Just got my DirecTV bill, and maybe it's been there and I haven't noticed it, but the last line item on the bill is $2.14 for "Regional Sports Fee." I never separately ordered any local sports package, so I'm assuming that I am now a paying member of Roots Sports, along with every other DirecTV subscriber in Houston. Happy to contribute to the Rockets and Stros bottom line. Anyway, I find it hard to believe that CSN Houston wouldn't have accepted a commensurate amount from DirecTV users 3 years ago. Not to open up old wounds, but just sayin' . . .
It was not just the overall fee, but it was the insistence that the channel be carried on the basic tier... something the satellite companies never necessarily signed off on. That is strange that they're specifically telling you the extra amount you're now paying.... since I figured it was being included as part of the regular packages now.
I guess that's my point, it looks like DirecTV is carrying it on its basic tier, but busting out the line item separately.
ATT didn't add a charge to my bill. That's odd that DirecTV would. Regardless, it's so much better to watch the games on TV again.
At least some of ya'll get to watch the Rockets and the Astros. Just waiting on Dish to pick it up...
LOL.... don't hold your breath. Honestly, with the switch-over promotional rates being ultra cheap, what would be the reason for sticking with dish vs. directv?
Unless Dish is literally your only option, I can't see why any Rockets/Astros fan would still have it.
I'm still at a loss as to how areas could have dish available and not directv... i didn't think that would be possible.
the only reason I can think of is if he were in an apartment complex that contracted with Dish and that is the only option. Other than that I wouldn't think you could get one with out the other. Basically they bounce their signals of the same satellites so if you can get one you should be able to get the other.
Yes, I do. Hadn't thought of that, maybe DirecTV started charging me for Fox Sports SW. I'll call them and find out.
So I just called DirecTV. They told me the $2.14 "Regional Sports Fee" is part of my package. It gives me access to not only Root Sports SW, but a few other channels as well, including Fox Sports SW. I have the Premier Package. You can't drop the RSN fee unless you change your package to a lower level package. I could go the "Entertainment Package," which is much cheaper, but I would not get Root Sports (or Fox Sports SW). Seems like the lowest level package that includes the Root Sports package is the Choice Package, which comes in at $71/month. But oddly, you still have to add the $2.14 RSN fee to that amount. Not sure why they don't just raise the price of the Premier Package and other packages that the RSNs are a part of. This is probably part of their ongoing strategy to pass along the rising costs of RSNs directly to the customer. They can say that the price of the packages have stayed the same, but the cost of sports has risen so they had to pass that along separately. I assume in 10 years the RSN fee will be more like $15.
The RSN fee is unlikely to go up significantly. What we have learned from CSN Houston, the LA situation and Portland is that the RSN cash cow has just about run out of milk.
Well, this is still happening. I'll accept the neg reps. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A dash of nostalgia for you: the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is hearing arguments today in Comcast's CSN Houston appeal.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/status/739819593212928000">June 6, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Comcast is still trying to get its $100m CSN Houston loan repaid. The hearing's outcome will have no impact on Root Sports SW operations.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/status/739820034529198081">June 6, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Then there's the Crane lawsuit against McLane and Comcast. Not 1 bit surprised that's not gone anywhere.
[rQUOTEr]There is no overarching theme for teams with RSNs embroiled in carriage fights. Comcast dropped YES Network before the season; not surprisingly, New York Yankees ratings have slipped — to a 2.29 average rating, down 10 percent from last season. But across the country, while SportsNet LA still cannot cut carriage deals with most Southern California distributors, ratings for its Los Angeles Dodgers games were averaging a 1.19 rating at the break — up 49 percent from last season, tied for MLB’s biggest jump with the Houston Astros, who had their own share of carriage problems in previous seasons. Root Sports Southwest’s Astros telecasts are averaging a 2.66 rating. That’s almost seven times higher than 2014, when the team’s games were on CSN Houston, which had limited distribution in the market and resulted in the Astros being the lowest-rated MLB team for three consecutive seasons (2012-14). http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/07/18/Media/MLB-RSNs.aspx[/rQUOTEr]
Root Sports has a HEAVY sales/marketing campaign on FM radio around Austin/SA. I probably heard 10 commercials over the afternoon telling people to demand their TV/Sat company gives them the Stros. I hadn't heard Astros broadcast ads like that in a decade.
