Broadcasting & Cable reports that DirecTV has notified its customers that it might drop the Comcast-owned sports channel Versus on September 1 unless the two sides can work out a carriage deal.
There are a lot of sports fans who have DirecTV, and Versus carries the gamut from college sports for certain conferences to extreme cage fighting to NHL games.
Normally my feeling is that these deals always get worked out in the eleventh hour. Like when Time Warner Cable was threatening not to broadcast Viacom channels like Nickelodeon. But the Viacom offerings are a pretty big part of any basic cable package. Versus? Not so much, really and there can’t be much love lost between DirecTV and Comcast.
So I’m not as sure this will be resolved by September 1. Still, I’m guessing it gets worked out by October when Versus begins televising NHL games. Versus is currently in around 75 million homes.
DirecTV doesn’t have channels like AMC HD, BBC America HD, msnbc HD, multiplexed premium HD’s among others is because of DirecTV’s concentration on adding every conceivable RSN and it’s alternate in it’s determination to be the sports leader. Now they want to drop a channel with NHL, Coll. Football, IRL and cycling?
Don’t forget Indy Car! Basterds better keep it!
lol, GaryW. Good of you to name a bunch of obscure HD channels that the majority of people don’t give a shit about. Size up DirecTV’s HD lineup to any other provider and you’ll see they’re way ahead. And who says they WANT to drop the channel? There’s always at least two sides to a business negotiation. For all we know, Comcast is asking for a ridiculous amount so GTFO.
Versus does a nice job with college football and Indy car racing. I would hate to lose them. Work it out guys.
I understand that Versus is ready to compete with ESPN for the larger TV rights like baseball and even the NFL.
Forgot one thing, I still wish DIRECT TV would pick up NBC’s Universal Sports.
The only reason we moved to Direct TV from Dish several years ago was because of the PBR. We will not hesitate to change again if we cannot watch Bull Riding on versus.
I love watching the cycling on versus. I am going to be very pissed off if they drop it. I would have missed seeing america’s legion in cycling lance armstrong in his return to the tour de france, not good!!!!!!
awesome. For the network that carries the NHL we have 3 posters that would cancel their directTv/or at least be really upset about losing bull riding, indy car, and cycling, 3 of the most marginally popular sports in the country and zero posters worried about the NHL. poor nhl, when bull riding has more viewers up in arms than your league, you might be in trouble.
First of all, the NHL’s regular season ratings on Versus were somewhere around 300,000 viewers per game this past season. That’s good for what? 200th or so in the weekly ratings chart?
The Tour de France doesn’t return until next July; the NHL playoffs — the only NHL telecasts that got even marginally decent ratings, don’t start until April. So there is plenty of time to reach an agreement before those events roll around again,
And the Versus NCAA football lineup is pretty weak — at best a fourth selection from games in the Pac-10 and Big XII, some MWC games and it carries some Ivy League games. Week in and week out there arguably is more interest in the military academy games carried by CBS College sports (and DirecTV in HD) than in the patched-together, inconsistent, hand-me-down Versus lineup.
But with more than 20 HD college football games available to DirecTV subs each week, I doubt the Versus games will be missed by many. (The first week, Versus doesn’t carry any NCAA football games,so the initial games subs would miss would be Texas at Wyoming Sept 12, Duke at Kansas and Florida State at BYU, both on Sept. 19, then Cornell at Yale along with a Pac-10 game TBA on Sept. 26. None of them seem to be clashes of the titans, no other networks have been beating down the door to carry them and all would be far down the list of HD-available games on their weekends. Of course I realize that fans of those schools would disagree on the Saturdays they could get blacked out.)
And another thought: Comcast has always steadfastly refused to allow DirecTV to carry its Philadelphia RSN. Perhaps this is DirecTV’s payback. In addition, if DirecTV’s assertion is correct that Comcast is trying to charge it more than it charges cable companies (and the Roberts’ hatred for satellite makes that seem at least plausible) why should DirecTV pay?
DirecTV carries every RSN available to it (though not Cox’s San Diego RSN nor Comcast’s Philadelphia version — and only because both are withheld by their cable parents); it carries all MLB games, usually from each of the two cvtiies in HD; it carries every NBF game in HD; it carries virtually every NBA game in HD; it carries every NCAA Basketball Tournament game; it has put together marvelous bonus camera channels for major golf and tennis championships and it offer a NASCAR in-car pass.
As long as DirecTV keeps NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR and NCAA basketball fans happy it probably needn’t fear to wrath of the rodeo, TdF and regular season NHL fans. Better it should hammer ESPN to gets its Game Plan college football games delivered in HD this year for the first time.
And a final question: who will be hurt more by this potential move? DirecTV, upsetting a very small minority of its subscribers, or Comcast, losing a big chunk of the Versus subscriber pool?
If they don’t renew it is time for cable.
I’ve pretty much been keeping Direct TV just so I can watch the Tour de France bike live in July. No more VS? Then it’s bye-bye Direct TV.
Pac 10 games are carried on versus if conflicts with Fox Sports West. No UCLA games or Tour dFrance- goodbye versus. I pay extra charge for Fox Sports channels so put it there if they want some more $$.
Ditto BiffBiker.
Fred Farrer, one reason given my Comcast to not provide CSN Philadelphia to any satelite TV provider is that they are using the original PRISM network to distribute the channel, and do not have to bounce the network off of a satellite. The other CSN channels are broadcast via satellite, so thusly, must be provided to satellite TV companies. Verizon Fios in the Philly area does get CSN Philadelphia since it is a land line system, thusly, must be provided with all local stations, especially one that is also transmitted by land lines.
After additional thought on this subject, I’m thinking we should pressure DirectTV to make a deal in good conscience.
Comcast owns Versus and it is my understanding they receive 18 cents per month per subscriber from DTV.
I’m gonna guess that 40% of the DTV subscribers has Versus in their package.
40% of DTV subscribers is about 10 million viewers x .18 = $1.8 million per month to Comcast (just for Versus)
Think about it, if DTV is paying 18 cents per viewer to Comcast and they want to double the rate, DTV only needs to raise the cost of the package 18 stinking cents. Big deal, it goes up a quarter of a dollar.
However, if DTV gets greedy after submitting to the Comcast rate increase, they could move Versus into an exclusive sports package that costs $20 a month more.
The latter would be screwing their subscribers, the first solution just passes the real cost on to us which would be the ethical thing to do.
I hope DTV does not…
(1) fail to make the deal with Comcast.
(2) become the villain while claiming to be the victim!
Many of you may not realize it but the PBR has many hundreds of thousands of fans whom would drop Direct TV in an instant to follow the PBR on Versus to wherever they may land if a deal is not worked out.
Even if only a small percentage, lets say 5,000 viewers dropped their subscriptions, that would be a monthly loss of at least $300,000 and an annual loss of $3.6 million. I can guarantee you that more than 5,000 PBR fans would drop Direct TV if they drop Versus.
If DirectTV drops Versus I am going to drop DirectTV.
If Directv doesn’t have Versus for this coming NHL season I’ll be getting cable or satellite service from another source.
The reason I chose satellite was because they carried what was OLN and is now Versus (local cable company did not carry OLN) for the cycling shows. If Direct TV drops Versus, I guess I will be moving to Dish Network.
Directv is not wanting to drop Versus. Comcast is asking for a significantly larger amount of money to extend their contract with Directv that they are from other companies. So in saying that if Directv were to agree to the amount that Comcast is asking of them, then it would be safe to assume the “savings” would be passed on to the customers in the form of raising the price of their base packages.
Direct TV needs to keep Versus!Work it out or one less DTV customer here!
Im wondering if i can drop direct tv legally even tho im in a contract when they start removing the channels i expressly signed up for?!!
VERSUS is important to me and to millions of PBR fans out in Cowboy Nation. I will switch my satellite service to Dish or even to cable in order to keep the Versus channel. For goodness sake, DirecTV…get a grip and keep this popular channel for cycling, bull riding, Indy car, and college sports fans! Charge us more if you have to, but at least do the right thing and keep VERSUS.
Direct TV needs to think about losing NHL fans before dropping VERSUS. They already charge their viewers a hefty price for a HD box and hook up. Not to mention a ridiculous contract. I think real NHL fans will jump ship and find a new carrier before they gamble on purchasing Center Ice and then missing out on the Stanley Cup. Garbage. KEEP VERSUS or i’m paying to get out and never going back.
Sadie- Many of us already pay way over base for a sports package that only includes Fox sports channels. For $25 a month I get Fox sports Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West. I pay because local Pac 10 games are on those channels. Unfortunately with two Pac 10 teams in my area ( and the Bay area as well)- Fox channels may carry one and the other is carried by Versus. Just include Versus in that sports package and I would be OK. I felt it was a rip off because I’d sure like to get the Fox channels outside my area like Cal and Stanford, but only can get the two channels.
DirecTV is not the problem here, Comcast is. They are trying to monopolize calbe TV by forcing other providers to pay huge fees. God forbid us that live in PHilly could actually watch all the Phillies games. Comcast doesn’t play fair. As much as I will mis Versus if it goes, and I hope it doesn’t I Will NOT give my moneey to Comcast.
I own a bar and was thinking about switching to directv, which I already have at home. Without Indy Car, the bar stays Comcast and home is going Comcast or Dish.
Versus has excellent Indycar coverage, but the IRL needs to get out of their contract if Versus is willing to give up 18 million potential viewers. I’m ticked at both sides. greedy bastards.
I’m agreeing with Cogburn, I have about 1 more year on my DirectTv contract, however if they drop channels that were part of the package that I signed up for, doesn’t that constitute breach of contract on their part?
Fred Farrar and Julia make great points and as a lifelong Philly fan living now in Denver, there is a larger reason why this is all happening. And that is, Direct TV’s exclusive NFL Ticket package is their marquee attraction, even their website leads with it. Comcast’s reaction has been to declare their CSN PHILLY station exclusive to cable only. This provides a lot of protection to Comcast n the Philly market as most of my PA friends stay with cable over this. The latest Versus dispute is just another battle in the long war of exclusivity. Julia, funny you mentioned good ole Prism, I was a loyal subscriber for years when living in PA. Anyway, my relatives who work for Comcast here in Denver told me that Comcast runs a terrestial line for CSN Philly only throughout the US (via Prism lines) to avoid some FCC law of having to offer it to Direct TV or Dish if it was beamed off a satellite. I even offered Comcast here in Denver to trade all those CSN sports networks in other cities for CSN PHILLY. But they refused and still do not offer it here on Denver Comcast. Needless to say, I am not a fan of Comcast, but I understand their motives now. And in the end, it’s the subscribing public that loses choice. And until these exclusive agreements are broken up legally, we subscribers will continue to lose out.
Sorry but you are wrong about Pac 10 games. UCLA basketball and football are carried on versus in their home market if they are not on fox or the regional game. Checking the Bay area I found Cal and Stanford games are on versus as well. Fox cnnot carry both teams so one gets pushed to versus.
I want to say that it will be very bad if Direct Tv doesnt keep the Versus channel.. My family loves the racing etc that they cover and will have to consider finding a different provider if you lose the VERSUS CHANNEL.
We watch the INDY races but most of all we watch the HUNTING shows. Thoroughly enjoy them. I hope they don’t but if DirecTV does not pay the price Comcast wants, I will not change to Comcast EVER. They like to take channels away but yet increase prices. Why reward Comcast for being greedy? KEEP VERSUS ON DIRECTV
When I signed on with DirecTV I specifically asked about the sports channels. At that time I asked about, ESPN, Speed, Fox Sports,TNT, AND Versus. I was assured that all were included. As far as I can see, if they don’t carry Versus they have breached their contract with me. I will not hesitate to change back to Time Warner, sign with Dish Network, or to go to Dish Network.
I don’t care about Comcast or DirecTV, nor whatever their problems are with each other. I ONLY CARE ABOUT WHAT I WAS PROMISED, AND THAT INCLUDES VERSUS!
Oops, I meant to say go to Verizon.
this would be the second channel they have droped since i have purchased the sports channels with them and i will drop them and go to cable. versus is one of the few channels i watch.
Versus is the only sports channel on Direct TV I watch. It has hunting, fishing,hockey, and my personal favorate cycling. Cycling finally got in HD. Pleases don’t take it away. Direct will loose Probibly close to half a million homes if it is taken away. They will probibly go to dish. Witch i hate. Direct has much better features in my book. But that is just me. I will tell you this, you will loose a lot of cyclist. KEEP VERSUS !!!!!
I’ll gladly trade Versus for LifetimeHD, but I’m a girl. I will however miss the NHL. I won’t lose sleep over this station going.
If DirecTV loses VS – they lose my business as well as many others.
IF DIRECTV fights for what it’s customer wants they will prosper and regain more than cost of VS
If direct tv drops V.S I’ll drop direct tv. I need my hockey. I would pay more per month if I have to.
for all of you who say that youre going to go to dish netowrk if Directv drops VERSUS, whos to say that Comcast wont do the same thing to DISH when there contract runs out?? Comcast is just trying to get more viewers and this is how theyre doing it, Directv will get Versus back we just dont know when but its safer than switching to dish or verizion when comcast may very well do the same thing to them.
Comcast is SATAN! They are surely the cause of this. Directv is just a victim. Someone really needs to put this worthless cable company out of business.
I am one of the NHL who will drop my beloved dish if they don’t ALL grow up and work out the way to split up my money. Direct TV will also lose my purchase of center ice if this can’t be worked out!!
It’s really hard for me to believe everyones shortsightedness on this issue. I’ve had DirecTV since 1998. I currently subscribe to their Premium Package, which includes Versus. I just called Dish TV and they said there is no issue with Versus and there carraige charges are not being raised. DirecTV is the only company being FU**ed by Comcast. Why do you suppose that is? Comcast is pretty much a monopoly and has lobbied Congress for numerous bills against the Satellite companys who are taking millions…if not billions of dollars in subscriber fees from them. Why should they cut a break to the largest satellite company in the world. I am a loyal DirecTV customer and if Comcast cannot give DirecTV the same carriage costs they give other major cable companies or Dish Network, then Screw them. I will miss my Indy Car racing but I still have Speed HD for my Formula 1 and Nascar. SCREW Comcast…!
I am not there yet, and will wait a few (very few) days before I send this message to DirecTV:
I expect that you will restore Versus to your lineup in the next few days. If you do not, I will consider this a breach of contract and will feel free to sign up with another provider.
If that should be my only recourse I will contest any charges you may try to assess because of my early termination. This will include joining in any class action suits that may be brought.
BRING BACK VERSUS OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES.
If Comcast wants to compete with Directv they should start their own satellite service. Directv and Dish are saviors to the rural customers, no Comcast here. Don’t raise my prices, we should all pay the same per channel. Nothing beats Directv. I’m staying. Bad pub for you Comcast.
Comcast is the bad guy here. I’ve also had Comcast/Charter and they’re service is terrible too.
If Direct can’t get this worked out I’m moving to DISH which has versus and a couple of other channels that are included in their base lineup.
I just switched from Comcast to Direct TV and am now still getting beat up by Comcast. I switched for two reasons and that was because Comcast is to over priced and direct TV offered the versus channel. If they cannot get this worked out than why can’t Direct TV do what Comcast is asking and pass this on to the customer. I would easily pay more money a month to get the versus channel back on. I bet I would still pay less a month than I did at Comcast and have more channels as well. SIGN THE CONTRACT DIRECT TV! WE WANT OUR VERSUS BACK!!!!!!!!!!1
I,VE BEEN WITH DIRECT TV EVER SINCE IT WAS PRIME STAR AND IF I CAN’T WATCH THE PBR I WILL GO SOMEPLACE WHERE I CAN.WORK IT OUT………………………
Seriously? I’m reading most of the comments here and with all due respect to your tastes in sports (cycling, bull riding, indy racing, etc) the sports fans who are getting screwed the most here are the NHL fans! I live in Florida and originally from Pittsburgh. Most of the Penguins playoff and Stanley Cup Finals games were on Versus. Even when the Pens aren’t there I wanna watch the playoffs. As an NHL Center Ice subscriber I’m supposed to get every regular season game as well as the first two rounds of the playoffs for approximately $170. Versus carries two games/week during the regular season and coverage throughout the entire playoffs. So when Versus covers the game I won’t be able to see it because it won’t be televised on the Center Ice channels if it’s broadcast local, NBC, NHL Network, or Versus. This is clearly Comcast’s doings. Those little bitches, greedy and power hungry, are firing back at Direct TV for the NFL Channel feud they had. Comcast sux and I can’t understand why someone hasn’t slammed a plane into their headquarters. That said, I literally just had Direct TV installed (ditched comcast) and made it clear that my #1 priority is getting to watch the Penguins. Not one single expert working at Direct TV either. They forgot to mention that they had these issues with Versus on the horizon. Thanks Direct TV numb nuts! Can pretty much blame ESPN though for dropping their contract with the NHL because of the lockout in 2004/05. But ESPN would rather promote a bunch of steroid using, lying overpaid pretty boys and their economically unbalanced boring-assed sport of Major League Baseball?! ESPN could’ve stuck up for the NHL and promoted NHL and protected their investment and endorsed the improvements the NHL made, salary cap gives all markets a chance to win, new rules speeds up the game, less commercials, but instead they drop the NHL. Yet more and more people want to watch Crosby and Ovechkin and the Red Wings and such. Fuck Comcast!
No Tour de France no Direct TV for me.
If Directv is telling the truth Comcast proves again how they and Time Warner can ruin programming for the consumers. We are a freak’n pawn in the ivory tower game of business politics. This could come back to haunt Versus as a channel. There is talk of merging WEC with the UFC like it should have been. I am assuming that could end most of the problems of MMA fans getting access to content. MMA, Cycling, Racing, and Hockey are the only real big draws for the channel. And the channel is going to hemorrage if MMA fans with Directv like myself just stop watching.
And amen cc, we are caught in this bullshit war going on behind the scenes. Just wait until nobody watches any TV at all and we going full streaming with 1000s of channels. THis is the bullshit that will drive us to it. Everyone needs to flood comcast with messages calling them bullshit.
NHL is the greatest sport in the world. don’t really care about versus in the regular season tho they mostly show the Colorado avalanche anyways. i get the center ice package. its the playoffs I’m worried about. versus shows about most of it.
Direct TV just installed a HDDVR so I could tape the NHL when I work.I upgraded my package to get VS for the NHL & also my Fox Sports.I will be talking to them about getting out of my contract if VS isn’t back.Heck,I’m dropping down to basic anyway in Dec & all Direct TV subscribers should do the same.If everyone dropped down to the basic package what could DTV do?The customer is always right?!!?
Well wings are on versus several times this puts a dent in things if they don’t get it all worked out by then. Luckily my contract is with Directtv ends in December and I can move somewhere else if they don’t reach a deal. Comcast manages to fuck people even when they aren’t comcast customers.
Screw Gary Bettman also
Just emailed Directv to tell them I will have to cancel my service if they can’t work this out by NHL playoff time – perhaps sooner. I could sacrifice a few games of regular season, but to not see my Flyers in the playoffs (I live out of market), because DirecTV doesn’t carry Versus I just can’t do. I have two sports subscriptions several HDDVR’s and pretty much all of the premium programming. I like Directv but hockey is probably th one thing that will make me change to cable or dish network. It’s ashame too because I got to see most of the games in HD last year (finally). They will lose close to $2000 in revenue from me this year. I don’t really know or care whether Comcast or DirecTV is the bad guy here, just get the problem fixed and the channel back on the air.
If you do not keep Versus we will be getting cable.
everyone needs to email directv to tell them they will cancel
I must say, basing your decision on TV provider on the carriage of one single channel? Are you kidding me? This is not the problem we had with Viacom, where they were threatening to withhold a whole group of channels. This is one single channel from Comcast, that is trying to get it some popularity. Good grief. I am glad you folks have no real capability of making decisions for DIRECTV or my family. 1 single channel, and you threaten to change TV providers. Good grief. Get a life. There are dozens of Sports alternatives to choose from. You’re telling me you can’t get past the lose of VERSUS? NHL is a niche sport, with a niche audience. Meaning, it has a die-hard group of viewers. But to everyone else, NHL means not a whole lot. UFC has a niche audience too. But outside that audience, no one cares. RODEO has a niche audience too. But outside of that audience, no one cares. NHL Center Ice will mever be as big as the NFL Sunday ticket or the even bigger MLB Extra Innings. Personally I like Football more then baseball. But I know that MLB Extra Innings probably has a larger audience. I yawn at VERSUS for its mostly niche only programming. If your not a hockey fan, rodeo fan or UFC fan, then VERSUS means nothing. And is totally irrelevant to most DIRECTV viewers. Did anyone consider that as the reason why DIRECTV will not budge on the high fee from Comcast on this 1 single channel?
Btw, to the person that mentioned that they had DIRECTV since before it was Primestar. Before 2000, DIRECTV was never PRIMESTAR. In 2000, DIRECTV bought out PRIMESTAR, a competitor. Before 2000, PRIMESTAR and DIRECTV were seperate and competing against each other.
Todd- if you followed Pac 10 football in our area- it is a big deal. Since we have two teams in our area, Fox sports channel will carry one if it is not the national game and that is usually USC. So UCLA fans have to watch games on versus. Basketball season quite a few game sre on versus. I suspect in the Bay area with both Cal and Stanford in their market, the same thing applies and I see that Versus carried their games as well.
Cakll or write Direst TV. I have had several people call me about this from DirectTV so they are looking at what we are saying.
I am not mad at any of you for feeling the way that you do. I am only scratching my head in puzzlement. The reason: Comcast’s strong-arm tacts are going to be repeated again in the not too distant future, you do realize that, correct? Today its DIRECTV that is the victim of this strong-arm tactic. Next year when Dish Network’s contract ends (or when it occurs), Comcast will most likely use the exact same tactic on DISH Network. Depending on the outcome with DIRECTV, Comcast may either increase or decrease the stakes when it unloads this same tactic on DISH Network. I do not actually know when the contract with DISH network expires, but believe it ; they did it to DIRECTV, they will do it to DISH Network too. I do not ask if ; I ask when? So if you guys want to abandon ship from DIRECTV, ok no problem. Just if you go with DISH network, mark your calendar, you are going to experience this all over again in the not too distant future.
You can’t change COMCAST. They are a Cable TV monopoly. That is why we all selected direct-home satellite as our provider.
Also……
And if you keep changing between DIRECTV & DISH Network, repeatedly, they will most likely flag your account as a HIGH RISK customer, in a similar manner that all Cell Phone (PCS) providers do: Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, Verizon, Cingular, Cricket, US Cellular, etc…. Which means you will NOT be eligible for special promotions or such. Or forced to wait a long time in-between special offers or discounts on your account. Don’t get your account flagged as High Risk, its a nasty thing. And Cell Phone companies now share info between them about their high risk customers. And I consider it likely that DIRECTV & DISH Net probably do the same thing.
Pac 10 and Big 12 games on Versus. Going to be alot of pissed off people. Call and let them know you are angry.
We switched from Dish to Directtv a few years ago when Dish couldn’t work out a deal with whoever owned Vs channel. We love the PBR and follow the careers of these athletes, so will definitely look at our options again. Tho, used to have trouble with Dish losing satellite signal repeatedly….don’t know if it’s improved, and I really don’t want to leave DTV, but…..we’ll see. I agree with previous posters that I could pay and extra quarter a month, but sure not $20 for the privilige of having Vs.
I’m sure there aren’t as many fans of cycling as there are of the NHL but Versus is the only channel that carries the cycling. Of course we’re upset that Direct TV can’t come to an agreement with ComCast. Please, please continue negotiations and make it happen.
Since versus is no longer on they should replace it with another channel that has huntins and ultimate fighting.with digital tv these days you can get good channels with just an antenna. You need to offer channels like versus to stay in business.