ESPN Screws Us Again

[futbolrey]

according to www.soccertv.com ESPN will not broadcast the champions League next year. Instead, espn will switch the champions league coverage on to Espn deportes. NOw tell me does anyone get espn deportes!!! I already get 2 or 4 games on ESPN 2 but now this totoally sucks. Looks like i'll have to get a satelite next year. Thanks a lot ESPN!


PS
Comcast Sucks
and ESPN

[LMvCP]

ESPN deportes is cool

:D

[KiQuE]

Originally posted by rdl674
ESPN deportes is cool

:D

Not when you don't have it it's not. :(

[MikeLastort2]

I'm sure they based their decision on ratings.

Does this suck? You betcha. I'm also pretty pissed that Fox cancelled Firefly due to poor ratings. Life goes on.

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by KiQuE
Not when you don't have it it's not. :(

You could buy a DBS dish, and subscribe to DirecTV Para Todos.

[Spartak]

Originally posted by KiQuE
Not when you don't have it it's not. :(
Nobody has the channel yet. The channel will not go on the air until September 7, 2003. So don't start throwing a fit until then. I would expect most digital cable and satelite providers to add the channel.

Originally posted by futbolrey
PS
Comcast Sucks

So true.

[Ajax65]

Sort of makes the case for the MLS starting a soccer cable channel since none of the networks are going to cover soccer adequately. I only hope that it becomes a reality sooner than later.

[lond2345]

"You could buy a DBS dish, and subscribe to DirecTV Para Todos."

my friend has that (the cheapest version)

he gets fsw espanol, galavision (lots of mfl games, if not mistaken they showed champions cup games too) tve (tv spain, but no liga games just cheap lower divisions) and tv azteca too if not mistaken ( i could be wrong)

plus telemundo, univision

[AndyMead]

I guess the Euro-snobs will be forced to give up soccer on ESPN, unless they start watching MLS.

[RhinosBoy21]

Originally posted by AndyMead
I guess the Euro-snobs will be forced to give up soccer on ESPN, unless they start watching MLS.

I agree with you. I am 100% Polish, i went to few NT games and been to 100's of Gornik Zabrze matches in sector 13 (supporters section) but i must say alot of Euros in america piss me off when it comes to football. Unless they have to work, or cant afford it or some other good reason that they dont go to matches or watch but i know alot of "Euros" who dont watch MLS becasue its "America". Football is football in Poland, England and United States. I must admit i dont watch many games on ESPN (usually busy on Sat) but i watch a few Metros on FSNY/MSG and i am season ticket holder for Rhinos and i gotta say, American football matches are awsome, not as good as the ones in Poland but just good enough.

[Sneever Flion]

Originally posted by MikeLastort2
I'm also pretty pissed that Fox cancelled Firefly due to poor ratings. Life goes on.

That just sucks. I was really starting to like that show.

Huh...I wonder if that companion chick is free.

[monster]

You must be getting a different version of Ollie's site because it doesn't say that. I don't ever recal it saying it would happen, although he hinted it might.

And even if it does, I'm sure they will all cry in Bristol at losing the 0.1 or 0.2 they got on weekday afternoons.

[Lucid]

Originally posted by Ajax65
Sort of makes the case for the MLS starting a soccer cable channel since none of the networks are going to cover soccer adequately. I only hope that it becomes a reality sooner than later.

Yeah, the other networks would actually like that decision because then MLSTV could horde all the s**tty ratings for themselves.

I love these threads.

[kenntomasch]

Headline: SUM Invests $50 Million in Startup Soccer Channel so Bigsoccer Newbie Doesn't Have to Buy a Dish.

[superdave]

Originally posted by kenntomasch
Headline: SUM Invests $50 Million in Startup Soccer Channel so Bigsoccer Newbie Doesn't Have to Buy a Dish.
Kenn...I don't understand your hostility here. SUM is, in fact, considering starting a soccer channel.

And to Lucid...crap ratings for ESPN2 are strong ratings for a niche digital tier cable channel, so your post didn't make any sense to me either.

These back to back posts from guys I respect are making me wonder if I imagined the news that SUM is planning a soccer channel.

[Sachin]

Originally posted by superdave
Kenn...I don't understand your hostility here. SUM is, in fact, considering starting a soccer channel.

And to Lucid...crap ratings for ESPN2 are strong ratings for a niche digital tier cable channel, so your post didn't make any sense to me either.

These back to back posts from guys I respect are making me wonder if I imagined the news that SUM is planning a soccer channel.

They are *considering* it. What that means, I have no idea. My guess is that they are crunching numbers only to find that PPV operators like Setanta are willing to outbid them for the choice leagues (EPL, La Liga, etc.) TV rights.

The biggest problem with a soccer channel is going to be distribution. There are already litereally hundreds of potential cable channels with broader appeal than a single-sport network that can't get any distribution on cable networks. It may be hard to believe now, but Home & Garden TV (aka porn for women) struggled for years before hitting it big over the past two years. The Tennis Channel already has run into these problems.

Getting back to ESPN2, all I can say is "good for them." If they think they can make more money showing reruns of the World's Strongest Man, then go for it. That's what a free market is all about.

Sachin

[monster]

Originally posted by superdave
Kenn...I don't understand your hostility here. SUM is, in fact, considering starting a soccer channel.

And to Lucid...crap ratings for ESPN2 are strong ratings for a niche digital tier cable channel, so your post didn't make any sense to me either.

These back to back posts from guys I respect are making me wonder if I imagined the news that SUM is planning a soccer channel.

You didn't. I think Garber said it in one article and I heard it myself from someone connected to the league. So it's not fiction.

But what I think where some of the sarcasm comes from (I'm just guessing here) is that MLS should do a channel for altruistic reasons and not financial ones.

I am a big supporter of the concept of MLSTV. But it should be because it provides a revenue source and raises the profile of the league. It should not be simply because other entities don't show soccer.

[FootyMundo]

Originally posted by Ajax65
Sort of makes the case for the MLS starting a soccer cable channel since none of the networks are going to cover soccer adequately. I only hope that it becomes a reality sooner than later.

Uh, there's this channel called Fox Sports World. It more than covers soccer adequately. And if you don't have it, you can get it by getting a dish.

[Gilstar10]

Oh Yes, I have ESPN for latin america and is the best, you have such a great program as "SImplemente futbol" dedicated to all about football, also have Champion leagues magazine, Spanish La Liga coverage, Western Union World Football program each week ¡It´s great!


PS
Comcast Sucks
and ESPN [/B][/QUOTE]

[geordienation]

Originally posted by AndyMead
I guess the Euro-snobs will be forced to give up soccer on ESPN, unless they start watching MLS.


Or, rightly, those of us who enjoy watching both won't get to see CL. Please don't start a meaningless Eurosnob argument in here, Andy.