Keep Bundesliga on US TV

Discussion in 'Germany' started by BlueInter8889, Sep 1, 2012.

  1. nekkibasara

    nekkibasara Member+

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Virginia
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    What if no one picks up the Bundesliga rights?
     
  2. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I am with you...otherwise Bundesliga becomes even more invisible than it already is.

    And BTW...beIN is indeed only available with the "sports entertainment package" on Comcast (and not in HD, keeping with the Comcast tradition of as little soccer in HD as possible). I am on some kind of package deal through the middle of next year, so I will be able to see most of the US away qualifiers, but after that I am going to cut way back.
     
  3. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    beInSport is available in HD with DirecTV's "Sports Pack."

    I am very confident that Fox isn't going to close up FSC just because they lost the EPL. I think they can have a very viable FSC with the Bundesliga as the "big dog." I think Fox would be smart to show 1st and 2nd Bundesliga along with the Dutch League and maybe go after some of the Mexican League.

    As we know, NBC will have the EPL and beInSport has La Liga, Ligue Un and Serie A. That doesn't leave much left for Fox.

    But again, I don't expect them to just close FSC. I think they'll come up with something.
     
  4. DennisM

    DennisM Member

    Dec 10, 2000
    Nya Sverige
    Good grief. I didn't know there was a problem with the Bundesliga. It's been great so far this season. I figured Gol was in trouble because they lost La Liga. But I figured I would watch more Bundesliga since that is such a great league especially after the winter break. But today I went to check what matches were on GolTV and it's gone. I don't know where I can watch it now. I'm a bit happy that I can watch Bein in English. Can't stand the mile-a-minute announcers on the Spanish version. They also don't know when to shut up. Also the English version has Ligue 1 which is good. But I want my Bundesliga back. I have Comcast and I didn't see anything in the monthly bill about this.
     
  5. DennisM

    DennisM Member

    Dec 10, 2000
    Nya Sverige
    Okay. I see this now. But this really stinks. They didn't tell me about it. I've really enjoyed the games this season. Ironically, about a week ago or so, I was thinking of calling up Comcast and asking them to get FSC Plus.
     
  6. IASocFan

    IASocFan Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 13, 2000
    IOWA
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The Bundesliga is in Winter break after this weekend.
     
  7. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I dropped FSC Plus myself. For me it wasn't worth $14.99 per month. I took that money and got DirectTV's "En Espanol" package, which includes analog GolTv. The picture sucks, but it is better than nothing.
     
  8. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Yeah. But there are German Cup second round matches on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then the "short silly season" really starts! ;) :cool:
     
  9. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Gol was still on for me last night night (aften beIn English had come on) but by this morning it was gone. There is certainly no hope to see any more Bundesliga on TV this season. I am "pressing my thumbs" that somehow Fox Soccer can purchase the rights for next season. Should that come to pass, I will be looking forward to the studio show when they suddenly "remember" the league. Since they lost the rights several years back, discussion of the Bundesliga has gotten approximately the same airtime as Japan's J League.
     
  10. Boandlkramer

    Boandlkramer Member+

    Apr 9, 2009
    Samma Weltmeister!
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Interesting. I still have goltv today and I'm with comcast in Colorado.
     
  11. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Enjoy it while you can! I strongly suspect that the arrival of beIn in English will be the end of it for you as well.
     
  12. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Really man? I can't believe you wrote the bolded comments.



    If it is a league they're trying to sell, they'll remember it well. This stuff isn't rocket science. They aren't going to try to sell you on a league someone else shows.
     
  13. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I was being sarcastic. I do think, however, there is a difference between "selling" a league and giving it more than 60 seconds in a one hour soccer Saturday recap show.

    The bottom line is that I am utterly annoyed by the anti-German bias in the VAST majority of English soccer media. It even shows up on the front page of this very website once in a while. While FSC is still a very small fish in the media universe, it will be stunning to see Bundesliga being given something close to the respect (I think) it deserves should things turn out as we hope.
     
  14. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Which goes back around to "selling." They aren't going to try to feed your need for a league shown by a competitor.





    That's something I never notice. Are other leagues pushed more? Yes. But I don't see where that comes from any "anti-German bias."

    I believe that comes from the EPL and La Liga doing a far better job of marketing their products on this side of the water than anyone else in Europe. Much of this starts with who they choose to broadcast their product.





    I don't read that shit. When I did, I found those guys far more annoying than informative. I give them no credibility. I'm suprised you seem to.





    Depends on how much "respect" you think it "deserves." I don't think the BL gets the coverage it "deserves." But I also believe it's their own fault. I think the league gets plenty of "respect" from those who matter. Those who actually know the game. I lay much of the blame for the Bundesliga not being covered as it should be at the feet of the men in charge of marketing the league itself.

    I think they really don't care much about how their product is marketed in North America because they're far more concerned with Asia. They don't feel this market is worth any real investment. Don't blame the others for not pushing a product the producers of the product itself don't seem to see fit to push as hard as they can themselves. And sadly, these days, at least the United States has turned into a country of consumers who need to be told what to believe.........
     
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  15. Boandlkramer

    Boandlkramer Member+

    Apr 9, 2009
    Samma Weltmeister!
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany

    It starts with the 'big' teams. My team for example only seems to care about Asia...

    DFB should really take advantage of their exposure(yes we complain about falling shourt in every competition).
     
  16. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Actually, I would say they take their leads from the DFL. If the DFL decided they wanted to make a bigger impact in North America, I think the clubs would fall in line.

    But what sucks is they've been trying to get established in Asia since the late 90's. They do have a good foothold there, but they'll never be the EPL. Simply because the EPL markets itself better.

    The language barrier might have something to do with it too.

    In short, the DFL really just doesn't do a great job marketing itself to the English-speaking world. They can do better. They should do better. Problem is, they think they're doing "OK."




    I believe they honestly just don't think this market is worth their best effort.........
     
  17. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree 100%. The question I have is whether the fact that their product is no longer available on millions of American televisions will register with anyone over there.
     
  18. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Probably not. They probably think we don't care.
     
    Boandlkramer repped this.
  19. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agreed. This is my fear.
     
    footyfan1 and Boandlkramer repped this.
  20. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Guys, over the last few days, I've messaged with some people I got to know when I was thinking of trying to get my foot in the door with a well-known soccer channel in the past. According to them, beINsport is really playing hardball with GolTv in particular. They think beINsport wants the BL for their second channel and is trying to basically force GolTv out of the market by telling broadcasters "them (GolTv) or us."


    These are the guys who really believe FSC will make GolTv a major offer for the current BL rights. They think if GolTv either cannot survive or thinks they can go on without the BL, GolTv will probably sell those rights to FSC just keeo them away from beINsport. These guys say there is also a very real possibility beINsport will try to buy GolTv outright.


    None of this is certain of course. It is just the opinion of guys who are either in the business or know a hell of a lot more about it than I do.


    Either way, I think the best thing that can happen for us BL viewers for next season would be GolTv giving up those rights one way or another.
     
  21. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There is absolutely no doubt about that from the perspective of a Comcast customer!

    I would be surprised though if beIN is able to sell cable systems on a THIRD channel. This is especially true in the case of Comcast, as they will be heavy into the soccer business themselves as of August when the EPL moves to their NBC Sports channel.
     
  22. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Does beIN already have two channels going? On DirecTV, we still have just one.
     
  23. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, they have a Spanish channel that actually arrived on Comcast months ago. The programming is sometimes the same, but not always...during the last two US National Team away qualifiers, for example!
     
  24. footyfan1

    footyfan1 BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 20, 2003
    San Antonio, Texas
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Oh. I have the Spanish one too. But I only have it because I got the DirecTV "En Espanol" packet to keep some version of GolTv.

    I've heard it is beINsport's goal to have two English channels.
     
  25. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I believe it, they will REQUIRE it to expand their holdings further.

    Again though...Comcast never added Fox Soccer Plus, and that was BEFORE they had made a major investment in soccer on TV themselves.

    Having said that, it is a fact that beIN is backed by virtually unlimited money. If the Qataris can buy an actual World Cup for themselves, I suppose they can buy their way onto cable systems as well...although AFAIK they are still not on Time Warner. Can anyone reading this confirm or deny?
     

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