having Sunday Night Football covered in Versus logos.

Now THAT is an idea with some teeth to it. :nod:

Ever since this thing became official I've had the mental image of a "re-branded" Versus logo simply being the VS. circle sitting 'in the belly' of the peacock.
 

Unstable

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Apr 26, 2006
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Very good point. But, then how does DirecTV offer Versus on a lower tier package?

Someone in the other thread posted a response to me that showed much more knowledge of the Dish and DTV packages regarding OLN/Vs. specifically. My point is that Comcast's goal it to get paid, not that it's impossible for Versus to be in a lower package. Comcast doesn't care if DTV and Dish pay it themselves or pass the cost on to you.
 

mucker*

Guest
MSNBC is doing great!
Even though they lost Keith Olberman (who would have been great for NBC Sports Network), they have done just fine with Ed Schultz, one of the best Americans out there!

The only problem with MSNBC is they foolishy at 10 PM Friday through the whole weekend do not air news but rather "lockup", which while it is a good show, the network should be 24/7 news.

I hope NBC does not do similar with VS, I hope they keep it sports 24/7.
 

Roughneck

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NBC Sports seems to add a bit of legitimacy and name recognition, but if you show what people want to watch it doesn't matter what you're called. Will a name change help them get more stuff to become a better established channel? Or more importantly, would a name change actually be important to getting the channel on more cable packages? I guess we'll find out. Having UFC and now a national sports deal, even if its the "fourth" sport is more than FoxSportsnet has isn't it? I know they have (had?) NFL games on Fox but isn't FSN just limited to regional stuff?
 

CommunistDayKare

I'M SORRY RUM HAM
Mar 7, 2010
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I'm wondering now with NBC Sports becoming more of a name, could we see the RSN's eventually rebranded from CSN to like NBC Sports Chicago or something like that?
 

kdb209

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Jan 26, 2005
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Someone in the other thread posted a response to me that showed much more knowledge of the Dish and DTV packages regarding OLN/Vs. specifically. My point is that Comcast's goal it to get paid, not that it's impossible for Versus to be in a lower package. Comcast doesn't care if DTV and Dish pay it themselves or pass the cost on to you.

It is greatly in VS's (and Comcast/NBC's) interest to get VS on the broadest available programming tier. Cable channels get paid by subscriber fees - which are based on how many subscribers receive the channel, whether they watch it or not. Versus gets ~$0.26 per subscriber per month (avg subscriber fees per SNL Kagan 2009).

Part of the 2009 carriage dispute between Versus and DirecTV was based on DirecTV's plan to move it to a separate sports tier with a MUCH smaller subscription base. The dispute was finally settled with a smaller increase than Comcast/VS was demanding and the channel remaining on its current programming tier.

3-9-2010%202-23-31%20PM-thumb-604x548-37934.jpg
 

kdb209

Registered User
Jan 26, 2005
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By packaging it with the NBC name they also can package it as a part of the WHOLE NBC package to broadcasters. It's no longer Versus by itself but....

NBC
MSNBC
CNBC
What ever the hell they rename Versus
Syfy
USA
A&E
Bravo
ETC

By merging with NBC (And thus gaining the new NBC name) they are part of the package. Pure and simple, this seems to me a matter of leveraging versus into the market and more TV markets.

This is basically what Disney has done with ESPN.

If you want ESPN you also have to carry ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN News, The Ocho, etc (and pay subscriber fees for each) all on the basic programming tier - and they have gone as far as threatening to withhold transmission consent for ABC broadcast channels (O&O) unless the cableco agreed to their terms.
 
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wildthing202

Registered User
May 29, 2006
971
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MSNBC is doing great!
Even though they lost Keith Olberman (who would have been great for NBC Sports Network), they have done just fine with Ed Schultz, one of the best Americans out there!

The only problem with MSNBC is they foolishy at 10 PM Friday through the whole weekend do not air news but rather "lockup", which while it is a good show, the network should be 24/7 news.

I hope NBC does not do similar with VS, I hope they keep it sports 24/7.

Since when does VS have sports 24/7? Unlike EPSN's SC marathon VS has paid programming in the early morning.
 

Grudy0

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Mar 16, 2011
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Maryland
I caught the Power Hour, or whatever that program with Gary Bettman is on XM. Dick Ebersol was on.

Versus to be rebranded over the summer. NBC Sports will be in the name.

Also to be rebranded are the Comcast Sports Nets.

Why do I think the name is going to be NBC Sports Net (NBCSN)?

Says NBC will be going after both the Olympics and the Pac-12, as well as other minor not-on-the-radar sports.
 

Patrice37

Registered User
Jul 19, 2006
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I caught the Power Hour, or whatever that program with Gary Bettman is on XM. Dick Ebersol was on.

Versus to be rebranded over the summer. NBC Sports will be in the name.

Also to be rebranded are the Comcast Sports Nets.

Why do I think the name is going to be NBC Sports Net (NBCSN)?

Says NBC will be going after both the Olympics and the Pac-12, as well as other minor not-on-the-radar sports.

I'd say it's a safe bet to assume NBC will get the Olympics.

Havent they been the only network to broadcast the Olympics, pretty much as long as the Olympics have been televised.
 

Brodie

the dream of the 90s is alive in Detroit
Mar 19, 2009
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I'd say it's a safe bet to assume NBC will get the Olympics.

Havent they been the only network to broadcast the Olympics, pretty much as long as the Olympics have been televised.

ABC, CBS and TNT have all broadcast the Games over the years
 

Grudy0

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Mar 16, 2011
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Maryland
From memory, ABC had them in the '70s and 80's, CBS and Turner had the '92 and '94 Winter, and it's been NBC ever since.
 

Brodie

the dream of the 90s is alive in Detroit
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CBS broadcast the first televised Olympics in 1960. Also, for most of the 60's through the 80's multiple networks covered the Olympics.
 

wildthing202

Registered User
May 29, 2006
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I'd say it's a safe bet to assume NBC will get the Olympics.

Havent they been the only network to broadcast the Olympics, pretty much as long as the Olympics have been televised.

Should be a lay-up since they lost money this past Olympics since they outbid Fox by an absurd amount.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...ney-on-the-olympics-it-paid-too-much-for-them

For the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and 2012 summer Olympics in London NBC bid a total of $2 billion for the rights. $1.18 billion for the London games and $820 million for the Vancouver games. They outbid the nearest competitor, Fox, by a reported $700 million. Fox had reportedly bid $1.3 billion for the Vancouver/London package.
 

Brodie

the dream of the 90s is alive in Detroit
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There's been some question as to whether Comcast is willing to take such a huge loss on the Olympics just to maintain the ever declining prestige of having them.
 

jkrdevil

UnRegistered User
Apr 24, 2006
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I'd say it's a safe bet to assume NBC will get the Olympics.

Havent they been the only network to broadcast the Olympics, pretty much as long as the Olympics have been televised.

They have had every summer game since 1988, and every winter since 2002.
 

Mwd711

Registered User
Jan 20, 2006
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NBC Sports seems to add a bit of legitimacy and name recognition, but if you show what people want to watch it doesn't matter what you're called. Will a name change help them get more stuff to become a better established channel? Or more importantly, would a name change actually be important to getting the channel on more cable packages? I guess we'll find out. Having UFC and now a national sports deal, even if its the "fourth" sport is more than FoxSportsnet has isn't it? I know they have (had?) NFL games on Fox but isn't FSN just limited to regional stuff?

FSN is largely regional. The only national programming that they currently show is college sports, the World Poker Tour and some soccer. When Fox first first launched FSN, it was to be a national/regional sports hybrid that would challenge ESPN. They showed a national MLB game of the week on Thursdays and gained IndyCar and Formula One broadcasting rights and aired some NASCAR qualifying. After a few years, they gave up and went back to largely focusing on just regional sports. It was very hard to juggle scheduling as each region had it's own programming. That made it a hindrance to air anything nationally and it wasn't worth the expense involved. In most cases, the regional teams always got better ratings and made the most money for them.

That said, I would say FSN has a much a broader brand awareness just because of the Fox Sports branding and the fact that they still control many regional broadcasting rights. FSN probably has more viewers than Versus if you were to add up the RSN's totals. Unless you are a hockey or IndyCar fan, you've had very little reason to ever know about Versus.
 

Roughneck

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Oct 15, 2003
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^^^

Thanks for the clarification.



As for the Olympics, already having the London Olympics is huge for NBC Sports. National attention and marketing from the get go to establish themselves as a legit brand. Whether continuing to have the Olympics beyond that will do much is another matter altogether, but they'll at least be able to grow awareness to the channel with what they already have and hopefully that means more cable packages will be sure to have it available in anticipation for the next hockey season as well.
 

He Lied to Mario

Registered User
May 16, 2009
388
6
MSNBC is doing great!
Even though they lost Keith Olberman (who would have been great for NBC Sports Network), they have done just fine with Ed Schultz, one of the best Americans out there!

The only problem with MSNBC is they foolishy at 10 PM Friday through the whole weekend do not air news but rather "lockup", which while it is a good show, the network should be 24/7 news.

I hope NBC does not do similar with VS, I hope they keep it sports 24/7.

MSNBC's ratings aren't very good, hopefully the NBC Sports Group is run by smarter people.
 
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Brodie

the dream of the 90s is alive in Detroit
Mar 19, 2009
15,399
359
Chicago
Fox Sports has actively tried to downplay the network branding... affiliates often go by just "FS ___" the days.
 

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