Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Media

NBCU, Fox Oppose Verizon's Skinny Bundles, But Provider May Have Legal Standing

NBCUniversal and Fox Sports yesterday joined ESPN in accusing provider Verizon of "violating contracts in its bid to offer slimmer, cheaper packages of pay TV," according to a front-page piece by Flint & Gryta of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Similar to ESPN last week, NBCU and Fox yesterday said that Verizon’s offering "violates the agreements" under which they supply the company with NFL and MLB programming. The dispute "creates a cloud of uncertainty over Verizon’s new packages, which launched Sunday and start at $55 a month." But Verizon Exec VP & CFO Fran Shammo believes that the company "can offer the programs under its existing contracts and isn’t going to back down." While Verizon and other pay-TV distributors "have the ability to create low-price offerings without ESPN, whether it can then package ESPN in an offering with other sports channels to be sold separately is a point of contention." Comcast, which owns many RSNs, yesterday said that the new offering "falls outside the terms of its contract with Verizon" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/22). NBC and Fox said that they "are dealing directly with Verizon to address their concerns" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/22). In L.A., Meg James reports Viacom, which owns MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, "sent a letter asking Verizon to clarify its position" (L.A. TIMES, 4/22).

LAW ON THEIR SIDE? In N.Y., Claire Atkinson cites sources as saying that despite protests from programmers, Verizon "may have the right to offer the option to a small sliver of its customers without breaking its programming agreements." A source said, "It's an upsell. It’s a bit of a sham, a way to get the phones ringing. They won’t let everybody take it. There is no way the programmers are going to let Verizon punch through." Verizon "is standing by its argument that it already has the right to offer smaller channel packages." A company spokesperson said, "As far as we are concerned, FiOS Custom TV is a product consumers want, and it’s all about consumer choice. We believe we are allowed to offer consumers and small businesses this choice and flexibility under our existing contracts." Still, one source said that Verizon’s contracts "are probably among the most restrictive since it is a relatively new entrant into the pay-TV business and one of the smallest with around 6.5 million households" (N.Y. POST, 4/22).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2015/04/22/Media/Verizon.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2015/04/22/Media/Verizon.aspx

CLOSE