Quote:
Originally Posted by matcar
I still don't know why BTN is opposed to allowing TW or Comcast to put this on a sports tier. OK, so DirecTV and Dish may not choose that, but why are the cable companies preventing from doing it that way?
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The BTN doesn't want it on a separate tier for several reasons. First, they won't get the maximum penetration of potential viewers. Second, they don't want fans to have to pay additonal fees. The cable companies would have total control of what they could charge. For example, they could charge $10 or more and put it on their sports package. Third, the BTN is an HD station, and that carries a premium value. It's very expensive to set this network up, much more than a conventional network, so revenue is important.
You have to realize that the cable companies will make plenty of money on this deal. A lot of customers now have HD, and certainly will have in the future. That means they will want to see it in HD. The cable companies will gain a lot of revenue from putting these BTN customers on an HD tier, charging for an HD receiver and if you want an HD cable DVR, you will pay a DVR fee(mine is 9.95). I also pay $6.95 for standard digital dvr service, on my cable bill.
I personally don't care if the Murdoch family or Fred Flintstone is a partner of the BTN, the end result is the same. The proceeds from the BTN go back to the member institutions. With a cable company, it goes in their pocket. I have refrained from getting into these back and forth posts about who is more more credible, because it's an emotional issue with fans. The BTN is a long term business venture and it will be around for the long haul.