Brighthouse vs. Verizon FIOS

[Ricky the Bull]

Well, I place my order to replace Brighthouse internet and TV with Verizon fiber optics and one thing that really kept me from doing it sooner was the fact that Verizon doesn't carry Catch47 and the USF and local high school programming it brings.  Verizon does, however, have ESPNU as part of their standard package.

Does anyone with FIOS now know whether any stations carry USF programming like Catch47 does or (and this is probably directed to Vicki/John Gerdes/Tom Veit) are their plans to bring Verizon on board as a sponsor to have similar programming?

I'm going to email Verizon and see if anything is in the works, if it's not available now.

[fishinBULL]

i have verizon, and im not aware of any bulls channels, but other than that its pretty sweet

NFL NET, FSN, ESPN, ESPN2, USPNU, ESPNCLASSIC, SUN, ESPNEWS...among others...all standard!

IM IN SPORTS HEAVAN!!!

[CyberBull]

i have verizon, and im not aware of any bulls channels, but other than that its pretty sweet

NFL NET, FSN, ESPN, ESPN2, USPNU, ESPNCLASSIC, SUN, ESPNEWS...among others...all standard!

IM IN SPORTS HEAVAN!!!

How is the HD content?

[Ricky the Bull]

i have verizon, and im not aware of any bulls channels, but other than that its pretty sweet

NFL NET, FSN, ESPN, ESPN2, USPNU, ESPNCLASSIC, SUN, ESPNEWS...among others...all standard!

IM IN SPORTS HEAVAN!!!

How is the HD content?

HD content costs no extra, unlike Brighthouse.  Broadcast HD channels are CBS, ABC, WMOR, FOX, UPN, PBS, WB and NBC.

National HD is TNT, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, NFL Network HD, HD Net, HD Net Movies, Universal, Discovery, Wealth TV, National Geographic and MTV HD.

[Jewbull]

Are you able to order NFL Sunday Ticket, The College Football & Basketball packages or are those just through DirecTV or Dish??

[Guest R_to_the_izzo]

Stick to Direct TV if you want to be in sports heavan. I could watch every second of every major american sport. The signal will stay strong unless a hurricane hits, and then you won't have power so cable has no power there either.

[bull2saintleo]

I believe Catch 47 is a Bright House controlled channel, along with Bay News 9.

By the way, anyone know why Bright House doesn't have the NFL Network?

[Guest]

I believe Catch 47 is a Bright House controlled channel, along with Bay News 9.

By the way, anyone know why Bright House doesn't have the NFL Network?

Time Warner Cable and the NFL Network are strapping on their respective helmets in anticipation of a nasty carriage dispute.

The operator may punt the network away from systems owned by Adelphia Communications that it is acquiring, including those in such National Football League markets as Buffalo, N.Y.; Cleveland; and Dallas.

In response, the network -- which added an eight-game, late-season primetime package -- is preparing a multimillion-dollar ad campaign to run throughout the pro football season if necessary against Time Warner, Cablevision Systems, Bright House Networks and other cable operators that are not carrying the 41 million-subscriber channel.

Time Warner is considering dropping NFL Network from systems in Buffalo, Cleveland, Los Angeles, the Carolinas and Maine that are currently carrying the service as early as Aug. 1, following the expected July 31 closing of Time Warner Inc.’s and Comcast’s purchase of Adelphia, according to sources at both parties.

Time Warner, which doesn't have a corporate deal with the network, placed ads in newspapers within those Adelphia markets Wednesday, alerting subscribers that NFL Network could be one of several networks either added or dropped with the ownership change.

Time Warner officials said no decisions have been made regarding NFL Network and the MSO remains in “active discussions†with the network to secure a carriage deal.

Meanwhile, NFL Network will run TV, radio and print ads -- as early as this coming week -- identifying operators that are currently not carrying the service. The network was expected to run ads this past Sunday in newspapers reaching NFL markets, including Green Bay, Wis. (Time Warner), and Tampa, Fla. (Bright House).

NFL Network spokesman Seth Palansky said the service is prepared to execute a multimedia marketing blitz for several months, if necessary, adding, “We’re prepared to go as long as it takes, but we hope it’s only a one-week period.â€Â

The ads will not target MSOs that carry the network but have yet to sign up for its new rate card, which includes the $300 million eight-game package, plus replays of select Sunday contests.

Thus far, satellite services EchoStar Communications and DirecTV -- as well as a number of small and midsized operators -- have come off the bench to sign the new deals. Distributors said the network’s new licensing fees range between 50-75 cents per month, per subscriber -- a substantial increase over its previous rate card calling for between 20-25 cents.

NFL Tackles Cable

By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/31/2006 9:37:00 AM

The NFL Network is going on the offensive against cable operators with an acid-tongued consumer-marketing push. It aims to parlay its new package of NFL regular-season games into improved carriage across the country.

The 33-month-old network, still without a slot on such systems as Time Warner, Cablevision and Charter, says it could spend as much as $100 million, depending on how long its current disputes with cablers carry on.

NFL owners, who passed up an estimated $400 million in rights fees to use the games to grow the network, are eager to get NFL Network in as many homes as possible. Currently in about 41 million homes, it hopes to boost that number by more than 50% this year and eventually top 90 million.

The NFL says talks are not progressing as the season nearsâ€â€its 52-game package of preseason games kicks off Aug. 11â€â€so it is executing an aggressive campaign to get rabid fans to demand their football fix. The campaign will span television, print and radio as well as NFL resources including in-stadium giant screens, and team assets such as Websites and coach shows. The ads will attempt to drive consumers to a telephone number that will route calls to the local cable carrier by area code.

"The full weight of the NFL marketing machine will be used," says NFL Network spokesman Seth Palansky.

The consumer push will use taglines "Don’t let Time Warner ruin your football season" and "Don’t let Charter shut you out."

Beginning this week, the NFL will blitz targeted markets like football-crazed Green Bay (a Time Warner market), Tampa Bay (Bright House) and St. Louis (Charter).

Another battleground is the New York market, where Time Warner has 4.5 million customers but only 18,000 subscribe to the digital sports tier, home to the NFL Network.

The NFL is also preparing for a battle when Time Warner takes over the Adelphia systems July 31. Time Warner is expected to drop it from basic cable in such markets as Cleveland and Buffalo.

The package of regular-season games that begins Nov. 23, as well as other recently acquired properties, including college post-season games, has spurred growth for the network. Recently, NFL negotiated upgraded packages on both Dish Network and Verizon’s FiOS television service, as well as a new carriage deal with AT&T’s U-Verse service.

(Editorial...)

NFL fever catching?

Let competition rule network access

Training camps for National Football League teams are in session all across the country. Fans line up to catch a glimpse of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers working out at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, and maybe snag an autograph from rookie Davin Joseph or veterans Cadillac Williams or Ronde Barber.

In homes all over Manatee County, football fever is building as the pros' pre-season draws closer. The long football drought will soon come to an end, and NFL fanatics can indulge to their hearts' content.

Or maybe not - at least not in homes subscribing to Bright House cable service, which is the majority of Manatee County. Bright House is in contract negotiations with the NFL Network over how the cable company will offer the network to local customers. Bright House wants it to be a premium channel available only to those willing to pay an extra fee, as it does HBO or Showtime. The NFL Network wants Bright House to include the channel in its secondary tier of channels, the one just above basic service.

Bright House officials say the company is continuing to negotiate with NFL Network officials and hope to reach agreement soon. The decision has the potential to impact every Bright House cable subscriber in the Tampa Bay region. Bright House officials say that it isn't as simple as substituting one channel for another - say, dropping one shopping or religion channel for the NFL channel. Cable content costs money, and because NFL content is so tightly controlled and in-demand, it would be "substantially more expensive" than any existing cable content the company offers, they say. Yet, they add, surveys indicate that only about 10 percent of its customer base is willing to pay extra for another service.

We believe NFL football falls into the same category as HBO or Showtime. It's a service with a limited appeal, so every Bright House customer should not have to pay higher fees just to have access to it. Certainly far more than 10 percent of the cable audience watches NFL games and pre- and post-game shows, but how many want to have it on 24-7?

For now, Bright House officials say Tampa Bay regional fans won't miss out on much if they don't have the network. They say all of the Bucs games will be carried on current cable channels. Of the eight additional games the NFL Network promises to its subscribers, none involves a Florida team this year, Bright House adds.

But that could change in future years as the NFL tightens control of its product. Since it has ultimate control over all the franchises, it can decide which network covers which games and who is given access to the footage. Some observers believe it won't be long before viewers won't have a choice but to subscribe to the NFL Network to watch NFL action.

This issue offers a great opportunity to lecture on the benefits of competition. For if the cable market were as diversified as it should be, customers could choose a cable service based on whether they did or did not want to pay for the NFL Network, either as a premium service or as part of the regular lineup. Manatee County is slowly easing into such a competitive situation as Verizon and Comcast expand their lines into existing neighborhoods. But the process takes time; there are many areas where there is not such a choice.

We believe that ultimately, competition will resolve this issue - competition among cable companies as well as content providers. If competitors offer the NFL channel at an attractive rate, Bright House may be forced to match it.

If the NFL freezes out the other networks and keeps exclusive control of all its programming, it can, presumably, charge as much as it wants for the privilege of watching NFL games. And sports fans can decide how much the privilege of watching NFL content 24 hours a day is worth to them.

And if the tariff goes too high, they just might decide that soccer is more exciting than they once thought it was.

[smazza]

if you have the land get a 10 foot satelite dish also

[Ricky the Bull]

I still have the SETI antenna farm that was required to get USF night games on 1010.  Maybe I can reconfigure that for Dish TV.