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| emerican |
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Registered Member #164
Joined: Tue Mar 07 2006, 12:07PMPosts: 3146 |
How outrageous are cable companies today? One example of this is the ongoing struggle of NFL Network being offered only on extended cable for a steep price. Many people will miss Thursday night's game between the Cowboys and Packers (currently being labeled as super bowl 41 3/4), and could potentially miss history in week 17 when the Pats play the Giants. Thankfully, I get NFL Network, and this is the first year that i will get the games. But for you unlucky souls out there, what is your reaction? |
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| kamikaze |
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Registered Member #764
Joined: Sat Jun 30 2007, 01:17AMPosts: 542 |
Goddamn 3 threads, Stop posting. And Oh yeah, I get NFL network to, but it sux. |
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| Rusty |
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FTS Server Op
Registered Member #159
Joined: Wed Mar 01 2006, 06:33PMPosts: 2682 |
at school, and home, no nfl network. I think it's wrong that a private channel should be able to buy rights to games that are "public games". but the more focus on media should be to the conglomerates of the USA. I love everything Bill Clinton did for this country, minus the Telecommunications act of 1994, where he made it possible for the conglomerates to take over. So you should look into that more than just the NFL network, I'm sure there is a bigger reason behind it. |
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| Zero |
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I want to fuck your hand.
Registered Member #571
Joined: Thu Feb 15 2007, 09:59PMPosts: 2809 |
Not like Emerican cares. but back in the baseball season late in the term, Many of the Yankee games were held on this fucking weird ass channel called like.... I dont even fucking remember. but like, they did it so yankee fans would watch their channel, but it just made me hate the company even more! |
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| Amped |
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Hi
Registered Member #301
Joined: Thu Jun 15 2006, 01:55AMPosts: 888 |
Zero wrote ... Not like Emerican cares. but back in the baseball season late in the term, Many of the Yankee games were held on this fucking weird ass channel called like.... I dont even fucking remember. but like, they did it so yankee fans would watch their channel, but it just made me hate the company even more! Um....the YES network? Yankees Entertainment and Sports... |
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| Madvillain |
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Registered Member #445
Joined: Sun Oct 01 2006, 11:42PMPosts: 2233 |
<--- has cable, will always have cable | ||
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| BuBBLe GooSe |
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The Original MilfHunter
Registered Member #163
Joined: Mon Mar 06 2006, 02:24PMPosts: 1592 |
Rusty wrote ... at school, and home, no nfl network. I think it's wrong that a private channel should be able to buy rights to games that are "public games". Having to subscribe to specialty sports channels for a monthly fee really alienates the poor/casual fans. But Football has such a large and dedicated following that hardcore fans will actually pay extra, out of pocket money in order to view games that are exclusively shown on specialty channels. The NFL has property rights over the product it produces and can choose who can broadcast their games. Some cable providers have moved the NFL Network higher in the channel listings and have made it a premium service, above any beyond inclusion in the basic cable package, and in some cases charging an extra $10 a month for it. Is the NFL Network a move fuelled by money? Yes. The NFL wanted to keep more revenue for itself so they cut out the middleman (NBC, CBS, other companies) and made their own channel. Does it suck balls for the average fan who doesn't have access to it? Mmmhhmmm. Will we see more pay-per-view/use applications and channels in the future? I'd bet on it. I think part of the reason why games are exclusively on the NFL Network is because its more efficient for companies who purchase commercial time during football games, to do so on a network such as the NFL channel. Essentially, advertisers can tap directly into their key demographic and gear their product or service directly to those who are most likely to purchase it. The people who subscribe to the NFL network have already shown that if they like the product (NFL Football), they are more willing to take cash out of their pocket in order to get it (the fact that they subscribe to that specialty channel). Likewise, when Budweiser purchases commercial spots on the NFL Network, they know that they are targeting a largely alpha male demographic, with enough disposable income to purchase mid-low end expenditures on a regular basis. Razor blades, Ford and Chevy pickup trucks, Viagara and Levitra... Advertisers can target males, ages puberty to casket, and can build a 'manly' brand based on affiliation with 'manly' football. (Because we all know that if you don't watch football, then you're a pussy.) There is also a large benefit for the cable providers who charge a monthly fee and cable box rentals. A customer may only want the NFL Network initially, but over time (and a few telemarketing calls), may be more inclined to purchase other packages and promotions offered by the company. When games are aired on basic or standard cable channels that are accessible by a large number of people (NBC, FOX, CBS, etc...), advertising revenue is taken by that host station. As well, NBC etc, may take up precious time promoting its own shows and take a chunk of revenue generated from commercial time slots. The NFL Network is only available in 35 million homes, they are working with a smaller pool of potential customers to advertise to as opposed to traditional football airing channels. The NFL Network allows the NFL to gain more kickbacks from revenue generated during its telecasts because it owns the station. They were expecting to be in 50 million homes by now, but aren't as of yet. That puts a significant dent in the channel's earning potential if it can't be reached by viewers. So the NFL created a specialty channel called the NFL Network in order to cut out the middleman and keep commercial based revenues and more control over the product. The assumption was that this channel would be available with the standard extended cable package. Cable providers saw the earning potential and wanted to get their hands in the mix so they moved the NFL Network higher in the channel listing and into a premium, extra $$ per month package and earned some extra cash. This lessens the available market of the NFL Network because fewer people can watch the games which in turn lowers ratings. Commercial spots go for lower money because of a smaller viewing market. The revenue that the NFL expected to see from commercial sales decreased and now they're pissed about it. LoLs, sounds like Capitalism at its finest.  [i] Rusty wrote ... I love everything Bill Clinton did for this country, minus the Telecommunications act of 1994, where he made it possible for the conglomerates to take over. So you should look into that more than just the NFL network, I'm sure there is a bigger reason behind it. Bill Clinton also appointed Michael Powell (son of former Secretary of State Colin Powell) to the FCC in '97. Bush made him chairman of the FCC in '01. MP has given us quotes like, "let markets pick winners and losers" & "The oppressor here is regulation,". Then he took a six-day, $18,910 trip to Paris paid for by Time Warner and Reuters.  There should be checks and balances as to how many media outlets a company controls because if the monopoly is consolidated between a handful (or in the US's case, 6) major companies, then the inherent danger becomes that they can choose to only display one favorable side of the story, or only give one politically driven message that will influence the entire nation.[As a sidenote to Clinton, the Lewinsky scandal was getting pretty hot under the collar so he bombed the fuck out of Iraq for four days in 1998. Later he was impeached by the House only to be aquitted of the charges by the Senate in 1999 (both Republican) and allowed to finish off his term as the US was preparing to bomb Kosovo. You can't go into a 'war' without a President so that's why the Kosovo bombing let him keep his job, and cost Serbs their lives. (Even though the U.N. court ruled that genocide didn't actually take place.) To finish off his term he brought together Israeli and Palestinians to Camp David in hopes of finding peace in that region, and failed. Its kinda funny because Bush, like Clinton, engaged a country (Yugoslavia/Afghanistan) under false pretences and for alterior motives, fiddled with Iraq, and now close to the end of his term, is trying to negotiate peace in the Middle East to end off on a high note. (Recent summit at Annapolis.) Looks like both are calling plays from the "Old, Rich, Gray-Haired, Elitist White Guy" play book. Maybe they are both on the same team? I lol'd so I thought I'd throw in some political commentary.  ]Football? Sry for getting political fellas.
Edited Thu Nov 29 2007, 01:47PM
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| A Drunk |
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Registered Member #437
Joined: Sat Sep 23 2006, 02:18AMPosts: 1224 |
Goose, can u sum up yours in about 3-5 lines please. Yea, i don't get it. Like they say that Time Warner who i have has like rejeected it. We are switching out cable companys soon though. I don't really care because I don't watch that much NFL football anymore, i like college more. What i think is that everyone should get it but that will never happend b/c cable companys are gay. | ||
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| Rusty |
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FTS Server Op
Registered Member #159
Joined: Wed Mar 01 2006, 06:33PM Posts: 2682 |
To everything goose said, about what I said. I was talking internal politics. You may not have had the effect of what Clinton did in Canada, other than the fact the the US dollar rose to almost 2:1 ratio to the canadian dollar while he was in office, and now it's about a 1:1 ratio with bush. Outside of myself, I try not to let politics concern me, so I'm all about internal affairs when I look at the presidential candidates (since all say they will get out of Iraq). On side note, everything you said about the FCC and such I know, and I don't really consider the appointment of M. Powell to the FCC a bad thing. It was bush's decision to make him the president of it. And to say that what Clinton did in 1998 was about the same as what Bush has/is doing is just ridiculous because Clinton's tactic was to pull troops out of the middle east, that the previous Bush had stationed there. Not to say Bush Sr. was a bad president, because he wasn't. anywho, like I had stated before, the big 6 (conglomerates) control the country, all of it, since it's a media based country. |
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| Wildcard23 |
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Registered Member #514
Joined: Wed Dec 20 2006, 06:33AMPosts: 1067 |
I hear you Rusty. Last year I had to order the NFL network for a month just to see one of the Giants games. Thankfully, the cable company made NFL network's HD channel part of the HD section so I get it. Funny, I will be having at least 7 of my buddies coming over to watch it on my big screen since they don't get the game. It definitely sucks. LOL Amped!! YES carries all the Yankees game but I don't get it in DC so I had to order the $150 baseball package to see all the games. Got to love cable companies. |
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