# Will Dish ever get MSG and/or SNY again?! ...



## speedmaster (Nov 28, 2006)

Will Dish ever get MSG and/or SNY again?! ...

Last month Time-Warner customers were out of their minds over not having MSG for something like 6 weeks. We Dish customers have been without MSG and SNY for I think a year or more.

Any words on when they might get this deal done? Really missing the Sabres and Knicks games. ;-(

Thanks in advance!
Chris


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## speedmaster (Nov 28, 2006)

*Update: I just had this online chat with customer service, and asked them about when/if we would see these networks again. They responded:*

"The cost of Regional Sport Networks continues to grow at an alarming pace and this makes each negotiation increasingly more difficult. We no longer have the right to carry the channel now that our deal has expired. We will continue to attempt negotiations with SportsNet New York and are committed to working toward a fair deal.
...
We apologize for the inconvenience. Although SportsNet New York is currently unavailable you can still watch videos of top plays, listen to the games live on mlb.com, and view roughly 15% of the games on WPIX (included in the New York DMA and Superstations package).
...
DISH negotiates dozens of contracts every year. Most of these are settled behind the scenes, without event. At this time, we have not been able to come to fair agreements with any of your regional sports networks. DISH continues to offer dozens of Mets games through network television on WPIX CW Ch. 11."​


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

I'll say this, that's a pretty accurate response.

My opinion, they're not coming back unless;
They allow themselves to be in a separate package
Dish can or wants to do what Direct has done (in a very limited way) and that is to add a fee to those who get them.
They come back down to earth on what they want to be carried. In the case of MSG, also that they possibly drop the demand that FUSE also be carried.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

DISH will absolutely NEVER add MSG and SNY again.
If they don't like me saying that they can prove me wrong.

(Please prove me wrong. )

It seems to be more up to MSG and SNY (and the unmentioned YES). Be an RSN just like any other RSN DISH carries and accept AT120+ level carriage.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

I think its closer to two years that they have been off then one year now lol.

I really doubt there coming back it sucks for the affected customers but Dish isnt really in the wrong on this one the sportsnets need to get off there high horse.


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## paja (Oct 23, 2006)

Obviously if you want those sports channels and you live in that area, you don't have DISH. DISH has made the choice that the cost of carrying those stations isn't worth the cost.


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## whalerfan (May 31, 2007)

Dish *WILL* be losing me as a customer very shortly. This is unacceptable. When I signed up for Dish they carried SNY, even used it as an advertising tool. Now, no way. So if they can afford not to carry SNY, they can afford not to have me as a customer. By the way, when they dropped SNY, they didn't drop the price of the package I have as I was paying an additional $5 for RSN's.


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## garys (Nov 4, 2005)

It's the old "Programing Subject to Change". Nothing requires them to change when channels are removed and it would only effect what you pay if you were only paying for one channel. It is part of a package and you still have other channels.


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

whalerfan said:


> Dish *WILL* be losing me as a customer very shortly. This is unacceptable. When I signed up for Dish they carried SNY, even used it as an advertising tool. Now, no way. So if they can afford not to carry SNY, they can afford not to have me as a customer. By the way, when they dropped SNY, they didn't drop the price of the package I have as I was paying an additional $5 for RSN's.


Actually they can indeed do without you as a customer, they actually said so. They looked at the amount of subscribers in the DMA of the NY RSN's, and how many they might lose by not having the RSN's, and decided it was better to just not carry them. Remember, Direct is now charging an extra fee for a select few to recoup the high cost they are paying. I Bet that expands. In fact those in parts of CT may well be next to get that extra fee. They get five RSN's with the three NY and two Boston.
Dropping the price for those who still get other RSN's would be only one of several ways we might have gained something back. Perhaps other much more watched and widely available channels were added. Perhaps prices did not go up as much as they would have. And Dish did give a discount if you asked for a year if you were a subscriber when they dropped it. (I don't know if that was dependent on your package, payment record, etc...)

I do feel Dish should let someone out of their contract when they lose something like an RSN. I also think those who only get the NY RSN's should be paying less per month.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

tampa8 said:


> I do feel Dish should let someone out of their contract when they lose something like an RSN. I also think those who only get the NY RSN's should be paying less per month.


If you are paying the extra $5 for AT120 Plus you can always drop back to AT120. Any package above that includes a lot more than a couple of RSNs.

MSG was removed in 2010? SNY was removed about a year ago? YES has never been on DISH? While I feel for anyone who are still under contract and signed up when the stations were still on, DISH and NY sports have long been an issue.

The situation could change ... but I would not hold my breath waiting for that change.


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## Chihuahua (Sep 8, 2007)

Just wait until they get into negotiations with ESPN.


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## EdJ (Jan 9, 2007)

whalerfan said:


> Dish *WILL* be losing me as a customer very shortly. This is unacceptable. When I signed up for Dish they carried SNY, even used it as an advertising tool. Now, no way. So if they can afford not to carry SNY, they can afford not to have me as a customer. By the way, when they dropped SNY, they didn't drop the price of the package I have as I was paying an additional $5 for RSN's.


I guess you would be happy paying the increased (and extravagant) cost of the NY sports stations. I would not. I get all the sports I want from the existing stations on DISH. I would NOT be a happy camper paying an extra premium for something I don't want. It is the management of the sports networks that are being unreasonable here, not DISH. They want too much money and are demanding that everybody have access and pay more. Perhaps the sports networks should demand that the outrageous salaries paid to the players be cut back so they could offer the sports at reasonable prices.

I for one, applaude DISH for taking a stand against these sports channels.


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

speedmaster said:


> Will Dish ever get MSG and/or SNY again?! ...
> 
> Last month Time-Warner customers were out of their minds over not having MSG for something like 6 weeks. We Dish customers have been without MSG and SNY for I think a year or more.
> 
> ...


Probably not.


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## Rduce (May 16, 2008)

I hear, on good authority, they will be returned as soon as a deal is brokered with VOOM and ABC Family…


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

speedmaster said:


> Will Dish ever get MSG and/or SNY again?! ...
> 
> Last month Time-Warner customers were out of their minds over not having MSG for something like 6 weeks. We Dish customers have been without MSG and SNY for I think a year or more.
> 
> ...


And you can forget FUSE.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Rduce said:


> I hear, on good authority, they will be returned as soon as a deal is brokered with VOOM and ABC Family&#8230;


:lol:



Paul Secic said:


> And you can forget FUSE.


What was FUSE? I've already forgotten it.


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## whalerfan (May 31, 2007)

EdJ said:


> I guess you would be happy paying the increased (and extravagant) cost of the NY sports stations. I would not. I get all the sports I want from the existing stations on DISH. I would NOT be a happy camper paying an extra premium for something I don't want. It is the management of the sports networks that are being unreasonable here, not DISH. They want too much money and are demanding that everybody have access and pay more. Perhaps the sports networks should demand that the outrageous salaries paid to the players be cut back so they could offer the sports at reasonable prices.
> 
> I for one, applaude DISH for taking a stand against these sports channels.


I was a Dish customer for 3 years before going to Directv. I came back almost 2 years ago. The reason was cost but also, SNY. Then the day before baseball season they dropped SNY due to the expiration of the contract. I do get it. Some don't want to pay for what they don't watch. But if this were the case we'd already have a la carte. I am prepared to pay a bit of a premium for SNY and YES. Plus, I like the Directv dvr a bit better as I have used both now.


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

whalerfan said:


> I was a Dish customer for 3 years before going to Directv. I came back almost 2 years ago. The reason was cost but also, SNY. Then the day before baseball season they dropped SNY due to the expiration of the contract. I do get it. Some don't want to pay for what they don't watch. But if this were the case we'd already have a la carte. I am prepared to pay a bit of a premium for SNY and YES. Plus, I like the Directv dvr a bit better as I have used both now.


A La Carte and RSN's are two very different things. Regular channels are less expensive in packages for many reasons, not just the actual cost of the channel. You want just five channels? The cost has to include enough to make it worth the provider to provide it. Someone paying $5 or six dollars for a package of channels is not going to do it. There has to be some minimum to make it worth it. Dish doesn't allow just locals anymore for that very reason. And the Welcome package or Family packages are carefully picked channels and most likely contract considered channels. Not just any channels would be possible in such a low priced package.

Now look at an RSN. Take that expense out of a package and make it A -La Carte, only available if you have a qualify package and it works. Dish wants to do exactly that, they actually told MSG, SNY and YES go a-A La Carte and charge whatever you want. All declined because they know many would not subscribe.


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## Inkosaurus (Jul 29, 2011)

James Long said:


> :lol:
> 
> What was FUSE? I've already forgotten it.


Im pretty sure FUSE was a MTV knock off, they started off almost exactly like MTV. Actually showing music videos and music news, with news ranging from metal to pop. So it had some nice variety, much like early MTV... Then it got hit by the fake reality tv bug 



> But if this were the case we'd already have a la carte. I am prepared to pay a bit of a premium for SNY and YES.


Except it would never work like that, a la carte never was and never will be that ideal middleground solution everyone thinks it is.


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

James Long said:


> :lol:
> 
> What was FUSE? I've already forgotten it.


It's a hard rock music channel owned by MSG.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Paul Secic said:


> It's a hard rock music channel owned by MSG.


It's not a hard rock channel ...they play all types of music focused at 18-34 year olds.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

James Long said:


> What was FUSE? I've already forgotten it.


Apparently I forgot the smiley too. 

A la carte is the answer to every problem except actually getting carriage of channels that want wide distribution. YES and the other sports networks demand that every customer have their channel in their base package. DISH made a decision to have a package that did not include RSNs. I suppose DISH could have made AT120 "not available in certain areas" and force their customers up to AT120 Plus.

RSNs and most channels are not looking for a few high paying subscribers ... they are looking for many subscribers who will net them more money overall (including people who pay and never watch) and are counted for ego and marketing purposes as "homes reached".

There are a few channels that are offered a la carte ... and people who think a la carte is the answer should look to those examples. Channels that would get 20-30 cents per month delivered to millions of subscribers sold for $5 a la carte. "Baby First TV" is an example of a la carte ... offered at $5 per month. Now they pay DISH for carriage as a PI channel.

The cheaper channels probably could go a la carte and be added to lower packages at $3 or $5 each or in groups like the Heartland Package ... but the channels have to agree to being sold that way. An RSN that will not accept its place in AT120 Plus or above or a la carte isn't going to get carried.


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## zippyfrog (Jul 14, 2010)

James Long said:


> YES and the other sports networks demand that every customer have their channel in their base package. DISH made a decision to have a package that did not include RSNs. I suppose DISH could have made AT120 "not available in certain areas" and force their customers up to AT120 Plus.


Does this mean that Direct could lose YES given the fact that they have that Entertainment package now that doesn't include an RSN?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

zippyfrog said:


> Does this mean that Direct could lose YES given the fact that they have that Entertainment package now that doesn't include an RSN?


Perhaps. The carriage deals between YES and each company that carries their channel do not have to be equal or fair. If "Entertainment" becomes too popular it might be an issue when YES and the other RSNs come up for renewal.


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