DIRECTV drops Versus sports channel -- it's DISH deja vu

Wow, that was fun, listening to the Oregon State-Arizona football game today on my tinny-sounding Radio Shack portable radio.

Since I wanted OSU to win, the game was crappy. And my mood wasn't made better by realizing this morning that DIRECTV has dropped the Versus channel where the game was on.

I should sue for bait and switch.

Back in January I changed from DISH to DIRECTV after getting irritated at losing the local ABC affiliate (KATU) when DISH and Fisher Communications got into a pissing match over an increase in programming charges.

I even got all lovey-dovey with DirecTV after making the move.

If you're thinking of getting rid of DISH network because it no longer has a favorite local station (like Portland's KATU, in our case), don't hesitate to jump to DirecTV.

That's what I decided to do, and after five days of experience with DirecTV -- the installer came last Thursday -- I'm wondering why I didn't dump DISH sooner.

Now, like they say, it's deja vu all over again. 

DIRECTV drops the Versus channel. Which means no Oregon State-Arizona game. DIRECTV blames Comcast, which owns Versus.

DIRECTV was already paying Comcast more than any other non-Comcast distributor to air Versus — and now Comcast is demanding an overall rate hike of 20% on top of that. Comcast also forces DIRECTV to make Versus available to a much larger portion of our customer base at our own expense than they require from other TV providers — most notably, DISH Network. We simply cannot accept these unfair and outrageous terms. All we're asking from Comcast is equal treatment.

Versus/Comcast blames DIRECTV, naturally.

If you are a DirecTV customer, you are most likely aware that VERSUS’ contract with the satellite provider expired on August 31. Throughout our discussions, VERSUS made fair and reasonable offers to DirecTV – simply asking them to carry the network at a comparable level of distribution as they had for several years, at the same market price that other operators are currently paying. Yet, despite our good-faith negotiations, DirecTV chose to remove VERSUS from its programming lineup and deny millions of passionate sports fans access to our comprehensive coverage of the sports they love.

Here's how I score the blame game: DIRECTV 0, Versus/Comcast 0. They're both losers, and I couldn't care less about who did what to whom, or why they did it.

Just give me the programming that was available when I signed up for DIRECTV, and now isn't. Pretty damn simple.

With the DISH vs. Fisher Communications dispute, a commenter on one of my blog posts said that the supposedly outrageous 82% rate increase Fisher was demanding amounted to eight cents a month per subscriber.

I suspect this DIRECTV vs. Comcast/Versus battle is over a roughly similar amount (though there's also another issue involved here).

It's interesting how neither side talks about actual cost numbers, just percentages. Probably this is because big corporate egos are fighting over a few cents, while DIRECTV customers get screwed as the CEOs play their petty games.

I accepted DIRECTV's offer to express my concerns by emailing them.

I didn't realize that DirecTV wasn't offering Versus any more until I saw a big ad in today's newspaper urging people to switch from DirecTV if they want to see football games like today's Oregon State vs. Arizona -- which is only on Versus. Great. I switched to DirecTV from Dish because Dish was in an argument with Fisher Communications about its ABC affiliate in Portland. Now DirecTV is doing the same thing.

Look: we subscribers would rather pay a few cents more per month and be able to watch what we want to watch. DirecTV bills itself as offering a large choice of sports programming, but now you shut off a major sports channel. Doesn't make sense. I hope you get your act together soon, or you're going to lose customers just like Dish Network did.
    --Brian

Tonight I got a marvelously impersonal email response from DIRECTV customer service: it was a copy of the exact page on their web site where I was invited to express my concerns -- incuding this identical line.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at [email protected].

Thanks, but no thanks. I'm going around in circles. I just hope the contract negotiations with Versus/Comcast aren't.

Comments

[Rain]

Having been a DirecTV customer almost since it began since out this far there are no other choices, I am happy with the options although I'd rather we could choose an independent package so say instead of sports, we'd get more movie channels for the same price. We watch zero sports at this set and don't want to pay for those who do unless they are also willing to pay to give me say Showtime as part of the package. We pay for HBO to get Bill Maher and can't give him up even though he's not there year round. Still a few extra movie channels would be nice. Too bad they can't do custom packages. I could cut out a lot of what is clogging up my menu. I enjoy the history, discovery and NGC type programming but never watch home shopping. News matters to me but they could eliminate Fox and I'd be okay with it. Cartoons are handy when the grandkids stay over. We do pay for the programs in the Portland area but hardly ever watch any of them. I could though tune in Dancing with the Stars this week to see DeLay... or maybe not. It was pretty funny on YouTube though but laughing at someone like him is not what I want to do.

[tucson]

And who beat OSU?.. UofA which happens to be where? Tucson!! Nyah NYah Nyah!!

Actually, I'm not a football fan at all and really couldn't care much less, BUT I am a complete Tour de France zealot which happens to be aired on VS. So, I am not pleased with the current situation since I am also a Directv subscriber. Fortunately time is on my side and I hope they get it all worked out by next July.

I think this is likely. Does VS/Comcast want to permanently forego Directv income?
That's a lot of money I would think. They're just playing negotiation hardball. I wouldn't switch back to Dish just yet.

[Jeff]

I don't think cable companies or satellite companies should be allowed to own channels.

[Jeff]

I love the NHL and watching the NHL on Versus but I'm not dropping DirecTv just to get Versus back. So until this dispute is resolved, Versus and the NHL is losing my households viewership.

[Chuck]

I agree with tucson, the cable and satellite channels shouldn't be allowed to own content channels. They should be allowed to run their guide and preview channels of course, but not a channel that shows actual content.
I suspect that is one of the issues going on here is comcast hoping to get people to switch back to cable (i.e. comcast). Direct tv doesn't want to take it, but, they are making their viewers upset and likely will lose customers over it. Another case of short sighted corporations cutting of their nose to spite their face. I feel blessed that I have cable (and because the internet access is better/cheaper than satellite access I'll probably never own a dish of any brand). See ya later, I gotta get ready to watch the Capitals/Bruins game on VS. tonight! lol

[Chuck]

oops, that was Jeff I was agreeing with sorry lol.

[Rob]

I don't think I agree that a Cable or Satellite provider should not be allowed to own a channel (or network). However, I think it would be very reasonable to say that a channel owned by a provider cannot gain exclusive rights to programming. This would preclude using the current tactics. It would be more beneficial to both parties (and the fans) to settle rather than cause or allow some third party to begin airing the games (at additional expense and thinning the advertiser monies).

[jay mizzle]

i work for directv..just to refresh the convo.. usually when one satellite provider of the major 2 (directv / dish)is carrying the vs channel...then the other isnt. now..as noted in the VERY VERY beginning of this thread..it's DISH's turn to take the torch for a little bit. unfortunately..not too many people know that Directv is in the final stages of negotiations to get the vs. channel back..THIS MEANS..FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO JOINED A 1 or 2 YR CONTRACT WITH DISH NETWORK, SOLELY FOR THE 'vs' CHANNEL ARE SOON TO BECOME PRETTY ANGRY AGAIN WITH DISH NETWORK. mark my words. hint hint**if u are a directv customer--ask yourself.."Do I know what a retention credit is?" after you do some research about what a retention credit is..then..im pretty sure all you smart people will get the HINT on how to get some free service...im not saying anyone is better than anyone..because in the longrun..its costing us all money anyways..im just stating the obvious.

[Mark]

A petition has been started telling Versus and DirectTV they need to settle this and stop penalizing customers.

Lets spread the word and get hockey fans to sign!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/directvversusnhl/

[Dan Drellos]

It will be nice when you own your own dish and everyting is a-la-cart, you pick every channel seperately and pay for it, again they all have their hands around our NECKS !!!!!

[Steve]

I noticed my guide info for all the other Comcast-owned networks cuts out in a couple days. G4 stops on 2/16/10 at 7PM and E! stops the next day at 7PM. I am assuming DirecTV is also dropping these channels. If this is the case, I really don't see a point in continuing to pay for DirecTV. G4 is just about the only channel I watch.

[Rah]

That was a lot that you had to go through I know that DISH was having their dispute but as a customer and employee of DISH I will tell you that we signed a long term contract with Fox and shouldn't have this trouble for a long time. I'm not going to say never because things happen, times do change but right now we are set in stone and keeping our channels. I absolutely love football and even though I lost those channels for sometime I am really glad I stayed with DISH and didn't switch to DIRECTV.

[Steve]

Directv has an awesome services on sports packages while Dish Network is better on entertainment packages. On the other hand they are pretty similar, both are better than cable.
To know more the difference between DIRECTV and DISH NETWORK just visit: http://www.thesatellitecompany.com/