Comcast blackmail

by dogbert on Oct 9, 2008 7:39 AM PDT Comment 32 comments

The latest round of commercials from Comcast are absolutely galling.

They show some great moment in Oregon sports and then at just the key moment they pull the plug on the signal. Then they follow this up by there plea/demand that you sign up for Comcast NOW!

Does this sound like blackmail or what? Sign up for Comcast or we're going to take away your game. What next, bulk mailing of cut-out letter ransom notes? Body parts?

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actually

they don’t say “sign up for comcast”, what they say is “call Directtv, Dish, or your local cable provider and tell them to get Comcast Sportsnet”

It’s a bit of a different angle. I guess they figure they’ve pretty much converted everyone who’s going to convert providers, and their angle now is to try and get enough of the customer of other providers to pressure those providers into caving into Comcast’s license fee.

Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.

by douglast on Oct 9, 2008 8:28 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

+2

You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose.

-- Unknown

by SloppyJoe on Oct 9, 2008 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

by Philthyanimal on Oct 9, 2008 8:30 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yah dogbert, it made my blood boil too.

I heard in a Larry Miller interview that he doesn’t expect a comcast deal to come before the start of the regular season. Great! Here we are in the same situation as last year.

by TwoDeep on Oct 9, 2008 9:31 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Does anybody have both?

DirecTv and Comcast?

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Oct 9, 2008 9:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

yes

I originally had cable, then I added DirecTV to get the MLB and NFL packages about 10 years ago. I kept basic cable for the local channels and later added high-speed internet

Then I upgraded the cable to level 2 to get the Sport’s channel about this time last year

It’s spendy, but we don’t order pay-per-view or premium movie channels so It works out about the same

by two4larue on Oct 9, 2008 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm

I think I might be forced to go this route….$35/month for 6 months. What’s that, $198? About the same as LP.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Oct 9, 2008 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I heard walkoff woke up with a horse head in his bed

Blazers Edge has an alarmist vision

by tominhawaii on Oct 9, 2008 9:55 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

hopefully it wasn't dead

I hear dead things stink. Then again live things kick.

We haven't done anything yet... but don't blink.

by ratbastird on Oct 9, 2008 9:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's very simple

Comcast wants you to put pressure on your carriers to pick up their channel. As a Comcast subscriber I know because they did this to us a couple years ago with NFL network. They ran an ad saying call this number if you want the NFL network and I just kept calling it until the ad didn’t run anymore. For all of you that are pissed about not having the channel for all the Blazer games, call the number, and keep calling it, over and over, until they give you what you want

by SalemORguy on Oct 9, 2008 10:13 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

We need a new plan of attack.

Most of the anger over this ridiculas situation has been aimed at Comcast. though I agree they deserve every bit of hate that can be spewed their direction, this tact has gotten us exactly nowhere. When it comes right down to it Comcast has the right to do whatever they want to with this deal, after all they did pay $120 million for that right. If I were making the decision at Comcast I would hold out at least till the end of this year, any subscribers that can switch but haven’t yet will probably do so by the end of this season with the addition of Oden and Rudy. I think we need to collectively come up with a plan that will put enough pressure on One Center Court to get this fixed. I know, “It’s out of their hands”. That being said, the Blazers organization for all of the positives moves they have made in recent years completely blew this one. Not only is it a huge mess but it effectively erases much of the progress made. What do I care how wonderful this team is if I can’t even see the games. They have skin in the game and as much desire to see this done as those of us that can’t get Comcast. The one thing they have that we don’t is leverage, in the way of cold hard cash. Much has been made of how great it is to have an owner that is willing to spend the money to put a great product on the floor. True enough, he’s able to do this because he’s worth $16 billion dollars, thats $16,000,000,000.00. it’s time to pressure Paul to get back to the table with Comcast and come to a compromise. it’s all about $, there is a number for Comcast that would make it more benificial to get the deal done now with the dish providers rather then wait for another season of switching subscribers. The blazers don’t have to give back the $120 mil, but maybe its $12 mil. it’s not like the Blazers would really be giving up $12 mil in this scenerio, more viewers equals more t-shirst sold ect. for the Blazers. Depending on what that number is, in the end, when all is considered it may not cost the Blazers a dime to give back some of that deal to get this done now. I am more of a visitor then contributor on this site, but I read it everyday, and know that there are much brighter minds then mine here. Surely we can collectively come up with a plan to put the pressure on the Blazers to get this done. We need everyones participation, not just those that can’t get Comcast. Blazersedge family, come together and help out your comcastless brethren!!!

by monkeybones on Oct 9, 2008 10:28 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

What needs to be done is to Lawyer up.

I mean really if this does not scream of a class-action Anti-monoploy suit against comcast and the NBA, what does. It also wouldn’t hurt to be calling your congressmen (and women) and senators to complain. As they were the idiots that passed the laws that allow for these televsion monopolies to exist. The courts are public and should be used by the public when commercial abuse is being exercised.

by NWfan on Oct 9, 2008 12:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

comcast is losing money

i’m pretty sure that alienating this much of the market is causing comcast to lose money. they are probably commanding a high price for the satellite subscribers bc thats probably what they will need to recoup the price of starting up a new channel.

also…when i spoke with the blazers, they completed the deal thinking that comcast would make a deal as well with the satellite companies. this was a fair assumption being as tho comcast has made deals in other regions.

also…more viewers = more revenue from ads. i doubt more viewers = more t shirts sold. theres other ways fans can connect to the games. nothing prevented me from buying blazer gear when games were only on the radio back in the early nineties.

by Philthyanimal on Oct 9, 2008 10:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

Comcast has made deals in other towns……Sacramento, Chicago, Philly etc. I believe each of those channels took well over a year to complete the deals and in each one of those towns, the fans hated Comcast because of it. This whole situation has played out before. The Blazers knew what they were getting into.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Oct 10, 2008 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It sounds like the Blazers could yank the whole thing from Comcast.
Larry Miller on Sports Business Radio 2008-10-06
However, I couldn’t care less how it works out. If DTV wants $10 more bucks a month or whatever, then charge me. I just want to see the games.
FAQ: 2008-09 Trail Blazers Television Coverage & Comcast
The Blazer’s don’t seem to think Comcast is charging too much. Then again, they get $10 Mil from them, so they are biased.

by Rake on Oct 9, 2008 10:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yep

I posted that link yesterday, the Miller interview. I found it interesting since it’s the first time I’ve heard anything like that. Dick Vardenega, Director of Programming for our Blazers, has told me personally that the Blazers NOW think that Comcast is asking a fair price. I don’t know, maybe they are now, but the seeming lack of urgency from all parties involved pisses me off.

I’m one of the people who can actually switch to Comcast if I want, but have chosen not to. At first, last year, everyone was confident a deal would get done, so I held out. I figured I’d wait and hope this summer, but as we all know, no deal. Now I’m starting to panic and need to figure something out. There’s zero chance I’m getting rid of DTV, so I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and order Comcast as well.

I just got off the phone with Comcast and apparently you have to order the $50 / month package to get the CSNNW, you can’t just go with the basic cable for $11. They have a promotion right now where you get it for $35 / month for the first 6 months with no contract.

If and when they get a deal done with Directv, there is no doubt subscribers will be paying an extra $10 / month for the sports pack.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Oct 9, 2008 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

When I saw the Comcast Sports Pack from DTV I ordered it on good faith. That was 2 months ago.

by Rake on Oct 9, 2008 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have comcast

Comcast paid big bucks for the rights to broadcast blazer games. This pleases me.

I think the problem is the dish and direct tv don’t want to pay the freight like comcast did. This is not comcast’s problem.

Now I have other issues with comcast, but the fact that they paid for and are delivering blazer games to thier subscribers isn’t one of them.

by raoulduke on Oct 9, 2008 12:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I guess so

But I can guarantee you that the Blazers don’t want Comcast to only be on “Comcast”. They want exposure and they want a happy fan base.

So, you have to think that Comcast wants to get a deal done as well. They just feel that because they over paid to carry the Blazers that everyone else should as well. It was somewhat of a bad business decision on their part. They bid, basically, against themselves. I don’t think FSN was anywhere in the neighborhood of 10M per year. If the channel is going to survive, it will eventually need distribution amongst the satellites and other carriers. I really figured this would happen by the beginning of this season.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Oct 9, 2008 12:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

iDea, I agree

Comcast bid against themselve and over paid. Exactly why they aren’t giving in until they bleed every last subscriber they can. The Garden is going to sell out every game. Once the season starts and the casual fan realizes they can’t go to the game and can’t get the game on tv that’s when panic will set in. The smart thing for Comcast to do is wait. This is why an injection of cash from the Blazers is the only way to quickly end this mess. The question is how can we put the pressure on the Blazers.

by monkeybones on Oct 9, 2008 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I email Dick

All the time. Has to annoy the hell out of him, but he’s friendly enough to brush aside my pissed off’edness and actually email me back within an hour or two usually.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Oct 9, 2008 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Comacst doesn't deliver every game

I have comcast and listened to the game Teusday night becasue it was not broadcast on comcast.

by NWfan on Oct 9, 2008 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

comcast will deliver all games

that arent on kgw or espn or tnt i believe. i’m fairly certain that each game will be on television one way or another like last year.

by Philthyanimal on Oct 9, 2008 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

i normally hate comcasts service (esp the internet)…but this is probably the best thing comcast has done for me. i’m totally glad they took the risk and plunged that much money into launching this channel and bringing to us all the games when the team hadn’t proved anything.

by Philthyanimal on Oct 9, 2008 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's a really irratating commercial

by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Oct 9, 2008 1:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Now Comcast is running radio ads

I can’t remember if it was on 955 or 1080, but the message is the same as the TV ads

by two4larue on Oct 9, 2008 2:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I thought this thing had 2 recs because someone finally found a good way to blackmail comcast.

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

by prezofdeath on Oct 9, 2008 6:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Comcast Blackmail

They tell you if you are a dish, direct tv or cable to go to their website. I did that and they told me that comcast was not available in my area and to contact my satillite company and demand comcast\

by hg on Oct 9, 2008 10:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

quick, non-ridiculous pre-game demonstration?

I have comcast, because I never even really considered any alternatives, and lucked out getting the Blazers when they went exclusive. But I’ve always wondered why those that are so upset don’t just hold a quick rally outside of the Rose Garden, before a game? Make up some little signs and go “rah-rah”, and maybe get some press coverage. I have comcast, but I’d consider joining in, because it really is so ridiculous. This is basically the last black eye on the organization, and I’m sure once rallies started taking place, the powers that be would make swift moves.

by hiccough on Oct 9, 2008 10:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

i cant get nfl gameday. i cant get any satellite provider where i am. its a trade off. i deal with it.

by Blazerland on Oct 9, 2008 11:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

whats your point?

The large majority of the state doesn’t even have the choice to buy Comcast. They are SOL because of the extra large blackout policy won’t allow them to pay $200 to buy League Pass.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Oct 10, 2008 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs