OFFICIAL - and only - COMCAST Discussion thread
- Thread starter RageMe11
- Start date
Nothing yet. I have Dish and have been hopeful that something would happen, but since it hasn't I ordered up Comcast the other day. The promo they have now is $1 for the first month and the contract is month to month. I'm keeping Dish so I can have my DVR and they can put Comcast on the same TV as my Dish and if something happens then I will just get rid of Comcast since it's month to month.
One dollar......I'm willing to pay way much more than that.
I finally got the answer from my cable provider : "Charter doesn't contract with NBA, League Pass, and Sports InDemand. If you want to order NBA League Pass, you'll have to order Direct TV first."
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat.....I couldn't believe it...told me to order from its biggest competitor. Charter has contracts with NFL, NHL, and MLB so what happened between Charter and NBA. I'm mad, really really mad
wish you guys have great time with Comcast.
I finally got the answer from my cable provider : "Charter doesn't contract with NBA, League Pass, and Sports InDemand. If you want to order NBA League Pass, you'll have to order Direct TV first."
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat.....I couldn't believe it...told me to order from its biggest competitor. Charter has contracts with NFL, NHL, and MLB so what happened between Charter and NBA. I'm mad, really really mad wish you guys have great time with Comcast.
Excerpted...
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11277173p-12192342c.html
Mark Kreidler: Kings to control the Pacific; will Comcast control Kings?
By Mark Kreidler -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, October 31, 2004
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking the same two things I'm thinking, minus the NC-17 language and pointlessly violent content.
One: Just as you're getting set to dock the Kings some playoff-positioning points on the basis of bad karma and fractured team "chemistry," along comes the rest of the Western Conference, underwhelming at a Clipperian rate. Though you can't believe you're saying this after its summer of alleged turmoil, Sacramento is probably looking at a divisional title and the No. 3 seed in the postseason.
And, Two: You'll see almost none of it. Because you, my friend, own a dish.
About that second part, I'd help if I could. (I really would. I own a dish.) As it is, the best I can do is to pass along the latest scuttlebutt, which is that, as of late last week, the Comcast deathstar was in gradually warming conversations with either the Dish Network or DirecTV, and there was the possibility of some good news with one or the other - perhaps both - this week.
Frankly, if that's true, Comcast has disappointed me. It's shocking that the world's most avaricious cable operator would pass up the opportunity to (a) let the NBA season go ahead and start, (b) listen as Kings-fan satellite subscribers begin truly screaming at ear-bleed levels, and (c) use that vocal battle cry - Dude, Where's My Local Franchise? - as leverage to vacuum millions out of the suddenly panicky satellite companies.
If Comcast strikes a smiley-faced deal with the dishes in the meantime, I'll be glad to amend its moniker to "purportedly" avaricious. Until then, the sentiment stands.
But for those of you who already have Comcast or SureWest and thus will receive the full, 82-game Kings package among the different carriers (the new cable-channel venture, News 10, ESPN, TNT), good news: It's a pretty interesting team you'll be watching - or at least being given the opportunity to watch.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11277173p-12192342c.html
Mark Kreidler: Kings to control the Pacific; will Comcast control Kings?
By Mark Kreidler -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, October 31, 2004
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking the same two things I'm thinking, minus the NC-17 language and pointlessly violent content.
One: Just as you're getting set to dock the Kings some playoff-positioning points on the basis of bad karma and fractured team "chemistry," along comes the rest of the Western Conference, underwhelming at a Clipperian rate. Though you can't believe you're saying this after its summer of alleged turmoil, Sacramento is probably looking at a divisional title and the No. 3 seed in the postseason.
And, Two: You'll see almost none of it. Because you, my friend, own a dish.
About that second part, I'd help if I could. (I really would. I own a dish.) As it is, the best I can do is to pass along the latest scuttlebutt, which is that, as of late last week, the Comcast deathstar was in gradually warming conversations with either the Dish Network or DirecTV, and there was the possibility of some good news with one or the other - perhaps both - this week.
Frankly, if that's true, Comcast has disappointed me. It's shocking that the world's most avaricious cable operator would pass up the opportunity to (a) let the NBA season go ahead and start, (b) listen as Kings-fan satellite subscribers begin truly screaming at ear-bleed levels, and (c) use that vocal battle cry - Dude, Where's My Local Franchise? - as leverage to vacuum millions out of the suddenly panicky satellite companies.
If Comcast strikes a smiley-faced deal with the dishes in the meantime, I'll be glad to amend its moniker to "purportedly" avaricious. Until then, the sentiment stands.
But for those of you who already have Comcast or SureWest and thus will receive the full, 82-game Kings package among the different carriers (the new cable-channel venture, News 10, ESPN, TNT), good news: It's a pretty interesting team you'll be watching - or at least being given the opportunity to watch.
It's just about to my day of reckoning as a DirecTV AND NBA League Pass subscriber. I'd hate to plunk down $149 or whatever it is for League Pass and end up not being able to see any Kings games on my dish (I'm stuck with the Dish til my contract is up...)
If that's the scenario I want to drop League Pass and pick-up Comcast. However the deadline for canceling League Pass is tomorrow, so... decisions decisions.
I have a feeling DirecTV will work out a deal to get us this channel. I'll be calling them again today just to pester them some more. But I think I probably will stick with them and LP and see how things work out.... maybe.
If that's the scenario I want to drop League Pass and pick-up Comcast. However the deadline for canceling League Pass is tomorrow, so... decisions decisions.
I have a feeling DirecTV will work out a deal to get us this channel. I'll be calling them again today just to pester them some more. But I think I probably will stick with them and LP and see how things work out.... maybe.
Heh -- I would be more than a little pissed if I was a Dish subscriber in Sacto.
On the other hand I don't blame Comcast at all. Most avaricious cable operator? Hell, if I was running Comcast I would absolutely be using the Kings channel as a hammer to try to bankrupt my opponents. If you've got the hammer, use it. But at a certain point here you do have to relent and get the channel out there for the fans or risk being seen as the big corporate grinch who stole the Kings. Squeeze as hard as you can, get very drop of blood you can out of the deal, but you'd have to be foolish to risk alienating potential customers who you will no doubt be asking to defect to your service in the future.
On the other hand I don't blame Comcast at all. Most avaricious cable operator? Hell, if I was running Comcast I would absolutely be using the Kings channel as a hammer to try to bankrupt my opponents. If you've got the hammer, use it. But at a certain point here you do have to relent and get the channel out there for the fans or risk being seen as the big corporate grinch who stole the Kings. Squeeze as hard as you can, get very drop of blood you can out of the deal, but you'd have to be foolish to risk alienating potential customers who you will no doubt be asking to defect to your service in the future.
Yeppers, tomorrow is the day of reckoning for Comcast to deal with the satellite networks, and I'm holding out hope that it will happen (cause I love my DirectTV).
On a positive note, League Pass showed all but one Kings game last year, even though threats of blackouts existed for the entire season. However, I would be hard pressed to take that gamble again this year since Comcast is definitely showing all games.
Fortunately, the first weeks worth of games are away, so if the deal isn't made tomorrow Comcast has a week to come out and hook me up and everything's cool. Because that's what I'll be doing if DirectTV can't guarantee the games, and Comcast can.
Here is an e-mail address to write to, if you are an angry, frustrated, just generally hostile DirectTV subscriber like me:
Bob Marsocci
Vice President, Communications
DIRECTV, Inc.
310 726-4656
ramarsocci@directv.com
Question: Does Comcast even offer NBA League Pass?
On a positive note, League Pass showed all but one Kings game last year, even though threats of blackouts existed for the entire season. However, I would be hard pressed to take that gamble again this year since Comcast is definitely showing all games.
Fortunately, the first weeks worth of games are away, so if the deal isn't made tomorrow Comcast has a week to come out and hook me up and everything's cool. Because that's what I'll be doing if DirectTV can't guarantee the games, and Comcast can.
Here is an e-mail address to write to, if you are an angry, frustrated, just generally hostile DirectTV subscriber like me:
Bob Marsocci
Vice President, Communications
DIRECTV, Inc.
310 726-4656
ramarsocci@directv.com
Question: Does Comcast even offer NBA League Pass?
Some will think that since I live outside the blackout area (a couple thousand mile away) that it is odd that I should weigh in on this subject. But, I am going to anyway, especially since last year I got to watch only about a dozen games.
1. The Maloofs, when they contracted with Comcast, supposedly made it clear that Comcast was to offer (in good faith) their sports channel to other cable and satellite companies. With the supposedly ridiculous prices they have set out, I don't consider them to be dealing "in good faith"......my opinion only.
2. If I lived in Sac and had a satellite contract, I would get cable brought in so I could watch the games. An earlier post said they were offering their install for free and charging only a $1/mo introductory price? What I am saying is, I would be paying for both at those prices.
3. Once a contract was completed with the satellite companies, I would cancel Comcast and tell them to "stick it in their ear". What they have put Kings fans through (after supposedly telling the Maloofs they would make their new channel widely available) is unconscienable.......again, in my opinion.
1. The Maloofs, when they contracted with Comcast, supposedly made it clear that Comcast was to offer (in good faith) their sports channel to other cable and satellite companies. With the supposedly ridiculous prices they have set out, I don't consider them to be dealing "in good faith"......my opinion only.
2. If I lived in Sac and had a satellite contract, I would get cable brought in so I could watch the games. An earlier post said they were offering their install for free and charging only a $1/mo introductory price? What I am saying is, I would be paying for both at those prices.
3. Once a contract was completed with the satellite companies, I would cancel Comcast and tell them to "stick it in their ear". What they have put Kings fans through (after supposedly telling the Maloofs they would make their new channel widely available) is unconscienable.......again, in my opinion.
The Maloofs, when they contracted with Comcast, supposedly made it clear that Comcast was to offer (in good faith) their sports channel to other cable and satellite companies. With the supposedly ridiculous prices they have set out, I don't consider them to be dealing "in good faith"......
Rest assured that the Maloofs ultimately want their team to be available to be seen by as many Kingzfans in the region as possible. Also, be assured, then, that the conditions of availability of Comcast SportsNet was part of the negotiated deal. There are some sort of guidelines in place, we just don't know what they are.
Thus, none of us knows if Comcast is offering only a ridiculous price or the Sat TV providers are holding out for a ridiculous bargain price. A friend of mine whose buddy is a Comcast sales executive tells me that Comcast decided that it was clearly in the company's best financial interest to do a deal with the SAT TV folks, rather than hope for mega-converts from dish to cable. The grapevine also says that the SAT TV providers have a major problem with Comcast's name being attached to Channel 34, and thus DirecTV and the DISH don't want to be forced to beam out their competitors' name. This was not a sticking point in the Surewest cable deal for the channel in Roseville, since Comcast is not a competitor there.
I would cancel Comcast and tell them to "stick it in their ear". What they have put Kings fans through (after supposedly telling the Maloofs they would make their new channel widely available) is unconscienable...
Once again, we don't know who's putting whom through what. It's obviously a lot of money being bandied about for these deals, so naturally these businesses are taking a tough negotiations approach to get the best monetary deal possible for themselves. None of these guys "owes" anything to Kingzfans. Although if any Kingzfan has a problem with this apparent process, they should take it out on the Maloofs for not stipulating certain terms and conditions in the deal with Comcast to assure everyone that they would have Kings' coverage in a timely manner.
Hey, there's still a day left to do the deed....
Rest assured that the Maloofs ultimately want their team to be available to be seen by as many Kingzfans in the region as possible. Also, be assured, then, that the conditions of availability of Comcast SportsNet was part of the negotiated deal. There are some sort of guidelines in place, we just don't know what they are.
Thus, none of us knows if Comcast is offering only a ridiculous price or the Sat TV providers are holding out for a ridiculous bargain price. A friend of mine whose buddy is a Comcast sales executive tells me that Comcast decided that it was clearly in the company's best financial interest to do a deal with the SAT TV folks, rather than hope for mega-converts from dish to cable. The grapevine also says that the SAT TV providers have a major problem with Comcast's name being attached to Channel 34, and thus DirecTV and the DISH don't want to be forced to beam out their competitors' name. This was not a sticking point in the Surewest cable deal for the channel in Roseville, since Comcast is not a competitor there.
I would cancel Comcast and tell them to "stick it in their ear". What they have put Kings fans through (after supposedly telling the Maloofs they would make their new channel widely available) is unconscienable...
Once again, we don't know who's putting whom through what. It's obviously a lot of money being bandied about for these deals, so naturally these businesses are taking a tough negotiations approach to get the best monetary deal possible for themselves. None of these guys "owes" anything to Kingzfans. Although if any Kingzfan has a problem with this apparent process, they should take it out on the Maloofs for not stipulating certain terms and conditions in the deal with Comcast to assure everyone that they would have Kings' coverage in a timely manner.
Hey, there's still a day left to do the deed....
That, of course, is spoken like a true Comcast sales executive.
Comcast has ALREADY received a lot of mega-converts, so they're making the best of the whole scenario while they can. I don't fault them for that, exactly; it's just extremely frustrating for people in Sacramento who don't particularly like Comcast, don't want Comcast, can't get League Pass, and don't want to miss Kings game.
Comcast is doing exactly what any prudent company would do. They're making as much as they can from the people willing to switch FIRST, then they'll bargain with the dish people more seriously to get whatever they can from the people who wouldn't switch.
Sound business decisions, but sure frustrating for the Sacramento viewer.
My problem is a little different. I've already ordered League Pass, which WILL carry the Sacramento games since I'm outside the blackout area. BUT if DishNet gets the Comcast station I don't think I'll want to spend the $$$ for League Pass.
The part about the satellite providers not wanting to braodcast the Comcast name makes no sense at all. They already carry Comcast Sports for the Washington DC area - at least I know DishNet does - and they don't seem to mind the name there.
At least it's only a one-year exclusive contract with the Maloofs on the part of Comcast.
Comcast has ALREADY received a lot of mega-converts, so they're making the best of the whole scenario while they can. I don't fault them for that, exactly; it's just extremely frustrating for people in Sacramento who don't particularly like Comcast, don't want Comcast, can't get League Pass, and don't want to miss Kings game.
Comcast is doing exactly what any prudent company would do. They're making as much as they can from the people willing to switch FIRST, then they'll bargain with the dish people more seriously to get whatever they can from the people who wouldn't switch.
Sound business decisions, but sure frustrating for the Sacramento viewer.
My problem is a little different. I've already ordered League Pass, which WILL carry the Sacramento games since I'm outside the blackout area. BUT if DishNet gets the Comcast station I don't think I'll want to spend the $$$ for League Pass.
The part about the satellite providers not wanting to braodcast the Comcast name makes no sense at all. They already carry Comcast Sports for the Washington DC area - at least I know DishNet does - and they don't seem to mind the name there.
At least it's only a one-year exclusive contract with the Maloofs on the part of Comcast.
Comcast has ALREADY received a lot of mega-converts, so they're making the best of the whole scenario while they can.
Although this would make some sense from a business perspective, I'm not sure that very many folks have made the switch because of the Kings. Most SAT TV folks I know are sitting tight and hoping for the best.
They're making as much as they can from the people willing to switch FIRST, then they'll bargain with the dish people more seriously to get whatever they can from the people who wouldn't switch.
It was my understanding that contacts were made by Comcast with the SAT TV folks very shortly after the deal was signed with the Maloofs. How reasonable EITHER side was in those early talks is unknown and thus only subject to speculation.
The part about the satellite providers not wanting to braodcast the Comcast name makes no sense at all. They already carry Comcast Sports for the Washington DC area - at least I know DishNet does - and they don't seem to mind the name there.
I hear ya. But I just call's 'em as I hear's 'em. The source is reliable and without spin.
Perhaps it was just DirecTV that was squabbling, perhaps it was both that did not want advertising or a competitor in a new area, even though they bit the bullet somewhere else. It's all conjecture.
It's a tough choice about spending the bucks on League Pass versus wondering if your dish will ever receive Kings' games this year. If all you really want is the Kings, I'd sit tight a bit on the NBALP investment, since I would expect if there is any pressure to do the deed, the season start will push it one way or the other fairly soon.
If you can possibly stand to miss a couple Kings' games, that is....
Although this would make some sense from a business perspective, I'm not sure that very many folks have made the switch because of the Kings. Most SAT TV folks I know are sitting tight and hoping for the best.
They're making as much as they can from the people willing to switch FIRST, then they'll bargain with the dish people more seriously to get whatever they can from the people who wouldn't switch.
It was my understanding that contacts were made by Comcast with the SAT TV folks very shortly after the deal was signed with the Maloofs. How reasonable EITHER side was in those early talks is unknown and thus only subject to speculation.
The part about the satellite providers not wanting to braodcast the Comcast name makes no sense at all. They already carry Comcast Sports for the Washington DC area - at least I know DishNet does - and they don't seem to mind the name there.
I hear ya. But I just call's 'em as I hear's 'em. The source is reliable and without spin.
Perhaps it was just DirecTV that was squabbling, perhaps it was both that did not want advertising or a competitor in a new area, even though they bit the bullet somewhere else. It's all conjecture.
It's a tough choice about spending the bucks on League Pass versus wondering if your dish will ever receive Kings' games this year. If all you really want is the Kings, I'd sit tight a bit on the NBALP investment, since I would expect if there is any pressure to do the deed, the season start will push it one way or the other fairly soon.
If you can possibly stand to miss a couple Kings' games, that is....
1kingzfan said:
Comcast has ALREADY received a lot of mega-converts, so they're making the best of the whole scenario while they can.
Although this would make some sense from a business perspective, I'm not sure that very many folks have made the switch because of the Kings. Most SAT TV folks I know are sitting tight and hoping for the best.
They're making as much as they can from the people willing to switch FIRST, then they'll bargain with the dish people more seriously to get whatever they can from the people who wouldn't switch.
It was my understanding that contacts were made by Comcast with the SAT TV folks very shortly after the deal was signed with the Maloofs. How reasonable EITHER side was in those early talks is unknown and thus only subject to speculation.
The part about the satellite providers not wanting to braodcast the Comcast name makes no sense at all. They already carry Comcast Sports for the Washington DC area - at least I know DishNet does - and they don't seem to mind the name there.
I hear ya. But I just call's 'em as I hear's 'em. The source is reliable and without spin.
Perhaps it was just DirecTV that was squabbling, perhaps it was both that did not want advertising or a competitor in a new area, even though they bit the bullet somewhere else. It's all conjecture.
It's a tough choice about spending the bucks on League Pass versus wondering if your dish will ever receive Kings' games this year. If all you really want is the Kings, I'd sit tight a bit on the NBALP investment, since I would expect if there is any pressure to do the deed, the season start will push it one way or the other fairly soon.
If you can possibly stand to miss a couple Kings' games, that is....
Although this would make some sense from a business perspective, I'm not sure that very many folks have made the switch because of the Kings. Most SAT TV folks I know are sitting tight and hoping for the best.
They're making as much as they can from the people willing to switch FIRST, then they'll bargain with the dish people more seriously to get whatever they can from the people who wouldn't switch.
It was my understanding that contacts were made by Comcast with the SAT TV folks very shortly after the deal was signed with the Maloofs. How reasonable EITHER side was in those early talks is unknown and thus only subject to speculation.
The part about the satellite providers not wanting to braodcast the Comcast name makes no sense at all. They already carry Comcast Sports for the Washington DC area - at least I know DishNet does - and they don't seem to mind the name there.
I hear ya. But I just call's 'em as I hear's 'em. The source is reliable and without spin.
Perhaps it was just DirecTV that was squabbling, perhaps it was both that did not want advertising or a competitor in a new area, even though they bit the bullet somewhere else. It's all conjecture.
It's a tough choice about spending the bucks on League Pass versus wondering if your dish will ever receive Kings' games this year. If all you really want is the Kings, I'd sit tight a bit on the NBALP investment, since I would expect if there is any pressure to do the deed, the season start will push it one way or the other fairly soon.
If you can possibly stand to miss a couple Kings' games, that is....
Industry figures DO SHOW a shift away from satellite to Comcast in the Sacramento area that would indicate people - like some people we know - have obtained Comcast for the Kings games.
As far as the initial contacts with both satellite providers, at least one article in - I believe - the SacBizJournal stated that the feeling was (although the contact had, in fact, been made), Comcast was standing pretty firm on a high price tag. (And, as I've said before, I don't blame them at all. They have one year exclusivity to make hay while the sun shines.) Of course, they'd play hard ball. They're in the catbird seat, so to speak, at least for now.
Sitting tight on NBALP is okay, if you want to look at paying the full price in the event the deal isn't made for Comcast. For some people, the $20 early bird discount makes a difference.
Bottom line is I really think this could have been handled better by the Maloofs. Sometimes the devil is in the details and I think there's every indication whoever handled the deal for Maloof Sports didn't consider the difference between cable and satellite.
R
Well I have had Directv for years and love the picture quality and the programming. I will not leave Directv, that said...... I will not miss the kings games I can't go see this year either - last year was a mess not being able to watch very many games oon tv.
I have had comcast internet for a couple of years and hate the customer service but the speed of there service surpases the rest by 10 fold... so I added there HDTV service this last week for the Kings games.......... the guy who came out and installed it didn't know jack about HDTV and I had to do the install myself(which was easy) anyway if Directv does get the comcast channel in HDTV I will cancel camcast cable in a minute and I will give them a piece of my mind while doing so......
Bottom Line - I hate comcast - but love the Kings at all cost and I will never leave Directv.......................
I have had comcast internet for a couple of years and hate the customer service but the speed of there service surpases the rest by 10 fold... so I added there HDTV service this last week for the Kings games.......... the guy who came out and installed it didn't know jack about HDTV and I had to do the install myself(which was easy) anyway if Directv does get the comcast channel in HDTV I will cancel camcast cable in a minute and I will give them a piece of my mind while doing so......
Bottom Line - I hate comcast - but love the Kings at all cost and I will never leave Directv.......................
That is great for you, Kg. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky...especially those with several months left on their satellite contract.....or those who simply cannot get comcast as it is not available to them, yet they are still within the 75 mi blackout zone (qd comes immediately to mind). I really am happy that it is working out well for you, though.