(02-13-2014 04:09 PM)chuckwalker Wrote:  Maybe I don't understand good enough, but how does it reduce competition. I can only get Cox Cable- I can't choose between Time Warner and/or Comcast.

It's not like consumers will be choosing one cable company when they used to choose two- its that they choose one that has the TWC name and now it will have the Comcast name.

I have Direct TV because the cable company service was always terrible when I had TWC in the past.

Unfortunately our TV deal has shut me out because I have Direct TV and if I wanted to switch to cable (Cox) or ATT Uverse- I will still be shut out. I can't even watch on ESPN Gameplan or Full Court due to blackouts. Maybe Comcast will be more understanding (maybe their relationship with Direct TV is better)- I don't know.

Agree.

The competition in any given market isn't between multiple cable providers but the different type of serious (e.g., satellite, cable, etc.).

DirecTV offers a very serious competitor for cable. (I have had DirecTV since 1995). DirecTV claims to have 20M subscribers in the U.S.

I have not followed this issue, but it doesn't seem to be as problematic as say in the airline industries where a small number of airlines control certain routes. Airlines are getting less and less competitive.

(02-13-2014 03:45 PM)RecoveringHillbilly Wrote:  This bad ass map from the FCC's site on cable distribution was posted here a while back:

Bad Motherf**king Map

Looks like if the MAC can sell all secondary games to Comcast it would be a great thing (for the conference) for all but WMU and CMU who are in Charter territory.

(02-13-2014 03:43 PM)JSF Wrote:  Anybody who thinks this is a good thing knows nothing about Comcast.

For the MAC this is a good thing. For people with Comcast or TWC it may be bad but its their choice to pay for the service.

(02-13-2014 05:13 PM)RecoveringHillbilly Wrote:  Buffalo's local news reported NY Sen. Schumer talked to Comcast, saying they would look to unload certain markets to ease concerns. He says they aren't looking to divest in any NY markets. I had thought possibly Cablevision would look to grab Upstate but it won't happen. I wonder what Comcast plans for future Ohio holdings.

Comcast + TW = 19 of the 20 top markets in the USA. They are focusing on where most of the population is in the country.

Everything they will unload will not be in those 19 markets.

(02-13-2014 05:13 PM)RecoveringHillbilly Wrote:  Buffalo's local news reported NY Sen. Schumer talked to Comcast, saying they would look to unload certain markets to ease concerns. He says they aren't looking to divest in any NY markets. I had thought possibly Cablevision would look to grab Upstate but it won't happen. I wonder what Comcast plans for future Ohio holdings.

Specifically when Comcast was teaming up with Charter to divvy up TWC, Comcast said they wanted New York, Carolinas, and the TWC Sports Channels. All that matters for the MAC is that the TWC Sports Channels will merge into Comcast SportsNet and the NBC Regional Networks. I'd guess they sell off a few subscribers in Missouri and maybe California. They stressed they wanted to keep contiguous the eastern states. Whatever subscribers they sell likely already planned with Charter who they have been working with. Charter will keep the Comcast SportsNet in the lineups as part of the deal.

This wont effect the MAC.

(02-14-2014 12:29 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 03:43 PM)JSF Wrote:  Anybody who thinks this is a good thing knows nothing about Comcast.

For the MAC this is a good thing. For people with Comcast or TWC it may be bad but its their choice to pay for the service.

This is more of why we pay 2x-3x more for cable, internet & cellphone service as most of the world. Comcast with a bigger share of the cable market will be able to put the squeeze on rival subscription TV services, independent streaming video services, municipalities that put cable rights out to periodic bid, and a range of other media market participants.

(02-15-2014 09:47 PM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(02-14-2014 12:29 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 03:43 PM)JSF Wrote:  Anybody who thinks this is a good thing knows nothing about Comcast.

For the MAC this is a good thing. For people with Comcast or TWC it may be bad but its their choice to pay for the service.

This is more of why we pay 2x-3x more for cable, internet & cellphone service as most of the world. Comcast with a bigger share of the cable market will be able to put the squeeze on rival subscription TV services, independent streaming video services, municipalities that put cable rights out to periodic bid, and a range of other media market participants.

And that's why so many people are cutting the cable.