SportsNet N.Y. Launched Ad Campaign Critical Of Dish Network Dropping Net

SNY has launched campaign to protest Dish's decision to drop the RSN

SportsNet N.Y. started an extensive multi-platform marketing campaign today to protest Dish Network’s decision to drop the channel from its lineup. Channel execs would not say how much they are investing in the campaign, which is hitting N.Y. and surrounding markets in newspapers, online and on radio. The campaign focuses on Dish’s decision to drop SNY while raising rates. “Mets season has started, so take action now and drop Dish,” one newspaper ad reads. SNY is the official home of the Big East conference and schools like Rutgers and Syracuse. Much of the campaign is geared toward areas where Dish has a large concentration of subscribers, like Connecticut and Syracuse. SNY bought ads in five papers, including the N.Y. Daily News, Hartford Courant and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. It bought online ads at five sites including NYPost.com and Newsday.com. It also bought radio ads on 15 stations covering the N.Y., Hartford, Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton, Newark and Rochester markets (John Ourand, THE DAILY). MULTICHANNEL NEWS' Mike Reynolds noted "when or if the network will be restored is anybody's guess at this point." Dish claims it is "talking" to SNY, but SNY said it has had "no meaningful conversations since Dish dropped SNY on Friday morning." Dish "declined to elaborate or characterize the form of the talks." The Mets' first 14 games this season "will be televised by SNY" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 4/6).

TWIN BILL: In Minneapolis, Neal Justin reports Dish subscribers are "closer to seeing" today's scheduled Twins-Yankees game. Dish is "among four cable and satellite providers who have only agreed to televise 105 of the 150 games" airing on FS North this season. However, FS North GM Mike Dimond said that talks "have become 'positive' with Dish." Around 37% of homes in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market are affected by the lack of carriage, but Dimond noted that the number "drops to about 21 percent" if Dish and FS North reach an agreement (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/7).