ESPN has lost 10 million subscribers since 2013

[wizards8507]

what about simply entering into the 2yr (tv/phone/internet) deals with TWC or a cablevision, then switching to fios...and back and forth and back and forth.

You don't even have to switch back and forth. Once your two year deal is up, just call your existing company and tell them you want the two year deal again.

 

[Monk]

You don't even have to switch back and forth. Once your two year deal is up, just call your existing company and tell them you want the two year deal again.

This does not always work. Many times you have to cancel to get the best deal.

 

[koonja]

Saving a small amount of monthly money doesn't sound like it's worth the hassle of stringing up your TVs with antennas and paying 3 different sources a small fee and dealing with streaming of channels.

I'd rather just pay the $155 through one provider, get a modem, get good internet, and have 5 rooms running solid cable with easy use but that's just me.

 

[ACamp1900]

I know in my area Charter is buying out everyone else's contracts now...

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Saving a small amount of monthly money doesn't sound like it's worth the hassle of stringing up your TVs with antennas and paying 3 different sources a small fee and dealing with streaming of channels.

I'd rather just pay the $155 through one provider, get a modem, get good internet, and have 5 rooms running solid cable with easy use but that's just me.

If you watch a lot of cable, then that's probably a good deal for you. Most cord-cutters are finding themselves watching less and less of it, though.

 

[Monk]

Saving a small amount of monthly money doesn't sound like it's worth the hassle of stringing up your TVs with antennas and paying 3 different sources a small fee and dealing with streaming of channels.

I'd rather just pay the $155 through one provider, get a modem, get good internet, and have 5 rooms running solid cable with easy use but that's just me.

I tend to agree with this point. Like others mentioned earlier, I enjoy CFB to much to deal with the hassle.

Do you have to pay extra for your 5 rooms of cable? We were just switched over so you have to rent a small set top box for every TV. It is "free" for the first year then $3.50/mo/box.

 

[ND NYC]

You don't even have to switch back and forth. Once your two year deal is up, just call your existing company and tell them you want the two year deal again.

I actually tried this, (had triple play by optimum) the first time, and they wouldn't do it; said that deal was "for new customers only".
was laughing with/at guy in the phone.
he was like "do what you have to do".

so now I'm gonna do it.

 

[koonja]

If you watch a lot of cable, then that's probably a good deal for you. Most cord-cutters are finding themselves watching less and less of it, though.

I couldn't go away with all of the college football stations, AMC, Animal Planet, or Discovery. It's only like 15 channels total max, but I feel like it's too diverse to 'cut the cord'.

 

[ACamp1900]

I couldn't go away with all of the college football stations, AMC, Animal Planet, or Discovery. It's only like 15 channels total max, but I feel like it's too diverse to 'cut the cord'.

Sports, Cooking and Educational... if you put together a package with just that, I'd be all in.

 

[koonja]

I tend to agree with this point. Like others mentioned earlier, I enjoy CFB to much to deal with the hassle.

Do you have to pay extra for your 5 rooms of cable? We were just switched over so you have to rent a small set top box for every TV. It is "free" for the first year then $3.50/mo/box.

I already pay for my boxes and the 3 rooms that are 'view only' are 2.99 a month, and the two dvr boxes are 9.99 a month. Still, my total bill is only $155. It may go up like $10 after the first year, Ill have to double check, but still.

 

[IrishLion]

You don't even have to switch back and forth. Once your two year deal is up, just call your existing company and tell them you want the two year deal again.

This does not always work. Many times you have to cancel to get the best deal.

Yeah, I tried this with DirecTV. I called them when my 2 year contract was up and told them I would enter a new contract if I got my first-year pricing back. They told me I couldn't get the first-year pricing, as it was just for new customers.

They offered me a $10/month credit. I asked what would happen if I just cancelled and then signed back up in a month when my desired programming resumed. He told me that they would have my address/service info, and it might not work.

Eventually I got offered a $30/month credit, which basically puts me back at first-year pricing, so I took it.

I'm going to call them tonight and threaten to cancel now that Cincy Bell offers a "My Package" deal, which gets me my DirecTV lineup and 50 mbps internet for $80 cheaper. We'll see what kind of sweet offer they have for me now.

 

[Irish#1]

I have no problem with cord-cutters. Perhaps these media giants shouldn't be charging the prices they do for cable/internet packages. Just my opinion.

I can get everything I need (except BTN) by having an internet subscription, Sling TV subscription + HBO, Netflix, and a good antenna. Costs are around $85/month. Compare that to some of my co-workers who have Comcast Xfinity and pay $250/month.

They need to wake up. I have Xfinity 1 with two digital boxes, 1 DVR, all premium programming except for Cinemax. My internet speed is 150Mbps, plus phone. I pay $150 a month all inclusive (taxes, regulatory fees, bullshit makeup fees, etc.)

Yeah, I haven't had cable/directv for the past year or so...the amount of random sports I watch has taken a big nose dive. I use my parent's info so I can use watchESPN and NBC Sports. The only time I'm ever on those sorts of things though, is when I know what I want to see.

You cheap ass kids. Mine are always calling asking for my login and password.

What do you guys pay for cable? My comcast bill is $155 a month, and that's a rented modem, 25 MGBP of internet speed, 2 'viewing only' boxes, and 2 'DVR' boxes, and ~ 150 HD channels. No premiums (HBO, but that's free for me until Sept).

I actually feel like it's pretty reasonable.

You can do better. See above.

 

[wizards8507]

Saving a small amount of monthly money doesn't sound like it's worth the hassle of stringing up your TVs with antennas and paying 3 different sources a small fee and dealing with streaming of channels.

I'd rather just pay the $155 through one provider, get a modem, get good internet, and have 5 rooms running solid cable with easy use but that's just me.

+1. "The bundle" is still a great value. Nielsen says the average adult watches more than five hours of television per day. Let's use a married couple as an example. That's ten entertainment hours per day (two people watching five hours of TV each, even if they're watching the same program), for about 300 entertainment hours in a $150 month. So $0.50 per entertainment hour. Try going to your local movie theater and buying a ticket for Captain America: Civil War and tell them you only want to pay $1.25 for your ticket.

 

[Monk]

+1. "The bundle" is still a great value. Nielsen says the average adult watches more than five hours of television per day. Let's use a married couple as an example. That's ten entertainment hours per day (two people watching five hours of TV each, even if they're watching the same program), for about 300 entertainment hours in a $150 month. So $0.50 per entertainment hour. Try going to your local movie theater and buying a ticket for Captain America: Civil War and tell them you only want to pay $1.25 for your ticket.

I get what you're saying there, but not all entertainment has equal value.

 

[wizards8507]

I get what you're saying there, but not all entertainment has equal worth.

Of course, the math isn't precise. I also omitted the cost of internet and home phone in my analysis, so the imprecision cuts both ways.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Sports, Cooking and Educational... if you put together a package with just that, I'd be all in.

^This

Throw in HGTV and I'm in.

 

[ACamp1900]

^This

Throw in HGTV and I'm in.

I love HGTV... I kind of throw that in the 'educational' box though,... on a related note... I know we all post pics of these uber done up Hollywood model types... but for 'real world beauty' I think Joanna from fixer upper is flat out beautiful.

 

[ND NYC]

for comparison purposes we should be thinking:

TV
Internet
Phone
all above thru one provider (I.e. TWC, Comcast, Cablevsion etc)

also figure in:
multi room DVR
at least 3 boxes

for me, all in, on above I'm paying $260 per month for above with the cable tv pkg that gets everything.

I know I am probabaly way overpaying. when I did deal on above I got all above for 129 month but that expired about 8 minths ago.

 

[Irish#1]

Saving a small amount of monthly money doesn't sound like it's worth the hassle of stringing up your TVs with antennas and paying 3 different sources a small fee and dealing with streaming of channels.

I'd rather just pay the $155 through one provider, get a modem, get good internet, and have 5 rooms running solid cable with easy use but that's just me.

Mr. Penny Pincher who is always looking for the cheapest way to remodel doesn't care about paying extra for cable?

I actually tried this, (had triple play by optimum) the first time, and they wouldn't do it; said that deal was "for new customers only".
was laughing with/at guy in the phone.
he was like "do what you have to do".

so now I'm gonna do it.

About 4-5 years ago, I have Direct TV and AT&T for my internet. I was paying about $185 total. I told them both what I wanted and needed in service and price. Both only offered token discounts (about $5 a month). They wouldn't budge. Got what I wanted from Comcast and called both up to cancel service. Both immediately said they would give me what I asked for, but I told them it was too late.

BTW.......The best way to get your price is through the chat function so you can save a copy. My first Comcast bill was more than what I expected. I told them I had a copy of the chat session that verified my total cost including sneaky fees, taxes, regulatory fees was quoted at $150. They quickly got it changed.

 

[NDohio]

I know in my area Charter is buying out everyone else's contracts now...

Didn't they just buy Time Warner?

 

[ACamp1900]

Didn't they just buy Time Warner?

IDK but that would make perfect sense because they are going around buying out everyone's contract and the big draw for most people who jump has been the fact that Charter is the only carrier in our area that has the Dodger games (TWC)...

 

[IrishJayhawk]

I love HGTV... I kind of throw that in the 'educational' box though,... on a related note... I know we all post pics of these uber done up Hollywood model types... but for 'real world beauty' I think Joanna from fixer upper is flat out beautiful.

Yep. That's a great show, too.

 

[calvegas04]

who ever still has phone with their cable company is getting ripped off, no matter if it is part of the "bundle" or not there is always a cheaper plan without the phone.

 

[pumpdog20]

When Sling gets DVR service, it'll be game over.

 

[Legacy]

ESPN still probably earns Disney a bit over half their profits.

However, the media division - ESPN and ABC - was down 6% with sluggish growth projected.

The Studio Division profits (Star Wars) was up 86%, the Consumer products division showed a profit increase of 23%, and theme park profits were up 22%.

Overall, Disney's net income was up 32%. But it's stock price is down 20% over the past year. Past time to spin off a stand-alone ESPN. Time to trim off $100 million from ESPN.

It's just amazing that ND can continue to be (partially) independent in football without having to be bundled in a conference. Content with consumer demand is king.

 

[Monk]

who ever still has phone with their cable company is getting ripped off, no matter if it is part of the "bundle" or not there is always a cheaper plan without the phone.

According to the cable company that is not true. Every time we call up we tell them to remove the phone line because we don't use it. They tell us they can remove it, but the cost will go up.

 

[wizards8507]

When Sling gets DVR service, it'll be game over.

Sling will be obsolete in five years.

 

[Rack Em]

Sling will be obsolete in five years.

Then it will have done its job of getting innovation into the market. Consumers what a la carte channel options. Not 200+ channels, 50 of which are either:

1) bullshit
2) in Spanish
3) stupid music channels

Also, I hate supporting monopolies. So I'll gladly give my money elsewhere, despite its limited effect.

 

[calvegas04]

According to the cable company that is not true. Every time we call up we tell them to remove the phone line because we don't use it. They tell us they can remove it, but the cost will go up.

they are lying.... I used to work for a cable company

 

[wizards8507]

who ever still has phone with their cable company is getting ripped off, no matter if it is part of the "bundle" or not there is always a cheaper plan without the phone.

I just like having a home phone.

Then it will have done its job of getting innovation into the market. Consumers what a la carte channel options. Not 200+ channels, 50 of which are either:

1) bullshit
2) in Spanish
3) stupid music channels

Also, I hate supporting monopolies. So I'll gladly give my money elsewhere, despite its limited effect.

I don't like the monopolies either, especially when local governments have granted regional monopolies by force of law and specifically prohibit competition. But Sling hasn't changed anything. It's a response to change, not a cause of change.