WSR Gridiron Report

Good post Brad. I watched Scott and Stevenson and then turned it off. First it ws late starting and second it gave no new information of any value. As to Direct I agree they will not be signing on at least in the immediate future. Online mobile subscriptions arre NOT going to be available in the first year. Maybe in latter years but not the first. Those other cable companies added by the NCTC will have the option to carry the networks if they so choose. Some will do that and others will not. It will be interesting to see what Charter, Frontier, Suddenlink, Wave, Bend and the others choose to do going forward. Hopefully several will add the networks. Essentially those fans whohave a Cable TV subscription with one of the carriers will have the networks if they have the right channels on their listings. In addition if they have internet access not necesarily with one of those carriers they will have internet access with authenticated status as a subscriber. If not they will not have the networks. The sports bars will not have it nor will Dish and it remains to be seen if Verizon and ATT pick it up. my best guess on number of homes covered is 42 to 55 million depending on addiitonal homes from the NCTC additions.

NOT a great start but better than what we had before.

Jim

Brad or Jim: Any indication on dish? Will they align themselves with the network? I'm getting concerned about suddenlink after emailing them and calling them. Not sure they have the channel availability on their enhanced sports package for the PAC-12 network and they don't have any other conference networks.

Ricky right now I am not that optimistic on any of this. dish is a very long shot to pick it up because they are not known for spending money. As to Suddenlink I doubt thaat their customer service represntatives have a clue what is going on. Only the top executives would likely have a clue. they are big in Stillwater sothey may add it, but who knows. The other members of NCTC may opt in or not depending on the marketplace. I do not see Direct signing in for a while because our fans are too docile when threatening to leave and veryoften take the discounts they get in bills to stay. As to GAry I will hear the tree fall on Cox but how many other witnesses will there be that it actually happened? What I saw on media day was a pooorly prepared show that started several minutes late and Scott and Stevenson both looked like they had just been horse whipped and left for dead. Maybe this will have a good ending, but for many it will not be the outcome we hoped for.

Jim

Gary right now the only state thaat may have decent coverage statewide with existing carriers for cable iis believeitor not Arizona with good coverage by cox, comcast TW (Yuma) and if added Cable one and Cablevision. Calfiornia has huge holes even if Charter and theother cable companies come aboard. MuchofOregon is out unless Bend and Wave Are added. Washington has lots of holes and so does Colorado and Utah although Strata may help Utah. If the NCTC cable companies come aboard this year theproject will make money. Lets summarize major PaC 12 markets and carriers
Seattle Comcast Pullman TW Portland Eugene and Corvallis Comcast and TW Bay Area Comcast Las Vegas Cox Phoenix Cox Tucson Cox and Comcast LA mixed but heavy Charter and TW Denver Charter and Comcast. San Diego Cox and Salt Lake City Comcast. This stillleaves many places with no coverage and with dish andDirect out many will be without.

We needSuddenlink, Charter, Verizon, ATT Wave Division, Bend and Strata soon and then we can survive for a while.

Jim

Jim - Sorry to beat a dead horse and you may not know the answer, but living in Nebraska I'm very concerned about my options. I now have Dish and while I like them, would drop them in a second if they don't pick it up. We have Cox here and I live chatted with a representative and she said she couldn't find it and to try again in August. Well great but then I only have a few weeks to figure out where to go. Do you think Cox will pick it up in the Midwest? Is the Internet stream the only other option? Thanks so much for your time and updates.

jjones, our resident P12 Network expert, probably knows the official launch date of the Network. Once the Network launches, I expect we'll be getting daily national reports regarding which cable and satellite companies have signed on, are about to sign on, or have their heads so far up their a**es it'll be time for conference fans to start dropping and changing their cable/satellite subscriptions.

Jim - thanks again for your help. Looks like I'm switching! One more question and hopefully your answer may help someone else as well. You said I should at least get the national Pac 12 network. How is that different from someone in Arizona? Are there specific network channels based on region? Is there going to be Arizona games I may miss that only people in Arizona will see? Again, thanks.

JIm, I want to thank you for really keeping all of us informed about what's going on with this. For me I'm a Directv subscriber and no way I'm switching to Cox even though I live in the Phoenix area. I guess I will be hopeful that a deal will be struck at some point. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like most of the quality games, at least in football, will get picked up by the major networks so I hopefully won't miss much. I can attend the Oklahoma St game in Tucson so that's the one big one I won't miss.

My bigger concern will come basketball season, when there is much more potential for missed games if Directv doesn't have a contract and the sports bars around here don't have Cox. Hopefully that won't happen. I can't believe that I'm a month away from saying our deal with Fox Sports was better than this fiasco from a television viewing standpoint. I hope I'm wrong and Directv will sign on.

The only sports bar in Phownix that I know has voth Cox and Directv is PADRE mURPHEYS WHICH HAS BOTH.

Jim PS They also have Off Track bettting

Jim, thanks for the great insight...