Comcast taking over AT&T- no more FSW?

[ElJefe]

Originally posted by Kryptonite
FSW on DirecTV will run you about $80 a month.. (or so I last checked a few days ago).

You sure DTV is more affordable?

Now, Dish on the other hand... Remember last year's shootout? + 169 all digital channels (including local) for $42.99 a month. (includes FSW).

You'll get the RSN's, but everything will be blacked out except for minor sports, coach's shows, Best Damn... that stuff.
Kryptonite,

Please take this in the constructive way I'm intending it:

TRY AND TAKE THE TIME TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

To get FSW on satellite, here are your options:

DirecTV - FSW comes in the Sports Pak (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/learn/Packages_SportsPack.jsp), which is counts as "premium service (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packages/premium.jsp)," like HBO or Showtime, that you can add on to a basic programming package (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packages/base.jsp). If you order it all by itself, it's $12/month. The more premium services you add on, however, the less it costs. For you cheapskates out there, the least you can spend to get FSW is the Total Choice (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/learn/Packages_TotalChoice.jsp) programming package and the Sports Pak for a grand total of $45.99 a month. If you want your local channels, it's cost you $5 more a month. Since it is in the Sports Pak, you'll also get NBA TV, the Golf Channel, and all the regional sports networks, which are useful if you've also got the Shootout and you want to watch replays of MLS games.

Or if Kryptonite's post has steeled you into spending more than $80 a month to get FSW, you can always get Total Choice Premier (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/learn/Packages_TotalChoice_Premire.jsp), which includes all the movie and sports channels and costs $85.99 a month.

DISH Network - To get Fox Sports World, you just need to subscribe to America's Top 150 package ($42.99) (http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/programming/packages/at_150/index.asp?viewby=1&packid=10045&sortby=1) or America's Everything Package ($74.99) (http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/programming/packages/americas_everything_pack/index.shtml). AT150 includes all the general interest channels that DISH carries, but only your local regional sports network. AEP includes AT150 plus all the movie packages. If you want all the other regional sports networks, then you need to add the Multi-Sport Package (http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/programming/packages/sports/multi_sport/index.asp?viewby=1&packid=10161&sortby=1) for $5.99 a month. And if you want local channels, that's another $5 a month.

As for how much Shootout you'll be getting with either provider, it's pretty much a roll of the dice. DirecTV was the first to carry it in 1997 and showed all the game up to the 1999 season. In 2000 and 2001, they only carried the games on regional sports networks that they already carried. In 2002, they once again carried all the games. In 2003, MLS' announcement of the Shootout package includes "weasel language" under the DirecTV entry that basically says that DirecTV may not carry all the games.

Meanwhile, DISH didn't carry the Shootout until 1999 or 2000, but they carries all the games until last year, when they only carried the Saturday games. This year, they're back to carrying all the games. But with either provider, there's no telling what the future holds for their Shootout coverage.

(Kryptonite, are you taking notes? Please try to get it right in the future.)

[mpruitt]

they took it over in boston and the channels are exactly the same so far, including FSW.

[billmead]

I hope you get to keep FSW forever. BUT....

Here in Harrisburg when Comcast first took over FSW was on the schedule with no indication it would ever come off. A year or two into Comcast ownership, however, we got a letter announcing with great pride that several new channels would be added- and that a couple channels would "have to be removed". As you might've guessed one of the channels leaving our system was FSW. I suppose they simply had to let the contract run out, but I'm not sure about that.
For a time FSW was not officially on the schedule locally but was still on. However, the day finally came when there was no more soccer.

[Dr. Wankler]

Originally posted by billmead
A year or two into Comcast ownership, however, we got a letter announcing with great pride that several new channels would be added- and that a couple channels would "have to be removed". As you might've guessed one of the channels leaving our system was FSW

The day that letter arrives is the day before they get their box back. Until then...

Of course, today they're changing the music channels from DMX to something else... we'll see how that goes. I actually liked the jazz channel, even though it was just a blank screen, because they played lots of stuff you don't hear on jazz stations. So it's their first test, though it won't be a make-or-break test-- that one will be FSW.

[deedougie]

Comcast has moved FSW off of the Digital package in San Francisco and the only way to get it is to buy a "Premium Digital Package" which i am not sure how much it costs. This sucks!

Im seriously looking into DirecTV or Dish Network.

F U Comcast!

[sanariot]

Originally posted by sonofapitch
I'm still as bitter as the Niners' fans are bitter with Roger Craig for fumbling away their chance at 3 straight titles in the playoffs against the NY Giants. OH, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN!!!

(Not really still bitter....but I did feel a little violated.)

How violated did you feel about that BS non-pass interference call at the end of the last Giants-Niners playoff game? (you know, the one that the refs admitted that they F-ed up?) Cry me a river...

[soccertim]

Originally posted by Astorian
How violated did you feel about that BS non-pass interference call at the end of the last Giants-Niners playoff game? (you know, the one that the refs admitted that they F-ed up?) Cry me a river...

Yeah, like the winner of that game was definitely headed for the Super Bowl...

[Dr. Wankler]

Originally posted by deedougie
Comcast has moved FSW off of the Digital package in San Francisco and the only way to get it is to buy a "Premium Digital Package" which i am not sure how much it costs. This sucks!

Im seriously looking into DirecTV or Dish Network.

F U Comcast!

Have you called them yet?

Once again, when they did this in my area, I called them, explained that the only reason I got digital was FSW, and my primary reason for keeping digital and not getting a dish is FSW. The guy I talked to was very helpful and he arranged a package for me (that he put into effect while I was talking to him) to drop one movie package, pick up others, and keep FSW. Our cable bill went up, but not as much as I thought it was going to.

So this isn't to say that you're "F U Comcast" is incorrect, but it might be premature.

[one-nil]

Anybody pay attention to the biz news today? News Corp (the parent of Fox Sports World) has reached an agreement to acquire Hughes (parent of DirecTV). Could it be that not too far down the road, FSW moves to DirecTV's basic package, meaning no more sports tier only?

And if a competitively priced option to Comcast is out there, you'd think that might put some pressure on Comcast to keep FSW on its systems.

Now wouldn't that be nice?

[capt. america]

Comcast is a piece of ************ corporation. i say this b/c i work in public access television and comcast is doing everything in its power to end public access, not bad enough that they're trying to take the food off my plate, but now they're trying to take my FSW away. i hope i can get the dish soon.