AMC Streams 'Breaking Bad' For Blacked Out Dish Users Gives Users One Week to 'Switch Providers' For Rest of Season While Viacom is handling their retransmission fight with DirecTV by blacking out online content for everybody, AMC is taking a slightly-less-obnoxious approach with their fight with Dish over retransmission fees. Last weekend Dish users stopped getting AMC channels after the two companies couldn't agree on a new contract -- but AMC says they'll stream this weekend's premiere of their hit show "Breaking Bad" online for impacted Dish users. Based on a Dish statement, it sounds like this will be a one-week only offer: "AMC wants its loyal DISH viewers to experience the excitement of the “Breaking Bad” premiere at the same time as their friends and neighbors, and we want to give DISH customers an extra week to switch providers so they can enjoy the rest of the season." AMC has generally been more aggressive than other broadcasters in getting their content online, though Dish boss Charlie Ergen recently proclaimed that has resulted in their content being "devalued." In addition to their fight over AMC's request for more money, the two companies have been legally battling ever since Dish dropped the Zoom HD channel suddenly back in 2008. Meanwhile, users are informing us that Dish is offering customers $10 a month credits for twelve months if they call and complain enough about the blackout.
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 | | The first hit is free After that you gotta pay, baby. | |
|  | | | Re: The first hit is free How ironic  | |
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| | Called Dish and complained Ended up getting 10.00 off for a year. No contract required. | |
| |  HallPremium,MVM
join:2000-04-28
Dayton, OH
kudos:2 | Re: Called Dish and complained Same here... They first told me I could watch AMC shows online through the XBox, on Amazon, etc, etc. Told them "we don't watch TV on our computers". Then they offered me a Roku plus $2-3 (a month ?) credit to pay for the shows. Still not interested, I told them. Then they transferred me to a "loyalty" rep who offered $10/month for 12-months  | |
| | |  jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Called Dish and complained There you go, Dish is passing along their savings from not having to pay for AMC channels. | |
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|  BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | So you rather dish pay the extortion fee and thus get your rates raised? I hope Dish and DirecTv stick to their guns. AMC needs those 2 more than those 2 need AMC. | |
| | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained I was more interested in getting my bill lowered. I'll catch walking dead somewhere else. | |
| | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Called Dish and complained said by AndyDufresne:I was more interested in getting my bill lowered. I'll catch walking dead somewhere else.
Wow.. such ignorance. Sorry to say but you're the prime example as to how YOU as a consumer create the very mess you later bitch about and wonder WHY the corps are screwing the consumer. YOU don't care so long as YOU get a little ching ching, right?
Yea.. you're helping to blaze the way for further crap. Be proud. You should have set your sight on AMC for wanting you to pay more for no other reason than the fact some ratings number came in good and they feel you owe more for it.
I'd keep my $10, join the side of people telling AMC that they'll stand behind not seeing their rates increased over a popularity contest, and be at peace knowing that there's more subjectivity in the content producers when it comes to what they charge over that of a fixed carrier provider such as Dish. It's these rate increases from the networks which cause your bill to go up. | |
| | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by fiberguy:said by AndyDufresne:I was more interested in getting my bill lowered. I'll catch walking dead somewhere else.
I'd keep my $10, join the side of people telling AMC that they'll stand behind not seeing their rates increased over a popularity contest Partially true. I can see supporting Dish on this. They do try to control the carriage extortion's to some extent. But in the end, the hikes will continue past real wages and inflation. Disney and major content providers will continue to extort through bundling and will spend millions in lobbying to keep it that way. You may disagree with me but I the only way I feel empowered against these content providers is to severe the cord. I really don't miss it with the amount of HD OTA I can get. And OTA is regulated. They can't encrypt OTA tranmsission and charge for that, as much as they would like to. | |
| | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Called Dish and complained Cutting the cord AND not patronizing (even free) in any way to show support of a company that you don't agree with IS the way to use the true power of capitalism in your favor. Most people won't. Accepting a $10 cut is just a cost associated with doing business and meanwhile some bean counter is using a different set of numbers to sell the fact that everything is fine, and people are happy with the product.
Hikes will continue.. that's a natural progression in life. Costs don't rise with real wage or even inflation... costs rise because of costs. During the past year, if you wanted to build a computer compared to the year before, most people would have had a heart attack when they saw a $100 average jump in the cost. It had nothing to do with inflation or wages.. it had to do with the cost of hard drives do to other factors. The costs that increase in television are very subjective to many non-real issues,.. in the case of AMC it's purely a ratings issue.. THEY feel that their ratings allow for a rise in value. Well, those factors that bring the value up always come to an end. They use that high time to justify a raise in fee, but when that factor goes away it rarely brings them down. This is why I'm strong about not allowing the increase.
Many of these providers have the ability to control their costs.. and Tom Cruise, for example, is one of them. Think he's worth the money he demands? .. that gets passed on to all of us, his "fans" if you want to call people that. However, the costs directly to the carriers is different and have far more hard costs than Hollywood where salary is one of the biggest expenses. In cable and satellite, a single factor can go sky high and influence their bottom line.. for cable it's fuel while satellite (for many years) didn't have that same issue as they relied upon self installation. And face it, those service trucks don't get very good mileage.. and there's a lot of them. There are many things in this economy that rise out of proportion these days and it's not tied JUST to wages and inflation. Run a business, a real one, like some of us and we'll tell you. For the record, my workman's comp bill, you know that thing that I have to carry as an expense by law to cover you in case you injure yourself on the job..? My rates went up 110% this year. To the bottom line of a small business, that was a $40,000 increase or a $3,333 per month hit to the budge, or a $111 per day added hit just to keep the doors open. That is on a small scale. This year alone, because of that factor and a few others in my industry, I had to keep costs down by making some cuts, lowering my profit margins, and chances of growth and improvements are on hold this year... why? Because a customer won't accept a price increase in service. So really, unless you have run a business and analyze the entire thing from head to toe, then all you have is an opinion, WHICH is something that has to also be factored in when making a decision to increase a rate.. ultimately the customer has to weigh in if it's worth their time to buy.
Lobbyists have nothing to do with this, by the way.. not sure where you're coming up with that. There are very little rules in the contractual part of content and carriers. | |
| | | | | | | jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Called Dish and complained said by fiberguy:Cutting the cord AND not patronizing (even free) in any way to show support of a company that you don't agree with IS the way to use the true power of capitalism in your favor. What if the company you don't agree with is Viacom or Disney? Is the true power of capitalism in the consumer's favor by cutting the cord from their TV provider? | |
| | | | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Called Dish and complained That's very simple.. yes. You don't weigh the product.. or product line.. you weigh the company. If I don't like dish network as a company or business entity, I'm not going to support their blockbuster product either.. that is if you have strong convictions.
Like the saying goes.. follow the money if you want your answers.
There's no real NEED for Television. Video entertainment can come from many directions.. people have the ability to make their OWN choices.  | |
| | | | | | | | | jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Called Dish and complained So if Dish Networks goes under after everyone drops them because they refuse to pay for Viacom or Disney channels, how does this help the consumer or hurt Viacom and Disney? I see the result as being one fewer option for consumers while both Viacom and Disney can continue to demand bully rates while the other TV providers need to worry about suffering the same fate as Dish. | |
| | | | | | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Called Dish and complained ... and if people drop PAY SERVICES all together and don't support buying them ANYWHERE, the point is that the consumers demonstrate to industry that they're not willing to tolerate the crap. But it's a moot point since America is rather spineless anyway.
Also the scenario you're speaking of is not on the lines of what I was talking about. | |
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| | | What good is $10 off for 12 months if what you really want is the AMC programming? Despite the credit, you still don't have the programming. If it's the programming that you were interested in, I would think that you would have accepted the offer for the free Roku box plus $2-$3/month so that you could purchase the popular programs and watch them on your TV. It seems that you were just interested in getting a reduction in your bill rather than access to AMC programming. | |
| | | jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Called Dish and complained I think that is the point. Dish certainly increases their customer's bills when they add content that many don't care about, so why shouldn't Dish lower their bills when they remove content they don't care about watching? | |
| | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained TV providers do not increase rates whenever new content or features are added to their service. Increases typically occur on an annual basis after the provider accesses what increased costs have been incurred. Dish was actually the only major provider that had no price increase this year. Since prices increases do not occur at the time new content is added, why would you expect a reduction in rates at the time a channel is removed?
Also, if you had no interest in the channel that was removed, why call with a ruse about being upset about the removal when all that you really want is a reduction in your bill for a lost channel that you wouldn't watch even if it was still in the lineup? | |
| | | | | jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Called Dish and complained Prices increase bi-annually for many TV providers in the form of equipment rental increases, DVR fees, or some other method to squeeze more from our wallets. The excuse used to make these increases is often from additional content or some other gimmick that not everyone is interested in receiving. There is very little consumer control other than taking it all or leaving with nothing.
Just because it saves them money and is more convenient to make the price increases at certain points in the year should not matter. They don't have a process in place to give customers a break on their bills because it's not something they really care about, at all. In contrast, raising our rates is something they have perfected over the years. | |
| | | | | | | Heck yeah! I could care less about AMC, but will call to "complain" so I can get a $10 discount. | |
| | | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by monkeyboy :Heck yeah! I could care less about AMC, but will call to "complain" so I can get a $10 discount.
At least you are being honest about it. | |
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| | | | From a financial standpoint, it'd be better to take the $10/month credit and buy a Roku box. Considering that the box they're probably offering is the cheapest one, which is around $50, then, when you add in $3/month for 12 months, you still don't equal the $120 you'd get via the bill credit.
If you want the shows, then the Roku is a great way to get them. It's a versatile little box, especially once you learn about private channels. | |
| | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by ISurfTooMuch 
If you want the shows, then the Roku is a great way to get them. It's a versatile little box, especially once you learn about private channels.
[/BQUOTE :I don't think a number of those complaining want or care about the AMC shows, and they don't want a Roku box. | |
| | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained I agree with you; they want the cash. But I can't be entirely unsympathetic to that. After all, most of the time, we're forced to pay for a bunch of channels we don't want, so, when some of those channels are taken away, for whatever reason, we want some of that money back. | |
| | | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by ISurfTooMuch:After all, most of the time, we're forced to pay for a bunch of channels we don't want, so, when some of those channels are taken away, for whatever reason, we want some of that money back.
It doesn't work that way. Just as your price does not increase each time a new channel is added. | |
| | | | | | | jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Called Dish and complained said by Rangersfan :said by ISurfTooMuch:After all, most of the time, we're forced to pay for a bunch of channels we don't want, so, when some of those channels are taken away, for whatever reason, we want some of that money back.
It doesn't work that way. Just as your price does not increase each time a new channel is added. The reality is that they actually do increase our prices when new channels are added (and even when they're not), but due to system limitations and to avoid an accounting nightmare, it is not done this way.
Your argument does not consider the level of effort it would take to track and maintain a system that offered instant rebates or rate increases based on content updates. That would be too obvious to the consumers, and the backlash would be significant, so they hide the rate increases and make it more difficult for the average consumer to recognize them.
In short, they get everyone with price increases, regardless, yet any refunds are handled on a one-to-one basis and only if someone complains too loudly. | |
| | | | | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by jmn1207:The reality is that they actually do increases our prices when new channels are added (and even when they're not), but due to system limitations and to avoid an accounting nightmare, it is not done this way.
No they do not. Price increase typically occur annually not when each new channel is added. In fact, Dish Network did not have a price increase this year despite the fact that new channels have been added on the past couple of years.
Also, I'm not arguing about anything. I'm simply stating the facts. | |
| | | | | | | | | jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Called Dish and complained said by Rangersfan :said by jmn1207:The reality is that they actually do increases our prices when new channels are added (and even when they're not), but due to system limitations and to avoid an accounting nightmare, it is not done this way.
No they do not. Price increase typically occur annually not when each new channel is added. In fact, Dish Network did not have a price increase this year despite the fact that new channels have been added on the past couple of years. Also, I'm not arguing about anything. I'm simply stating the facts. Right, no direct price increases that consumers can easily identify, yet they did find a way to squeeze more money out of a significant number of customers.
Here is where Dish is making increases in 2012.
Bundled Premium Movie Networks
DishLATINO Basico
Multi-Sport Pack
Box Return
Late Charge | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by jmn1207:Right, no direct price increases that consumers can easily identify, yet they did find a way to squeeze more money out of a significant number of customers.
Here is where Dish is making increases in 2012.
Bundled Premium Movie Networks
DishLATINO Basico
Multi-Sport Pack
Box Return
Late Charge
The cost to acquire programming is only one component of the operating costs of a TV provider. There other costs incurred to operating any business that increase just as your total cost of living tends to increase each year. | |
| | | | | | | | | | jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Called Dish and complained said by Rangerfan :said by jmn1207:Right, no direct price increases that consumers can easily identify, yet they did find a way to squeeze more money out of a significant number of customers.
Here is where Dish is making increases in 2012.
Bundled Premium Movie Networks
DishLATINO Basico
Multi-Sport Pack
Box Return
Late Charge
The cost to acquire programming is only one component of the operating costs of a TV provider. There other costs incurred to operating any business that increase just as your total cost of living tends to increase each year. Our total cost of living is increasing because our politicians are spending my money with reckless abandon. TV providers have far outpaced the rate of inflation. Operating costs have decreased, customer satisfaction is abysmal for the industry, and the number of technicians and other key personnel have been drastically reduced with relation to the number of subscribers.
More than anything else, programming costs are driving the higher bills year after year. Until recently, both the content and TV providers were making a little extra with each increase, but now the top of the tent has been reached and this circus has nearly run its course. Many customers simply cannot afford to pay any more than they currently do, and instead of paying the TV provider more money, they look for alternative options to reduce their bills. So now the content creators are still expecting to make more money every year as usual, but the TV providers are finding that they are unable to recoup and profit from the customers like they could in the past.
»videomind.ooyala.com/blog/cable-···nth-2020
»www.marketingcharts.com/televisi···w-22207/ | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by jmn1207:Operating costs have decreased, customer satisfaction is abysmal for the industry, and the number of technicians and other key personnel have been drastically reduced with relation to the number of subscribers.
You might want to review a few annual reports. | |
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| | | | | | | | No, rates don't go up as channels are added, but the cost to the provider eventually rises, and that increase must be covered somehow. It's the same with any business. If the cost of water chestnuts rises today, I might not see my lunch bill go up today, but, eventually, it will go up.
But I'm not talking about that here. I'm simply saying that people feel ripped off because they have to pay for a bunch of channels they don't want, so, if any channels go away, then they feel that their bill should go down. Personally, I don't watch ESPN, and I deeply resent having to pay so that someone else can watch, so, if ESPN was dropped by my provider, you can bet that I want that money back. Personally, I'd prefer that they allowed me to drop them from my lineup and get that cash back now, but I'm not holding my breath for that to happen. | |
| | | | | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by ISurfTooMuch:No, rates don't go up as channels are added, but the cost to the provider eventually rises, and that increase must be covered somehow. It's the same with any business. If the cost of water chestnuts rises today, I might not see my lunch bill go up today, but, eventually, it will go up.
That is exactly what I explained in one of my posts earlier in this thread. Also, if the providers costs go up with channel additions and down with channel removals, the net effect would be reflected in the next price increase. Most channel removals due to negotiation disputes are temporary, and the channels are returned to the lineup within a short period of time.
By the way, unless you subscribe to some channel on an a la carte basis, you subscribe to a package not to channels. The provider has the right to add or remove channels from that package. You have the right to be unhappy when this happens, but you are not entitle to a price adjustment because of changes in the channel lineup. The provide might decide to give temporary credits to those who complain, but once the credits go away, you are back to paying the regular rates. | |
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| | HallPremium,MVM
join:2000-04-28
Dayton, OH
kudos:2 | said by Rangersfan :What good is $10 off for 12 months if what you really want is the AMC programming? From Dish's standpoint, what else can they do ? They see it as a small "investment" or cost to keep a customer. Everyone knows that AMC will be back, but no one can say when yet.... The smart thing for Dish to do would be to offer a credit until AMC returns. They can't track that, of course, and wouldn't be able to easily stop the credits once AMC is back. They no doubt have a code for "$5-month-discount-6-months" or "$10-month-discount-12-months". | |
| | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by Hall: From Dish's standpoint, what else can they do ? They see it as a small "investment" or cost to keep a customer. Everyone knows that AMC will be back, but no one can say when yet.... The smart thing for Dish to do would be to offer a credit until AMC returns. They can't track that, of course, and wouldn't be able to easily stop the credits once AMC is back. They no doubt have a code for "$5-month-discount-6-months" or "$10-month-discount-12-months".
If a customer is upset about the loss of the AMC channels and are threatening to leave because of that, I would think that what they really want is access to the programming as opposed to a credit on their bill. Wouldn't you think?
Unless they really don't care about the AMC programming and are just using this as an excuse to get a reduction in their bill. In which case, why would they threaten to leave because those channels have been removed since they wouldn't watch them even if they were still there. | |
| | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Want to put an end to this extortion the networks are playing with the carriers? There is ONE law I'd LOVE to see.. the carriers should have to treat their contracts the same as health insurance does their "open enrollments'... meaning, that a carrier, in this case AMC, has their own version of an "open enrollment" where all their agreements term at the same time and re open for negotiation. If AMC TRULY needs to raise their rates, then they will HAVE to negotiate fairly AND it stops them from playing providers against each other (a double dipping as I see it) AND using consumers as pawns. (I'd also like to see an end to these crawls and ANY public conversation while negotiations are going on).. If AMC needs a raise, then all providers would be seeing the same pain to some degree. It also stops, like I said, AMC from saying "hey dish users, go to DirecTV.. and the provider using financial encouragement to get customers to defect... again, it's extortion. | |
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| | | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by skeechan:That $120 will buy you the few shows on AMC worth watching. I think on iTunes, Walking Dead was $35/season in HD. So if you only watched Breaking Bad and Walking Dead on AMC, you are still ahead $50. Me, I only watch Walking Dead so if Cox did this and gave me a $120 credit I'd be some $80+ ahead.
Don't forget Mad Men and the Killing. | |
| | | | |  skeechanAi OtsukaholicPremium
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170
kudos:2 | Re: Called Dish and complained I wouldn't if I gave a crap about either of them. I don't watch every show on every channel. I have a life. | |
| | | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by skeechan:I wouldn't if I gave a crap about either of them. I don't watch every show on every channel. I have a life.
ROFL. Watching 4 programs that are spread out over the course of the year on one channel is hardly watching every show on every channel. | |
| | | | | | | skeechanAi OtsukaholicPremium
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170
kudos:2 | Re: Called Dish and complained LOL, sorry, I get more than 1 channel on my cable system. | |
| | | | | | | | | | Re: Called Dish and complained said by skeechan:LOL, sorry, I get more than 1 channel on my cable system.
Which has absolutely nothing to do with anything discussed in this thread. | |
|
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
kudos:1 |  Thirty Channels for $300.00 per month.
 By the time these jerk offs get through, subscribers will wind up paying $300.00 per month for 30 channels. | |
| |  Simba7I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT | Re: Thirty Channels for $300.00 per month. Yep.. Then people will whine and complain that it's DTV/DN's fault because their bill is freakin' huge. | |
|
1 edit | No quote:
AMC wants its loyal DISH viewers to experience the excitement of the “Breaking Bad” premiere at the same time as their friends and neighbors, and we want to give DISH customers an extra week to switch providers so they can enjoy the rest of the season
Translation, we want to show you what you are missing so you can go crying to Dish like a bunch of babies about how they are so bad in dropping AMC and demand they bring AMC back.
AMC, you are starting to really look like a whining bitch here. I watched the end of the Walking Dead preview weekend they had and they advertised seemed like every stinking commercial break, "Walking Dead premiers in October...but not on Dish" (cue omnipotent voice with echo). I just rolled my eyes... | |
| | | | Re: No Hi
I don't watch AMC but calling and getting a credit is good to hear.
Hope Dish network doesn't fall prey to their demands, ah 500 channels and nothing to watch haha
DirecTv is in a much more difficult situation with Viacom, the kids must be screaming to switch after losing MTV and Nick.
I've grown tired of these ransom acts | |
| | | | | Re: No Agreed, but, if they were my kids, they could scream all they wanted, but I'm nt going to be held hostage by these programmers. | |
| | |  tuarisYou Clicked on the Apple
join:2001-10-19
Naples, FL | said by marsh_0x:DirecTv is in a much more difficult situation with Viacom, the kids must be screaming to switch after losing MTV and Nick.
Do kids still watch MTV and Nick? I thought Disney channel was capturing that audience. | |
|
 redxiiPremium,Mod
join:2001-02-26
Sherwood, MI
Suddenlink
ISDN
Fiber Optic
Broadband Tweaks
/dev/null
| Pay the ETF? Is AMC volunteering to pay the early termination fees for everyone? They are full of themselves if they think it is worth that to watch their shows.
--
Moe, I need your advice… See I've got this friend named Joey Joe-Joe... Junior... Shabadoo.. | |
| amungusPremium
join:2004-11-26
America Reviews:
 ·KCH Cable
 ·AT&T DSL Service
| so silly So Dish has no AMC, and DirecTV has no Viacom - hmm... for those who have Sat. as their only choices (subscription based), this is somewhat entertaining to see the back and forth that people are doing.
Sad, but slightly entertaining.
Personally, I wouldn't care in either case, though I would be all about a reduction in the billing if a 'major' channel were to be taken away, unless I were already on a promo price.. | |
| | | AMC and all content providers are going nuts Fine i do agree that AMC shows are great but to hold Sat providers and customers hostage so they can charge more is getting old. Look AMC i love the Walking dead but thats about it can you just work it out with the Dish companies?. I mean right now Dish service is the best method of getting service if you don't have FIOS because cable companies are ripping people off like gangbusters. | |
| |
See 8 replies to this post | |
| | Voom HD For what it is worth, it was not Zoom HD, rather Voom HD. DiSH's dropping of Voom HD made it a no-brainer to switch to U-Verse when that became available in my neighborhood in September 2009. After over 14 years with DiSH, they did not even try to retain our business. | |
| tpkatl
join:2009-11-16
Dacula, GA | There's actually a very important change happening here Technically, it's called "disintermediation", but it really means "dumping the middle man".
The really important takeaway from this is that AMC has decided, at least on one level, that the satellite/cable companies are more of an obstacle than a benefit, and ** they have decided to do something about it **. This is big.
Yes, this is only one skirmish in a longer war, but DirectTV and Dish and TWC and Comcast have to be looking at this with some alarm. It starts to call into question their whole reason to exist.
This is the first battle that will take 10 years to end, but the intermediates (cable/satellite) will LOSE in the long run. | |
| | | | Re: There's actually a very important change happening here Imagine Verizon wins its Free Speech lawsuit - and with this Supreme Ct, they might. Perhaps what is allowed to come down the pipe is all up to the cable cos and telcos? AMC, instead of getting paid for their content to be on cable, may end up paying Comcast to deliver the content or be shut out completely. The intermediates are the ONLY way to deliver the content. One way or the other. And that is why they will likely always exist. Since most of the country is lucky if they even have one broadband provider able to deliver an HD stream, I would say AMC would be pretty hard pressed to work around them. | |
| | Reviews:
·RoadRunner Cable
·AT&T Midwest
 ·voip.ms
| said by tpkatl:The really important takeaway from this is that AMC has decided, at least on one level, that the satellite/cable companies are more of an obstacle than a benefit, and ** they have decided to do something about it **. This is big.
...
This is the first battle that will take 10 years to end, but the intermediates (cable/satellite) will LOSE in the long run.
I agree. When they try streaming directly to customers to circumvent the middle man, and broadband caps cut them off at the knees, I'll be sitting with my popcorn in the front row.
The more of this kind of conflict, the more likely the people will demand legislative or administrative intervention. It shouldn't come to that but if voters get sufficiently fed up, this could get political.
I'm not a pay TV subscriber, so I find these escalating conflicts far more entertaining and consequential than the actual programming.
Bring it on!
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| | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Not hardly.. it's even foolish to think so. The one reason why networks have stability in profitability is that they have a concentrated customer base. If you really think that the networks would rather sell direct, you're sadly mistaken.
As much as you people like to say "the consumer wants ala cart" it really won't work in the long run. The way that many people even KNOW about these new upcoming shows is because they have access to the channel TO view it and have a chance to get hooked on it. When you take a network and you make it a pay channel, which is the same as HBO and Starz, then people have to have a compelling reason to come subscribe. Also, when you go direct to the consumer it makes it ever harder to find new customers/viewers.
I'm sorry, but I just laugh when some of you people think that they want to cut these middle men out of the equation because they'll be better off in the long run because it's not true. Just accept the fact that they want more money, period. I mean, if they get Dish Network to pay the new retrans fee, guess what AMC gets?? Millions of customers paying more which is a MASSIVE increase in revenue with the stroke of a pen. When you go direct to the consumer, your ability to have a stable profit picture goes WAY down.
Try to think a little harder.. the "middle man" isn't going away for a LONG LONG LONG time. It's going to take generations for a shift like this to happen and younger generations to not care about TV in the first place. Until then, you're not going to get the masses to cut the cord as people here want to creme themselves thinking is happening, all while forgetting that the economy is the reason, not necessarily the model directly. | |
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 SnakeoilIgnore Button. The coward's feature.Premium
join:2000-08-05
Mentor, OH
kudos:1
·RoadRunner Cable
·magicjack.com
| I aint switching. I can live without breaking bad, mad men, Walking dead.
I can't afford to switch to another provider and possibly end up paying more for the same stuff I'm already getting.
10 to 20 channels with programming I watch and 500 channels of crap.
Be better off cutting the cord altogether.
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Is a person a failure for doing nothing? Or is he a failure for trying, and not succeeding at what he is attempting to do? What did you fail at today?. | |
| xexx
join:2004-09-03
Aledo, TX | Torrents it is then Hmm... $10 off a month for a year? Guess I'll call Dish up and see what I can get. Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead will have torrents up 15 minutes after they air... win win. Will be interesting to see if any records are broke. | |
| | | | Re: Torrents it is then said by xexx:Hmm... $10 off a month for a year? Guess I'll call Dish up and see what I can get. Breaking Bad and the Walking Dead will have torrents up 15 minutes after they air... win win. Will be interesting to see if any records are broke.
This. Pretty much all there is to it. I could have seen it on the TV I pay for, but AMC doesn't want me to. So screw them, I'll see it for free. | |
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| | Carriage Extortion Nothing has changed. Carriage extortion is live and well. And carriage extortion through channel bundling, (example Disney with all their channels and sports). Its why I cut the cord over two years ago and don't miss it. I have saved over 2500 dollars so far and still saving. Disney, and providers like DTV lobby heavy and one thing is for for sure the rates will continue to increase faster then inflation and what people earn. There is no regulation. If anything, that problem is worse now that the supreme court ruled that corporations have legal representation under the Constitution.. now they have more rights then normal living humans in the states.
I personally think the carriers like a little battle like this to convince the viewers they are going to bat for them. But in the end, they will continually see hikes. IMO, they exceeded the price/value ratio many years back. Overall, content quality is lower with the amount of infomercials, reality shows, commercials in general. With no regulation to the madness, the only option left is to cut the cord. Eventually, they will keep raising the rates and cord cutting will become a bigger problem for these guys as they start hitting that price threshold for more subs. The biggest battle will come when they try to lower the ISP caps even more. Luckily, I live in an area with a decent DSL option and Comcast. So they probably won't get too crazy with broadband in an area with competition.
Not everyone cuts the cord. But I know many do whatever they can to trim or cut back services or drop to cheaper packages. As this continues, the content providers/carries will find ways to convince everyone for more rate hikes. It will probably backfire on them at some point. | |
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