Versus is still dark on DirecTV, but more light is being shed in its skirmish with Comcast. Here’s a brief synopsis.
DirecTV initially said it was about price, that Comcast was seeking a 20% hike in licensing fees for Versus. Additionally DirecTV has said it is paying more for the service than other providers. But Comcast says that isn’t so and that the issue is that DirecTV wanted to move the package into some digital sports tier ghetto on DirecTV where Versus would’ve been available to six million fewer DirecTV subscribers.
Previously Versus was available to subscribers of the Total Choice Xtra package, where it was available to around 14 million on DirecTV who subscribe to that package at no additional cost. From DirecTV’s perspective, it is merely looking to get similar treatment as its satellite competitior DISH:
DirecTV, in an email response later that day, wrote “we’ve asked for packaging rights similar to other distributors like Dish,” which it says carries Versus on its AT250 tier and has about a 35% penetration rate. “Our contention is, if it’s good for Dish, why isn’t it good for us? At this [point], the deal is terminated and we are treating this as a new network, from scratch. So we’re attempting to gauge the market and Dish seems like a good barometer.”
I still think DirecTV has more leverage here, perhaps even more so than I did before.
Meanwhile, Comcast/Versus has hired an outside PR firm to help get Versus-loving DirecTV subscribers on the Internet riled up and complaining to DirecTV
Get’er done boys. I am paying 2 bills a month to watch Indy cars zoom around!
Indycars need to get a better TV deal than Versus. Indycars need to be on ESPN, The Speed Channel or CBS. I’m not impressed with Versus’ Indycar coverage at all. Why can’t these companies broadcast the races with better camera angles? Most of cameras are place too high. Same goes for football, soccer, hockey. Take a page from Hollywood, close-up, in your face action. We love to feel like the action is about to jump off the screen.
Disclaimer: I am in no form affiliated with DirecTV.
I have DirecTv and am a big hockey fan but Versus is only Monday night hockey (and some Tuesdays) with teams I can live with out. I watch my local sports network for my team, have Center Ice which DirecTV throws in the NHL Network. I don’t need Versus. Comcast can hire a thousand PR firms but the fact is hockey fans mainly watch their local team and if they are really into hockey they buy the Center Ice package. DirecTv is holding all the cards in this battle. Versus going black on DirecTV only gives credence to those that say NHL should be on ESPN. This really hurts Versus. Comcast needs DirecTV, DirecTV does not need Versus. Charging more for Versus, they would be lucky if DirecTV carries it for free.
Meanwhile, Comcast/Versus has hired an outside PR firm to help get Versus-loving DirecTV subscribers on the Internet riled up and complaining to DirecTV
I find this amusing. I mean, internet campaigns tend to at least feel like sort of a grassroots sort of thing, but they are hiring a company to get people all riled up.
DirecTV certainly still has the leverage here, but I do think this news makes them seem less sympathetic to any Versus fans. I mean, Comcast is trying to keep Versus on a less expensive tier while DirecTV is trying to extort money out of fans, and not just evil Comcast.
I will leave the name of the person and the firm out, but here is the e-mail I received on Tuesday:
I am contacting you on behalf of VERSUS, the network that celebrates real competition in all forms and WE NEED YOUR HELP!
I am writing this email to inform you , that as a passionate sports fan, and a supporter of VERSUS, that DirecTV has chosen to remove VERSUS from its service and deny their subscribers access to the sports they love. Rather than accept any of VERSUS’ fair and reasonable offers, DirecTV has chosen to remove VERSUS from its programming lineup. They have taken away your right to in-depth sports coverage including: The NHL, Indy Car, World Extreme Cage Fighting, PBR World Finals, The Tour De France, and top ranked College Football games. For more information, click here.
We hope DirecTV will make the right decision and put VERSUS back on the air so that sports fans don’t miss out, BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP. In the meantime, we urge you and your readers to call 1-800-642-1923 to demand that DirecTV put VERSUS back on, or log on to VERSUS to fight to get back the sports you love!
THEY TOOK AWAY YOUR RIGHT TO IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF THE SPORTS YOU LOVE…FIGHT BACK: DEMAND VERSUS NOW!
We appreciate your participation and support in this effort to get VERSUS back on DirecTV. If you decide to participate please send me an email or the link to your site so we can show VERSUS you care!
Julia, I assume I got the same email from the PR agency that Robert is talking about.
We get lots of wacky emails from readers. This one was not nearly as wacky as many of them, but someone was *paid* to write it!
It would be great if the IRL were on SPEED TV. I love my DirecTV and Comcast is bent over a barrel here. I hate that Comcast constantly lies to the unknowing public. Like their more HD “content” than DirecTV. What a load of crap.
Darrin, factoring in Comcast’s HD On Demand, not only does it have more HD programming than DirecTV available at any given moment, it has a LOT more.
So sure, it doesn’t have more HD channels. It adds more all the time, and I’m guessing it has all the HD channels anyone actually watches by now. I mean even ESPN News, ESPN Classic and the Golf channel are in HD on Comcast now.
Given the On-Demand, I’d much rather have Comcast outside of sports (indeed, there is no NFL Sunday Ticket in HD on Comcast!) plus I’d be a bit happier if I got the HBO East coast feed in HD instead of the West Coast feed. But that’s a nit.
This won’t be truly amusing until DirecTV hires an outside firm to send the same email but with Comcast removing Versus.
Personally, I could care less about Comcast vs DirecTV, both of them are shady outfits as far as I am concerned. What I care about is that I have paid for something I am not receiving. I am sure there is some fine print in the contract, yada, yada ,yada, but it is unethical for them to remove a major channel without compensating their customers. This is the issue, the rest is pure PR manipulation
James, I think calling it unethical is a bit of a stretch. And compensation would probably be pennies. But if you are in a DirecTV contract and want to get out, you can probably use this as a way out. INAL, but it seems like a good route to go.
I wonder if it is possible for the two college football games that Versus has in September could be simulcasted on a cable network for the Direct TV customers only? I am talking about next weeks Texas-Wyoming and the next week’s Florida State-BYU games. I cannot see DIRECT TV being upset of some network picking up the broadcast of those big games on Versus on their channel. The issue must be Versus not that network. Perhaps The Mtn. or could Versus somehow buy time for the Direct TV airing on say ESPN networks or being Mountain West teams hosting perhaps CBS College Sports stepping in?
What is The Mountain West Conference plus Texas and FSU having to say in this being that their fans with Direct TV will be shut out of the games. I am an Iowa fan and if this was my team affected,I would be rather upset with Direct TV.
I still have an issue with Direct TV not having NBC Universal Sports either.
Charlie Ergen has gotten into far more of these disputes than DirecTV has, and has played faster and looser with pulling channels from their lineup. This is the first time DirecTV has pulled ANY channel. I still tend to side with DirecTV in this one, even though I’ll miss NHL, IRL, and a lot of motorcycle coverage. I just find it really easy to believe that Comcast tried to push around one of their rivals, and simply found DirecTV too big and too strong to push around. Comcast needs to face reality, and see how much they have to lose without DirecTV.
DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS AND HOCKEY FANS: PLEASE CONTACT DIRECTV AT VERSUS@DIRECTV.COM AND VERSUS AT FEEDBACK@VERSUS.COM TO URGE THEM TO REACH AN AGREEMENT. EACH NHL HOCKEY TEAM HAS REGULAR SEASON GAMES ON VERSUS THAT DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS WILL MISS AS WELL AS PLAYOFF HOCKEY. IF THEY ARE INUNDATED WITH EMAILS THEY WILL KNOW WHAT AN INCREDIBLE INCONVENIENCE THIS IS TO DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS AND HOCKEY FANS.
I think we are all watching to much tv and that is becoming stupid. Remember when we only had 6 or 7 channels and that was it. We dont need to watch everything. Im still watching reruns from 20 years ago. Youll see the programs get a grip. We the customer are creating these fight between companys we need to stop watching tv.
William,
Universal sports is available. Check channel 604.
Stinks that Versus is gone, But I’ll live without it.
I originally had charter we will screw you cable and, since they refused to offer “extra innings”, I went to dish tv with ‘extra innings”.
A few years ago, dish could no longer get it for whatever reason is hidden along with all truths from any governments and others so, we will NEVER know.
I then went to direct tv to get “extra innings” and, since I’m also a Blackhawks fan, I got “center ice”.
Direct still has “center ice” however, as with all things bullshit, we now are without versass and, ve know nossink.
What I/we DO know is that it is ALL about greed and sucking the viewer dry.
They absolutely DO NOT have any concern for any of our interests.
I’m in WI and, other than “center ice” and “extra innings”, I don’t care for any other “premium” offers.
The season hasn’t yet begun so, there will be more time for everyone to bitch and for THEM to lie, cheat and steal as is their wont.
As will STILL be right with the world when Da Bears grind the pukers into the ground Sunday night.
We will miss some of the programming on Verses, mostly the PBR, got hooked on the guys getting dumped off the back of these magnificent creatures. I guess there is always the internet to catch up on the action. Someone mentioned 6-8 channels, I remember when there was only one and it was UHF. Talk about choices
mis spelled my own name , how lame is that? must be a senior moment
The explanation used to explain the dropping of Versus sounds like an excuse from a customer when they haven’t kept up their payments. We, (as in subscribers) don’t want excuses, we want results. Your approach is absolutely unprofessional. It reminds me of high school kids talking crap about each other. blah blah blah! In the real world, you negotiate as Plan “A”. Plan “B” is always in the works. You have no plan “B” That’s pathetic!
I already deal with reception issues when there is a cloud 5 miles away. Versus is a channel my wife and I watched frequently. Can you imagine if I sent a letter of discontent to your office explaining how many hours I didn’t get reception and now you owe me. You don’t want to hear that! You still want your money! I don’t want to hear your excuses…FIX IT!
I pay you – remember?
Scott Swanson – 6 year tentative subscriber
I am very happy to have Versus ditched from Directv. There is already good hockey coverage and I can get the NHL Center Ice if I want more. I am extremely happy to not have that sham IRL on Directv. I found the posters very fitting: a crapwagon on top of the garbage heap. I applaud Directv for shutting off Versus and hope it continues as long as the IRL is signed with them. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I would urge others to write and congratulate Directv on their decision.
As loyal Versus viewers and 12 year Directv subscribers, my wife and I have decided to wait till the end of the month of September to see if Directv will resolve the issue and get Versus back on the air or else we will look to change our service to a new company.
I agree with James C. I will give Directv until the end of the month and if there is no progress then it is time to move on. Versus and Fox News are about the only channels we regularly watch.
I just can’t imagine the NHL playoffs arriving and missing most of the games. How does this happen?! Can you imagine not being able to tune into the SuperBowl? The World Series? C’mon folks compromise…you’re ultimately hurting yourselves a little and hockey fans a lot
I’m concerned about college football games that DIRECTV viewers are missing like the BYU – Florida St game. If a local team’s games aren’t carried on DIRECTV, Dish, and the major local cable companies, then local networks should be allowed to televise games. I’m sick of the squabbles between Dish and The Mountain network, DIRECTV and Versus, etc.