...has MSG been blacked out on Time Warner? Plus, who do I blame in the biggest drama of 2012 in Sabreland so far? Who is holding whom hostage in this dispute? And what are all of you who have TW doing in response?

Enquiring minds want to know.

I live in CT and the service here, Charter Cable still carries MSG. But I can only watch the Sabres when they play the Rangers/Isles/Devils. But it sounds like TW HAS dropped MSG which sucks

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

Look at your cable bill, and you'll know who's the hostage. Pay up big, or stare at the walls.

Does TWC really expect MSG to give them a good product at a discount price, because they claim they don't want to increase subscription fees?? Seriously??? My Directv has NFL network, NHL network, MSG, and MSG plus, and they don't claim they have to ass rape me to keep them. Business is done behind closed doors, and TWC bringing it public makes them look Bush league, imo. Heck, they run their business like a political campaign.

This is what i've heard about it from time warner, MSG wanted the same price from twc that espn gets, for far less quantity and quality programming. They won't give in, but they also said they won't stop carrying them in the middle of the season. I hope that part was true.
Also, this has apparently happened before, and they've always come to an agreement, so hopefully all the greedy fucks involved will stop being such dickholes and get this figured out.

[quote="YankeeInRaleigh"]This is what i've heard about it from time warner, MSG wanted the same price from twc that espn gets, for far less quality programming. quote]


This is what's debatable. Take away the Sabres, then offer customers a choice of ESPN or MSG. NOW tell me who has more QUALITY. I'm sure most Sabres fans will give up tennis and baseball for the Sabres. Why should MSG be giving away more quality programming for less money.

Here's a hypothetical example. Say they offer 2 church channels. One is a popular national channel, and the other is from the church you went to as a kid. You know you'd prefer the local one, but the other one is so popular nationally that they demand high prices. Why should you, as a consumer have to subsidize the national one, even though it's not the one you want, and why should the local one be expected to give a discount even if they're the preferred option?

To me it's logical that MSG gets paid, and as I've shown, TWC's lawyers will have an impossible time trying to prove otherwise.

Oh ya, if anyone is considering switching to Directv, then PM me. I can help you out for sure with rates and installation.

If you're arguing that MSG deserves as much money from TW as ESPN, I disagree. ESPN is a FAR better quality product, with far more expenses. All MSG really has to offer is their specialized team sports coverage. Granted that's important, but who watches MSG outside of Sabres season? ESPN offers live broadcasts from 3 of the 4 major team sports, and unparalleled sports news. MSG offers one product, their distributers offer thousands. Pretty obvious who needs who more.

Hm, good point.

I think i'm going to say fuck it all, get the NHL gamecenter live, cancel cable TV, and stop paying out the ass to watch these jokers do 60 minutes of ice capades 3 times a week.

One step ahead of you...Sabres shhhiiiiitttsssss weak.

This debacle is going to just piss the Sabres off to the point where MSG loses the rights to them entirely at the end of this agreement and we sign a deal with another carrier, or Pegula creates his own television network.

It's a joke that MSG wants the same money as ESPN. They dont do a good daily show covering all sports (sportscenter) or cover any quality college football, baseball, or anything. They have specialized coverage of NYC teams, and the Sabres. The truth is 99% of Buffalo couldn't care less about NYC sports save for the Yanks, who have their own tv network anyway. This is an example of MSG trying to screw TWC. TWC isn't going to eat the cost, and doesn't want to pass it on to their customers either.

That being said a deal will be done before too long, but this is just a stand off between two big companies, trying to see who can survive without the other. It's a fucking joke, and another example of corporate greed fucking the American public.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

Here is a decent article on the dispute.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sportsbusiness/post/_/id/203/msg-time-warner-breakdown-sign-of-times

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MSG carries Knicks games too, who 99% of WNY could give a shit about, and NYC sports fans do. Irrelevant?

If you'd rather watch Sports center than Sabre's game, that's your choice, but I could give 2 shits about ESPN's "quality" programming. In fact, if you offered me the choice of MSG for $30/month or $2/month for ESPN, I'd take the Sabres games for sure. ESPN has been bleeding the carriers FOR YEARS.

Anyone can read all the political drivel they want about this, but it seems MSG is asking for the same rate they get in other markets. While that may be a 53% increase, it's the going rate. We had a choice of going w/o Leino for $4.5, and we didn't. Now TWC has the choice to pay the going rate. I see nothing wrong with them deciding to go for it not going for it. I just suspect they will lose too many subscribers to justify their Lindy Ruff stubborness.

I don't agree that it's the going rate - Dish didn't pay it.

The fact that Dish doesn't have MSG because of the same type of situation, and that Fios had to take MSG to court to get their HD feeds does NOT reflect well on MSG.

What people ARE paying for something is the going rate, not what they aren't. I never said anything about how things reflect on MSG. The market will decide that. Fact is the Sabres can bitch all they want, but they've already made an agreement, so they should probably stfu, and honor it for now.

Uh the sabres have nothing to do with the issues between MSG and TW. They can put their two cents in but Ted Black as already publicly said that they have no say in anything that is happening. Also, when the Sabres resigned with MSG they could never had forseen this happening. If they saw this coming I'm sure they would have looked at other avenues.

MSG is a local cable channel, that's it. ESPN is a national channel so they would demand more since they probably have several more millions viewers. MSG have that attitude that the world should revolve around them since they hold the key to NYC/Sabres sports, well they need to get over themselve and realized that the world doesn't revolve around them or NYC.

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I'd like to know, in real dollars and cents, what the increase would be to TWC customers.

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All I'm saying is that once the Sabres made an agreement with MSG, that was it for them. I think we agree here, except I don't think their 2 cents are even worth that. It was just Ted Black grabbing another chance on the mic. Also, the Sabres were probably also well aware that carriage disputes are bloody. Also, also, the Sabres are probably happy MSG is getting paid, because it means they'll be getting paid when they hold them hostage during their next negotiations. It's all business.

As for ESPN, I don't see your logic. Local sports are more important to us than what's on ESPN. Just cause they built themselves an empire doesn't mean we have to support it. It's almost like your saying Wal Mart should be able to charge double what a mom and pop can. The PRODUCT ALONE(supply/demand) is all that should be considered in a business deal. ESPN is a big reason cable bills are high, but it seems people defend them a lot. I don't get that at all.


Not sure, but I know if I want NHL network, I have to pay an extra $6/month for it and 14 other channels I don't want.

But we don't know that providers ARE paying that. DirecTV signed a contract with MSG in 2009, we do not know what they were asking back then. Since then, Dish has refused to pay what MSG has requested, and so has TWC.

Yes, the market will decide fair value...and right now, it appears MSG is asking too much - because providers aren't paying!

Sabres aren't involved in this debacle...other than the fact that they are losing out.

They shouldn't "STFU"...it's both them and their fans that are hurting. They lose out because they can't be seen by a good part of their fanbase and market, and the fans lose out because they can't watch the team.

The Sabres are getting the raw end of this deal and they have every right to be upset.

You're confusing me, you say they're not involved, but they shouldn't stfu?? That makes no sense. If 2 people are having a debate, and someone who has no say chimes in, it's stfu time. That simple.

This is a business negotiation. The Sabres know this, and did the same thing with MSG to get their deal with them. Do you seriously expect the parties involved to give each other discounts because the Sabres are upset?? C'mon man. It's a dog eat dog business world, and the Sabres are just as much a part of it as TWC and MSG. There's no saints here, and if they are saints, they won't be in business long. Maybe Ted Black can bitch to Leino and get him to give some of his contract back too??

Not a good time for this. Many people may get into the habit of not viewing the games, and not care any more. If the team was going well there would be a much greater sense of panic.

The Sabres need to try and come up with a solution if possible. Terry Pegula has a lot of money to throw around - hope he chooses to do so. Otherwise we'll miss his new Gold wall and locker room at HSBC....

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

Well from how I loosely understand it. It's like $4.65 per person, MSG wants to increase that by 53%, so roughly $7.11 in total, a difference of 2.50 roughly per person, which doesn't sound like that much. But to large scale companies that have multiple boxes and such, it gets quite pricey. Plus I think it's the mere principle of if they give in to MSG, then they're going to give in to ESPN when they wanna jack it up. And ABC, NBC, etc, etc, etc. You give in once, and all these other companies are going to start pulling the same shenanigans.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010