INDemand reaches deal for MLB Extra Innings Package!

[moorecg]

KUJay....any luck with Charter today?

[Soul]

Ok...can I add some sanity here. I'll first begin with the disclaimer that I am a DirectTV subscriber. I have nothing against cable, nor do I think DirectTV is the best thing ever. I just happen to be a DirectTV subscriber.

 

But, everyone getting upset at DirectTV for pursuing an exclusive deal is ludicrous and assinine. I can understand angst at MLB for allowing that possibility, but being angry at DirectTV is pretty stupid. DirectTV has an obligation to its subscribers to provide the best possible programming and to itself to increase subscriber base. One way to increase subscribers is to have programming that no one else has and that people might be willing to switch to your service to get. DirectTV attempted that with EI.

 

Now, do I understand why people who have cable wouldn't like that to happen? Certainly. But to direct that hate at DirectTV is pretty stupid. Why hate a company for practicing a smart business practice?

 

I'm not sure if describing the position of the majority of the people posting in the thread as "ludricous and assinine" is really "adding some sanity" Vance.

 

As for hating it...yeah, MLB is the biggest culprit, no question...but your position is like saying you can't hate the yankees when they buy up every possible free agent...Actually, yes I could hate them...and its neither ludricous or assinine. And while it may somehow benefit their current subscribers...it hurts all those who aren't...so I can dislike them for that too if I so choose......now at the end of the day, the right thing happened and its available to both customer bases....that's all I care about....I could care less whether anyone has DirecTV, Cable, or an freakin coathanger antenna.

 

You could hate DirecTV, but that hatred would be misplaced since they didn't force anyone to do anything. Indeed, it was DirecTV who actually didn't complain when MLB decided to offer renewal for cable companies. They're still paying the $700 million, but without exclusivity.

 

A better argument can be made for DirecTV's good citizenship than for them being "scumbags." You can bet your bottom dollar cable wouldn't be willing to do that.

[mul21]

KUJay....any luck with Charter today?

 

I'm in the St. Louis market and it's showing up on my digital guide, but they say they are still in negaotiations with MLB to get a price nailed down. That was as of about 3 pm yesterday.

[OleMissCub]

Still nothing on my Comcast cable as of yet. Bastards need to hurry up. I've got MLB.tv, but it just ain't the same. I love my recliner and TV.

[kujay]

KUJay....any luck with Charter today?

 

I just managed to get a very knowledgable guy on the phone.

 

He told me that negotiations are not finalized, and that MLB is trying to do what "NFL Network was trying to do to us." We here in St. Louis know how that worked out.

 

He also said they thought they had an agreement yesterday, but that they are still not able to take orders.

 

Lastly, he put me on some list to receive an autocall to my home number once they are able to take orders. That's the first I've heard of that. He said if I don't hear anything by Thursday or Friday, to call back to get an update.

 

So, basically, we've made no progress here.

[OleMissCub]

They should prorate the fee due to us missing 2 weeks or so. Would only be like $10 less, but still.

[oldcubsfan]

I see Maury Brown has an article on the EI deal on BP. Anyone with a subscription willing to post it?

[Mizzou]

Any updates from Charter?

[moorecg]

Any updates from Charter?

 

Here is today's web chat...from about 2 minutes ago...it "seems" like good news, but who knows if its true...(Read from bottom up)

 

Craig: Thanks.

 

Gerald W: It is just what I have read that I sent to you and they are moving along as quickly as they can. I am very sorry for the mixed messages you have been getting and I do apologize. If further information is required you can phone into 1-888-438-2427.

 

Craig: My concern is that I'll call back tomorrow and I'll get someone else who will say "oh...we're still negotiating"...

 

Craig: Hey, no offense man, but I've got 20 different answers from you guys over the last week...from being told "yes" we've got it, to "no" we won't have it, to "what's MLB-EI"....its very frustrating and since we're over a week into the season I'd like to see a resolution. If you're saying it will happen today I can live with that

 

Gerald W: they are going ahead to complete plans.Do you want to sign up for sometime that is quite finished whats a couple of more hours at a time like this.

 

Craig: So its not confirmed and we're basically "still negotiating" like I've been told for a week now?, Now I'm confused...

 

Gerald W: Anytime once it is confirmed.

 

Craig: If true, that is Great news...when can I order?

 

Gerald W: MLB Extra Innings Update \u2013 Great news! Charter\u2019s Corporate Programming Team is going to go ahead and complete a deal for the MLB Extra Innings PPV package. Talking points and updates will be completed and posted to KMS over the next few days. Please stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available. (H. Christopherson).

 

Craig: I'm looking for an update on the status of availablity of the MLB-Extra Innings package.

 

Gerald W: My name is Gerald, thank you for contacting Charter. How may I help you today?

[Soul]

Any updates from Charter?

 

Here is today's web chat...from about 2 minutes ago...it "seems" like good news, but who knows if its true...(Read from bottom up)

 

Craig: Thanks.

 

Gerald W: It is just what I have read that I sent to you and they are moving along as quickly as they can. I am very sorry for the mixed messages you have been getting and I do apologize. If further information is required you can phone into 1-888-438-2427.

 

Craig: My concern is that I'll call back tomorrow and I'll get someone else who will say "oh...we're still negotiating"...

 

Craig: Hey, no offense man, but I've got 20 different answers from you guys over the last week...from being told "yes" we've got it, to "no" we won't have it, to "what's MLB-EI"....its very frustrating and since we're over a week into the season I'd like to see a resolution. If you're saying it will happen today I can live with that

 

Gerald W: they are going ahead to complete plans.Do you want to sign up for sometime that is quite finished whats a couple of more hours at a time like this.

 

Craig: So its not confirmed and we're basically "still negotiating" like I've been told for a week now?, Now I'm confused...

 

Gerald W: Anytime once it is confirmed.

 

Craig: If true, that is Great news...when can I order?

 

Gerald W: MLB Extra Innings Update \u2013 Great news! Charter\u2019s Corporate Programming Team is going to go ahead and complete a deal for the MLB Extra Innings PPV package. Talking points and updates will be completed and posted to KMS over the next few days. Please stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available. (H. Christopherson).

 

Craig: I'm looking for an update on the status of availablity of the MLB-Extra Innings package.

 

Gerald W: My name is Gerald, thank you for contacting Charter. How may I help you today?

 

And people say DirecTV service is bad? LOL. I could barely even understand half of what that guy wrote.

[kujay]

Yeah that isn't terribly encouraging. CG, as you know, all the games are showing up on individual channels on the guide, but it says "subscription package."

 

The way the bums are playing, maybe this is a blessing.

[moorecg]

Yeah that isn't terribly encouraging. CG, as you know, all the games are showing up on individual channels on the guide, but it says "subscription package."

 

The way the bums are playing, maybe this is a blessing.

 

No kidding...last year was the first time I bought the package and after DLee broke his arm I was wondering if I couldn't just get my money back...

[Derwood]

Any updates from Charter?

 

Here is today's web chat...from about 2 minutes ago...it "seems" like good news, but who knows if its true...(Read from bottom up)

 

Craig: Thanks.

 

Gerald W: It is just what I have read that I sent to you and they are moving along as quickly as they can. I am very sorry for the mixed messages you have been getting and I do apologize. If further information is required you can phone into 1-888-438-2427.

 

Craig: My concern is that I'll call back tomorrow and I'll get someone else who will say "oh...we're still negotiating"...

 

Craig: Hey, no offense man, but I've got 20 different answers from you guys over the last week...from being told "yes" we've got it, to "no" we won't have it, to "what's MLB-EI"....its very frustrating and since we're over a week into the season I'd like to see a resolution. If you're saying it will happen today I can live with that

 

Gerald W: they are going ahead to complete plans.Do you want to sign up for sometime that is quite finished whats a couple of more hours at a time like this.

 

Craig: So its not confirmed and we're basically "still negotiating" like I've been told for a week now?, Now I'm confused...

 

Gerald W: Anytime once it is confirmed.

 

Craig: If true, that is Great news...when can I order?

 

Gerald W: MLB Extra Innings Update \u2013 Great news! Charter\u2019s Corporate Programming Team is going to go ahead and complete a deal for the MLB Extra Innings PPV package. Talking points and updates will be completed and posted to KMS over the next few days. Please stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available. (H. Christopherson).

 

Craig: I'm looking for an update on the status of availablity of the MLB-Extra Innings package.

 

Gerald W: My name is Gerald, thank you for contacting Charter. How may I help you today?

 

almost sound like you were talking to a bot and not an actual person

[kujay]

This guy was obviously not an English speaker.

 

Cracks me up when I get telecalls, usually from my cc company, since they aren't subject to the no-call list laws.

 

The dude is obviously in Delhi RIGHT NOW, but he says, "Hello Nicholas, my name is Mark Stephens with Bank of..."

 

Yeah, you're name is Mark Stephens and mine is Geraldo Rivera.

[moorecg]

Yeah...I always ask where they are at...most of the time with Charter it is San Paulo Brazil...and strangely everyone in San Paulo has an "english" name....sort of like strippers...but different.

[Soul]

Yeah...I always ask where they are at...most of the time with Charter it is San Paulo Brazil...and strangely everyone in San Paulo has an "english" name....sort of like strippers...but different.

 

Well, I hope you get the package sooner rather than later.

 

I laid down $180 for the NBA package one year, and then the Bulls were godawful. I'll never buy a package like that until I feel the team has at least a mild chance at success. Unless it's the NFL, because you know with football I can sit and watch Texans/Cardinals straight through and be completely entertained, even if it's the last game of the year and both clubs are 3-12 :wink:

[OleMissCub]

Yeah...I always ask where they are at...most of the time with Charter it is San Paulo Brazil...and strangely everyone in San Paulo has an "english" name....sort of like strippers...but different.

 

Well, I hope you get the package sooner rather than later.

 

I laid down $180 for the NBA package one year, and then the Bulls were godawful. I'll never buy a package like that until I feel the team has at least a mild chance at success. Unless it's the NFL, because you know with football I can sit and watch Texans/Cardinals straight through and be completely entertained, even if it's the last game of the year and both clubs are 3-12 :wink:

 

$180 for NBA??

 

Jeez, there's twice as many MLB games than NBA and you pay more for NBA?

 

Crazy.

[moorecg]

New Charter twist for today "Maria" indicated to me (this time I called in)that they were "still negotiating" but that now they were taking survey's of their customers to guage interest...

While I'd encurage all charter customers to call in and say you are interested, this sounds like bad news to me...just an excuse to come back and say that "well..only 2% of our customers really wanted it so it wasn't really a priority"...or something like that crap.

[dalgreen]

New Charter twist for today "Maria" indicated to me (this time I called in)that they were "still negotiating" but that now they were taking survey's of their customers to guage interest...

While I'd encurage all charter customers to call in and say you are interested, this sounds like bad news to me...just an excuse to come back and say that "well..only 2% of our customers really wanted it so it wasn't really a priority"...or something like that crap.

 

This makes reason #112 why I'm glad I moved from St. Louis.

[Soul]

I think I'm gonna cave and order the DirecTV EI package. I couldn't stand knowing there were 2 HD games on last night and I couldn't watch 'em.

[kujay]

New Charter twist for today "Maria" indicated to me (this time I called in)that they were "still negotiating" but that now they were taking survey's of their customers to guage interest...

While I'd encurage all charter customers to call in and say you are interested, this sounds like bad news to me...just an excuse to come back and say that "well..only 2% of our customers really wanted it so it wasn't really a priority"...or something like that crap.

 

What a crock. Charter is some operation.

 

I just talked to some guy whose name I could not understand. He said they are still negotiating and that it "looks promising." Whatever that means.

 

This is so aggravating.

[Derwood]

New Charter twist for today "Maria" indicated to me (this time I called in)that they were "still negotiating" but that now they were taking survey's of their customers to guage interest...

While I'd encurage all charter customers to call in and say you are interested, this sounds like bad news to me...just an excuse to come back and say that "well..only 2% of our customers really wanted it so it wasn't really a priority"...or something like that crap.

 

What a crock. Charter is some operation.

 

I just talked to some guy whose name I could not understand. He said they are still negotiating and that it "looks promising." Whatever that means.

 

This is so aggravating.

 

maybe Charter needs to sit back in their chair and whisper. This creates a dominant position for them. Then they should change rooms at the last minute or suddenly leave the room

[moorecg]

New Charter twist for today "Maria" indicated to me (this time I called in)that they were "still negotiating" but that now they were taking survey's of their customers to guage interest...

While I'd encurage all charter customers to call in and say you are interested, this sounds like bad news to me...just an excuse to come back and say that "well..only 2% of our customers really wanted it so it wasn't really a priority"...or something like that crap.

 

What a crock. Charter is some operation.

 

I just talked to some guy whose name I could not understand. He said they are still negotiating and that it "looks promising." Whatever that means.

 

This is so aggravating.

 

maybe Charter needs to sit back in their chair and whisper. This creates a dominant position for them. Then they should change rooms at the last minute or suddenly leave the room

 

post of the day. :D

[moorecg]

(Not that I'll trust anything until I see it on my TV...) But apparently they whispered and changed rooms correctly...I talked to an actual Charter guy in the U.S. Today who helped me fix a TiVo issue I was having and I said as we got of..."hey, you wouldn't happen to know anything about the MLB-EI package woudl you"...he said...let me talk to my supervisor...returns and said that the deal has now been signed and they are working on getting the billing system set up to take orders...Whee...

 

I'm continuing my disbelief until I see it on my TV...but this guy was in the U.S. and had actually heard of baseball and said that he new about the negotiations and that they were done and Charter was setting up the ordering system...that's at least kinda positive.

[kujay]

I talked to another American around the same time last night who told me that "On Demand" was not negotiating with Charter in good faith but that they were still hopeful an agreement could be reached.

 

I'm choosing to believe the guy you talked to. :lol: