News about VERSUS for Charter Cable Subscribers

[uncletravellingmatt]

Yo,

Hi all, I work with VERSUS and wanted to let you know that VERSUS may not be available on Charter after April 4th. Without VERSUS, NHL fans will miss exclusive coverage of the NHL playoffs, including the Eastern and Western Conference Finals and the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals. You can call this number to voice your distress! (888) 438-2427.

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[Raptor]

Woo! Versus FTW!

 

[Live in the Now]

what the ****

 

[Drewr15]

Yo,

Hi all, I work with VERSUS and wanted to let you know that VERSUS may not be available on Charter after April 4th. Without VERSUS, NHL fans will miss exclusive coverage of the NHL playoffs, including the Eastern and Western Conference Finals and the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals. You can call this number to voice your distress! (888) 438-2427.

what?! why?

 

[KzooShark]

My understanding is that Charter's contract with both Versus and the Golf Channel are up right now, and if a new contract isn't reached, they're required to stop showing them.

So..... two mega-corporations fighting over money. Woo.

 

[Weary]

Hi all, I work with VERSUS and wanted to let you know that VERSUS may not be available on Charter after April 4th. Without VERSUS, NHL fans will miss exclusive coverage of the NHL playoffs, including the Eastern and Western Conference Finals and the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals. You can call this number to voice your distress! (888) 438-2427.

Wouldn't it be easier for your company just to make an offer that's acceptable to Charter?

 

[Sotnos]

Wouldn't it be easier for your company just to make an offer that's acceptable to Charter?

It depends on what Charter is trying to do. The station that carries Lightning games (Sun Sports) had a standoff with Time Warner Cable because Time Warner wanted to put them on a separate sports tier and Sun Sports refused. Those of us unlucky enough to be stuck with Time Warner got no games on tv for months, but the end result is Sun Sports is still on the basic package.

 

[Bruce Ciskie]

Bottom line: There isn't nearly enough demand for Versus to make Charter relent, no matter what the dispute is.

Notice how this stuff never happens with ESPN? Yeah, nice job, Gary. Way to get your product out so everyone can see it.

 

[btn]

I am just as upset over possibly missing the Tour de France.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

It depends on what Charter is trying to do. The station that carries Lightning games (Sun Sports) had a standoff with Time Warner Cable because Time Warner wanted to put them on a separate sports tier and Sun Sports refused. Those of us unlucky enough to be stuck with Time Warner got no games on tv for months, but the end result is Sun Sports is still on the basic package.

Same scenario essentially killed the NFL Network on Time Warner.

 

[Guy Legend]

I heard about this, pretty lame.

I'm a Mediacom subscriber, never had Versus. Welcome to my world.

 

[grsbmd]

Gary Bettman had better immediately reverse his position on Versus if this happens. I'll be so mad if I there are playoff games for my team that I can't watch because Versus got the exclusive contract.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Bottom line: There isn't nearly enough demand for Versus to make Charter relent, no matter what the dispute is.

Notice how this stuff never happens with ESPN? Yeah, nice job, Gary. Way to get your product out so everyone can see it.

uh, Bruce

There was nothing prior to ESPN because ESPN is owned by whom primarily----Disney & ABC, would you think you'd ever see this standoff between a cable provider and a broadcast network?

 

[Bruce Ciskie]

uh, Bruce

There was nothing prior to ESPN because ESPN is owned by whom primarily----Disney & ABC, would you think you'd ever see this standoff between a cable provider and a broadcast network?

Actually, ABC/Disney knows what they can get away with charging for ESPN, and they know they'd catch holy hell from fans of every sport except hockey if they ever caused a ruckus.

If Versus isn't a profitable operation, they shouldn't be on the air. And if they aren't a profitable operation, Gary Bettman shouldn't have signed a deal for his games to be there.

If Versus is a profitable operation, they should know enough not to rock the boat when it comes to this kind of stuff. Seriously, I can't imagine that the NHL is pleased about the prospects of every Charter customer being shut out of Stanley Cup playoff games that aren't on RSNs.

The last thing the NHL needs to do is rock the boat with the fans. After what they put us through in 2004-2005, they owe us at least that much.

 

[puck57]

I guess there is no way with Center Ice to get it either- wow- that is really crumy. How many households get Charter Cable- is it a large cable company or relatively small? Will at least some of the playoff games be carried online on nhl.com- just curious- might be one way to catch some of them I assume if you have this cable. People with the cable co. should really raise a stink- right before the playoffs!

 

[Bruce Ciskie]

I guess there is no way with Center Ice to get it either- wow- that is really crumy. How many households get Charter Cable- is it a large cable company or relatively small? Will at least some of the playoff games be carried online on nhl.com- just curious- might be one way to catch some of them I assume if you have this cable. People with the cable co. should really raise a stink- right before the playoffs!

Charter has over six million subscribers in 40 states, according to their website.

If the NHL could, I would hope they'd get some sort of video streaming set up for at least the benefit of the Charter people, but those are really hard to set up for large audiences. I'm not sure a week is long enough to make something like that fly.

Then again, if the NHL were smart, none of this would be happening, because they wouldn't have partnered up with Versus in the first place.

 

[puck57]

Charter has over six million subscribers in 40 states, according to their website.

If the NHL could, I would hope they'd get some sort of video streaming set up for at least the benefit of the Charter people, but those are really hard to set up for large audiences. I'm not sure a week is long enough to make something like that fly.

Then again, if the NHL were smart, none of this would be happening, because they wouldn't have partnered up with Versus in the first place.

Let's hope at least for this postseason they can think of some of linkup or hookup for those subscribers who will lose Versus- I guess we will have Versus at least for another season so not much to do about that at least for a year. The league should really try to work up something so the Charter people can get on to see at least some of the playoff games- really bad timing though with just a week away.

 

[Bruce Ciskie]

Let's hope at least for this postseason they can think of some of linkup or hookup for those subscribers who will lose Versus- I guess we will have Versus at least for another season so not much to do about that at least for a year. The league should really try to work up something so the Charter people can get on to see at least some of the playoff games- really bad timing though with just a week away.

The only problem with that: How do they get the list of customers who are affected? Remember, they only have a week.

If they set up a video link online, it would almost have to be secure, or everyone would have access to it, and there is no way they'd be able to prepare for the onslaught of people trying to dial in. But how do you set up a secure link online with only a week of lead time, while assuring that the only people who can get in are displaced Charter subscribers? I doubt that Charter is just going to up and hand over their customer list to the NHL.

In theory, it's a great idea, but I'd love to know how you think this could get pulled off in a week.

 

[puck57]

The only problem with that: How do they get the list of customers who are affected? Remember, they only have a week.

If they set up a video link online, it would almost have to be secure, or everyone would have access to it, and there is no way they'd be able to prepare for the onslaught of people trying to dial in. But how do you set up a secure link online with only a week of lead time, while assuring that the only people who can get in are displaced Charter subscribers? I doubt that Charter is just going to up and hand over their customer list to the NHL.

In theory, it's a great idea, but I'd love to know how you think this could get pulled off in a week.

To be sure it probably can't happen in just a week but they should try to think of a way so at least some of the games could be seen by the ones affected. Maybe someway to show their account on a secure link somehow- don't know. Really will be hard however. I know if this happened with Cox Cable which I have I would NOT be a happy camper.

 

[Hank19]

*Kisses Centre Ice Package*

 

[iceman64]

Let's hope at least for this postseason they can think of some of linkup or hookup for those subscribers who will lose Versus- I guess we will have Versus at least for another season so not much to do about that at least for a year. The league should really try to work up something so the Charter people can get on to see at least some of the playoff games- really bad timing though with just a week away.

of course it's right before the playoffs that way the networks get what they want. Same as the NFL network, they took out ads (tv and print) everywhere you looked for the NFL games this season that were exclusively on the NFL network so people would be outraged that they didn't have the network and would miss live primetime NFL games. In many ways the cable companies look out for their consumers and having to keep raising the prices as these networks continually want more money and a better channel on the cable system. They rely on public outrage to get what they want from the cable companies. NFL network worked hard at this with Time Warner Cable and they STILL do not have a deal, even though TW Cable is one of the biggest cable companies in the US.


So what is the reason for this? What does Versus want from Charter cable? Are they being reasonable or unreasonable?

 

[X-SHARKIE]

Question: I have NHL Center Ice.. But i'm now loosing Versus.

Will NHL Center Ice televise the games that are on Verus?

I don't believe they do .. but if so I lucked out big time.

 

[DeathFromAbove]

I love you TSN.

Canadian broadcasters ftw.

Sent them an email for all the subscribers around here though, that really blows.

 

[NJ-Trap]

Wow, what a perfect time for them to drop Versus. I have Charter. Thanks a lot jackasses.

 

[Bruce Ciskie]

Question: I have NHL Center Ice.. But i'm now loosing Versus.

Will NHL Center Ice televise the games that are on Verus?

I don't believe they do .. but if so I lucked out big time.

AFAIK, none of Versus' playoff games will be "exclusive", meaning local regional networks will have the chance to air the games first. Most of them will, so you should have all the games fed to you via Center Ice whether they are on Versus or not.

You're screwed once they get to the conference finals, however, because the local RSNs don't air those games, IIRC.