I know it’s personal for you Paul because you’re affected by it, but the truth is that Versus is within their rights to do it and I don’t blame then quite frankly.

And let’s be honest here—if DirecTV doesn’t concern themselves enough with their NHL fanbase to get the network on as we approach the eve of the regular season… then maybe hockey fans *do* need to drop DirecTV.

This would not happen with any other sport, not with the NFL, NBA, or MLB.  That DirecTV is willing to do it to the NHL is kinda’ a slap in the face to me as a hockey fan.

Call it sour grapes by Comcast, or reaching or extending or whatever… but the fact is that Comcast stepped up to the plate when nobody else was willing to televise NHL games and has continued to try and highlight and feature the league and game.  Like it or not.  ESPN didn’t *want* the NHL at the time, they wanted the NBA instead (which they then ran out and got).

But yeah… if this is really what DirecTV thinks of hockey fans and their value to them, then yeah every hockey fan should drop them as quickly as possible.

Posted by Primis on 09/21/09 at 12:20 PM ET

why do you blame Versus?  if DirectTV doesn’t want to deal, then there’s nothing Versus can do.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 09/21/09 at 12:27 PM ET

Primis, I switched last summer TO Directv from COMCAST because Directv offers more options for hockey fans. Largely, that means that Directv actually broadcasts home/away games on NHL Center Ice, and HD in Center Ice. COMCAST (at least as of last year) didn’t offer either of those options to me as a hockey subscriber. To me, that’s still more valuable than some missed games on VS, not that it makes me happy about the VS dispute.

Posted by penguinsfan on 09/21/09 at 12:28 PM ET

I think Paul has a point.  VS has been promising to reach as many households as ESPN, which already isn’t available to many Michigan homes.  I understand that over the air broadcasters are only going to pick up the token weekend and playoff games, so we’re stuck with cable.  VS needs to understand that they cannot cash in this quickly.  Trying to stick it to D-TV, a competitor to Comcast by the way, isn’t exactly building good will with hockey fans.  I have had D-TV for nearly a decade, have had GREAT customer service, am a Center Ice subscriber and applaud and reward innovative companies-- like D-TV and their bold move to offering more HD-TV.

I will NOT dump my provider.  So I miss a few Wings games, unfortunate really, but you know who is gong to take a beating here?  The NHL’s ratings.  When those ratings numbers start dropping again because they’ve dumped 14-25 million D-TV subscriber potential (or whatever the real number is), the NHL can reassess if their longterm interests will be met with this partner.

I’m with you, Paul.  Negotiate a deal that is fair to both sides and STOP TELLING US WHAT TO DO.

Posted by snafu from Michigan on 09/21/09 at 12:33 PM ET

The issue for me is not who I am for or against, I just don’t like Versus telling me to drop Directv.

I won’t do that, and if I ever did, it would be my decision alone and not because Versus told me to do so.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 09/21/09 at 12:38 PM ET

We are all speculating here, since none of us really know for sure what is going on, but I’d like to make a couple of points....

It’s not as simple as you all seem to suggest.  DirecTV told Comcast, they would KEEP the channel while negotiations continued and for as long as it took.  Comcast said no....

The real agenda here is that Comcast wants to force people off DirecTV and to them.  This scenario will eventually also happen with Dish and it will happen with Fios.

If Versus and Comcast were thinking clearly, they wouldn’t be playing hardball like they seem to be, since once this contract is up the NHL will end up somewhere else if this isn’t solved.

Posted by Leafsfan1967 on 09/21/09 at 12:38 PM ET

This has to be all Comcast’s fault.  I have Comcast and this has to be the worst cable company in the country.  They treat their customer’s like crap raise the prices and then remove channels from your package then make you pay more for them on another package. All Comcast is trying to do is steal whatever customer’s they can from DirecTV.  This is one of the reasons I wish the NHL goes back to ESPN or maybe TNT like the NBA. VS pre and post game coverage is better than ESPN’s but no one would drop ESPN from their channel line-up.

Posted by Mike on 09/21/09 at 01:13 PM ET

I fully contend that little disputes like this between carriers only supports pirate internet feeds.  The carriers don’t want those feeds active because they don’t get the viewership and advertisement, but sometimes they force viewers into that course of action through their petty deals.

Posted by drimo on 09/21/09 at 01:14 PM ET

I disagree with the first two comments, but agree with the rest.

Comcast upped the price on purpose.  Clearly they knew they could make money by forcing people to switch from DirecTV to Comcast, way more money than they’d make by just getting payments from DirecTV.  They got people used to “Hockey on Versus” and now decide to either a.) make more from competing television companies, or b.) force people to switch to their network, which is a cash grab on their part, either way.

Cable companies need to be brought down for the monopolies that they are.

Posted by BuzzFledderjohn on 09/21/09 at 01:42 PM ET

>>Cable companies need to be brought down for the monopolies that they are.

Here Here!

I may well end up switching away from DirecTV come play off time if this disupute isn’t settled before then, but it won’t be Comcast that I switch to.

Posted by Leafsfan1967 on 09/21/09 at 02:57 PM ET

Both parties are to blame here.  They won’t negotiate because they are direct competitors.

Bastards.

Posted by Hippy Dave from San Francisco by way of Detroit on 09/21/09 at 09:11 PM ET