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Category: VERSUS

Versus/Directv Negotiations Talk

by Paul on 11/07/09 at 11:02 AM ET
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from Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News,

More than two months after their contract ended, Versus and DirecTV remain at distribution loggerheads, their impasse showing no signs of subsiding.

However, a pair of external factors - negotiations toward a long-term expanded distribution package with Dish Network and the potential union of Comcast with NBC Universal - could exert pressures that facilitate a resolution.

Comcast’s national sports service has been off the No. 1 DBS provider’s air since their contract expired on Sept. 1. In the meantime, the parties have continued to negotiate a four-year deal, but remained locked in their stances over price and positioning, while Versus continues to ring up Nielsen advances.

The ratings amelioration has come without DirecTV’s 14 million-plus homes, as much of that subscriber loss has been made up by sneak previews on a number of cable operators and Dish Network, which has provided Versus a full berth of its homes. As such, Versus’ sub count has only declined to 71 million homes from 75 million, before the DirecTV drop.

The Dish free preview, though, is slated to end on Nov. 30. However, sources familiar with the negotiations indicate that Versus and Dish are moving toward a more permanent, expanded placement for the network.

continued

Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Directv,

Taking Sides In The Versus/Directv Dispute

by Paul on 10/22/09 at 09:09 AM ET
Comments (6)

from Seth Rorabaugh of Empty Netters at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

We don’t care if the chairman of DirecTV has kidnapped a busload of children of Comcast executives and is threatening to dunk them in a vat of sulfuric acid. We’ll always be on the side of DirecTV in this dispute.

...Could you ever imagine Comcast doing anything like that to make up for a shortcoming? All Comcast is interested in is taking your money and eating the souls of kittens.

more

Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Directv,

Evening Line

by Paul on 10/21/09 at 08:38 PM ET
Comments (1)

Both BYU and Utah have games on Versus this weekend and of course, Directv subscribers will not be able to watch the games. 

via Rick Aaron of Fox 13 (Utah),

BYU head coach, Bronco Mendenhall noted the irony of conference partner Versus playing hardball with DirecTV, while ESPN, who doesn’t even have the game rights, is broadcasting its College GameDay program from Provo Saturday.

Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS, Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Direvtv,

Versus/Directv Update - Nothing New

by Paul on 10/19/09 at 05:10 PM ET
Comments (2)

David Pollak and some members of the Sharks organization had a chance to talk with Bill Daly today…

Tonight’s Sharks game is a Versus-only telecast, which means, of course, that fans who subscribe to DirecTV won’t be able to watch from the comfort of their living rooms. Bettman has been on record before, urging fans to write both the network and the carrier to reach a new contractual agreement. Essentially, the league is a business partner with each, but doesn’t have the legal wherewithal to force a settlement and can only lobby from the outside, not sit at the table.

“Unfortunately, we’re still at status quo,” Daly said when asked about where things stand. “The league office has made significant efforts both with Versus and DirecTV to try to break the logjam and try to move towards sensible ground. The good news is, the parties continue to talk, they’re exchanging drafts, but in terms of forecasting a resolution, at this point there’s no good news to report.”

more and other topics discussed with Daly…

Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Directv,

UFL Outdraws NHL On Versus

by Paul on 10/10/09 at 01:10 PM ET
Comments (3)

via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk,

The ratings are in for Thursday night’s debut of the UFL on VERSUS.

The good news is that the clash between the California Redwoods (whose uniforms are neither red nor made of wood) and the Las Vegas Locomotives reportedly generated better ratings than NHL coverage on VERSUS.

The bad news is that the numbers would raise eyebrows only if they were someone’s blood alcohol content.

According to UFLaccess.com, the game generated a 0.25 rating, with a 0.29 in the key demographic of men 18-40 years of age.

The numbers might have been much higher if VERSUS were still available on DirecTV.

added 5:22pm, The site has updated the story-

John Ourand of SBJ reports that the UFL debut was seen in 220,000 homes, and that the Tuesday night NHL game on VERSUS was seen in 405,000 homes.  So maybe UFLaccess.com is getting its information from the same folks responsible for letting people know that, you know, a UFL game is actually going to be on television.

thanks to a KK reader for leaving a comment to advise.

Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS, Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Can’t Watch The Game On Versus Because I Have Directv

by Paul on 10/06/09 at 07:39 PM ET
Comments (20)

I am sure I am missing out on one of the great, early season regular games, Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers.

Sure there are ways to get the game, but I want to watch it on my HDTV 55 inch Sony!!!

You too, let Versus, Directv and the NHL know how you feel.

Please keep the comments civil in nature.

Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Directv,

A Lot Of Us Feel Like Gary In The Versus/Directv Dispute

by Paul on 10/06/09 at 02:51 PM ET
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from pucksandbooks of On Frozen Blog,

Gary, like a lot of other hockey fans, has made a lot of furious phone calls to DirecTV about the situation, but the impasse remains. It’s a brutal one, from my vantage, because of DirecTV’s seemingly incongruous negotiating position. On the one hand, the provider has quite publicly alleged that Versus is little more than an elaborate infomercial outlet, the provider of esoteric outdoor broadcast coverage like game hunting and such. Simultaneously, however, DirecTV is attempting to bundle Versus in a costlier sports package for all of its subscribers.

No doubt DirecTV this offseason acknowledged the NHL’s increased television popularity—fueled to no small degree by the wide array of the league’s likable young guns—and is seeking to profit from the enthusiasm surge. From its vantage Versus understandably doesn’t want a dramatic alteration in the way it is offered by providers, as specialty bundling packages as opposed to basic plan inclusion necessarily decrease overall viewership numbers. Until the impasse is resolved, millions of hockey fans across the country are denied access to the league’s national network provider. 

Gary noted that changing providers, in addition to being a general nuissance, seems impractical for a service he’s otherwise pleased with, and particularly when only about a half dozen Caps’ regular season games are broadcast on Versus. Potentially more, however, could run there in the postseason.

more

Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Directv,

Versus/Directv Still Battling

by Paul on 10/05/09 at 01:08 PM ET
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from Greg of PuckDaddy,

Yet this dispute lingers on, and one can’t help but sense DirecTV winning a war of attrition. It’s suffered PR backlash from college football, MMA and hockey fans in the last several weeks. It’s been the target of national ads and an open letter on NHL.com urging fans to take action. Now, Versus is sending drones to canvass arenas like the network’s running fro state delegate.

DirecTV has acted unprofessionally and hypocritically in this dispute, but Versus is working PR channels extremely hard and not getting that much traction. Whatever losses DirecTV is taking in subscribers, it wasn’t enough to get into serious talks before the NHL season started; so what will it take?

And how much longer are hockey fans going to have to suffer through this?

more

Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Directv,

Versus Draws A Big Crowd

by Paul on 10/02/09 at 04:01 PM ET
Comments (2)

from Puck The Media,

Versus notched its most-watched NHL opening night in the net’s history, with an average of 832,781 viewers for Capitals-Bruins and Sharks-Avalanche.

continued

added 4:58pm,

New York, N.Y. (October 2, 2009)-VERSUS, the exclusive cable television home of the NHL, dropped the puck on its fifth year of coverage with the most-watched NHL opening night in network history with a total of 832,781 viewers tuning in for the Bruins/Capitals and Avalanche/Sharks games. 

Locally, VERSUS was one of the top-rated cable networks in all four markets (Boston, Washington, D.C., Denver and San Jose). 

“Despite DirecTV shutting out millions of hockey fans from seeing last night’s games, VERSUS still garnered its best NHL regular season opening night ever,” said Jamie Davis, President of VERSUS.  “The momentum of this network has not slowed down at all and we’re doing everything we can to reach an agreement with DirecTV to ensure that hockey fans won’t continue to miss the terrific match-ups we have on our schedule all season long.”

Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Why Not?

by Paul on 10/02/09 at 09:27 AM ET
Comments (17)

Since some of us are experiencing the Versus/Directv fiasco, why can’t the NHL tell Versus they are going to put their games on the NHL Network too?

I understand Versus has exclusivity to the broadcast, but if you can’t watch it, how exclusive is it?

While on the broadcasting topic, Center Ice needs to pick-up the HD feed of CBC.  If the game is broadcast in HD, CI should have it too.

Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Center+Ice,

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