re: Question about SEC Network

quote:

---

Only the SECNetwork has the power to actually place the 2nd best game each week on it's channel. Only the SECNetwork gets 3 games per Saturday.

---

Is this planned? I feel like the second and third best games will still be on ESPN.

If so I might have to look harder into switching. I just assumed it would be the shite games.

The only thing I watch on cable is college football, so yea I'd switch

I have DirecTV, if they don't pick it up I will go down to the lowest package I can pay until my contract is up. I will either get Dish or figure out if Uverse has actually appeared on my street yet.

FYI … just read the following on another (TAMU) website I frequent. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, we've been encouraged (by various entities at TAMU) to keep up the pressure on DirecTV--daily.

Apparently, as of today, the automated responses from DirecTV have changed:

quote:

---

Like many of my fellow DirecTV subscribers here, I'm badgering them to carry the SEC Network at launch. They have been sending quick letter responses back whenever they are contacted about the channel. Here's my email to them through their website. The reply is below that email.

quote:

---

Dish Network and the SEC announced yesterday that the upcoming SEC Network channel set to launch this August will be carried on Dish's channel lineup. I speak not only for myself but also for many, many SEC fans that will switch to Dish come summer should DirecTV not carry this channel at launch. Please make sure and carry this channel at launch.

LINK

---

The response I get minutes after sending the email:

quote:

---

Thank you for writing about the upcoming SEC Network. DIRECTV is in discussions with the owners of the SEC Network, which is set to debut August 2014. We will have more information as we draw closer to its launch date.

Sincerely,
DIRECTV Customer Care

---

I find that interesting. It looks like they've gotten so much correspondence about the SEC Network that their programmers have written code that will trigger an automated response when a customer asks about the SEC Network. I think this is good and it shows that they are now feeling even more pressure after Dish's announcement yesterday.

---

Another poster added the following:

quote:

---

I just spoke to the folks at Direct TV. The response they gave me was basically, we appreciate that you have been a customer continuously for thirteen years and we do expect to add the SEC Network. When I said I know that you need to negotiate and I will wait to move until July 31st, the guy at Direct TV said he was a Vandy alum (doubtful, but could be t shirt fan) and that he knows where I'm coming from. He said that he really expects Direct TV to announce in May or June s that they recognize that it probably wouldn't make good business sense to wait until the very end. Hope he's right.

---

At least it's something.
Good momentum, anyway.
Keep up the pressure, and LINK ]demand the SEC Network now.

quote:

---

Seems like the Aggies are doing their part.

---

If there's one thing at which Ags are second-to-none, it's showing solidarity in any and all attempts to inundate targeted entities with emails; boycott a product/business/personnel; and win (spam) any form of online Internet competition.

quote:

---

I will switch from DirecTV if they don't pick it up.

---

Ditto.

The wife practically demanded I switch us to Dish this morning until I calmed her down (mainly because I was too busy today to deal with the headache of switching). I'm in wait-and-see mode with regard to DTV picking up the SECN, but my 2 year contract has about 7 more months on it, so it behooves me financially -- and in terms of leverage -- to wait until closer to launch to see if Direct picks it up.

quote:

---

that's nuts that direct tv won't carry this, at least not right away, can't believe it

---

Eh, DirecTV's M.O. is to play the waiting game in order to make channels sweat it out during negotiations, even to the point of going dark. They're doing it with The Weather Channel right now, and Dish did it with AMC a few years ago when Breaking Bad was in the middle of a season.

Part of me thinks they'll cut a deal the closer we get to launch, but part of me looks at the fact that they haven't picked up the Pac-12 Network and worries they'll pass on the SECN at first too. I can't see them staying away from the SECN when the viewer numbers and ratings start rolling in, especially if and when customers in the SEC footprint, which is actually enormous now, start dumping them in favor of a provider who actually carries it.

I honestly think they don't understand the target audience and customer demographic they're dealing with when it comes to the SEC, especially considering that they're a California-based company. Perhaps they think SEC fans are as patient, forgiving and/or relaxed as Pac-12 fans.

quote:

---

Part of me thinks they'll cut a deal the closer we get to launch, but part of me looks at the fact that they haven't picked up the Pac-12 Network and worries they'll pass on the SECN at first too.

---

Pac-12 Net is a different deal though.

With Pac-12 Net there is a national channel as well as 6 other regional channels.

Also, as others have mentioned, Pac-12 Net is fully owned by the conference and does not have the added help of Fox or ESPN pushing for the networks to get picked up.

If it was just a single network I think DTV would have already picked it up.

I don't think DTV will negotiate with ESPN over SECN because they have a current deal with Disney. Disney will probably refuse to offer SECN by itself without renegotiating the rights for all of their channels.

Only reason dish is carrying it is because their deal with Disney had expired last September.