I'm sure that I'm not the only one requesting this but I really wish that Comcast would include The Longhorn Network in you Sports programming.
Thanks,
Come on Comcast - AT&T U-verse just signed with the LHN c/o ESPN and we hear that DTV & Dish might be next.. If they sign I will cancel my comcast service after all of these years and move over to one of these providers stepping up to the LHN..
The LHN (Longhorn Network) is in demand and for Comcast to sit on the side lines is just sad...
it has NOTHING to do with Comcast. It's ESPN and their money hungry people. Comcast TRIED to get it added into their new deal in January BUT ESPN wanted a seperate deal with more money. They apparently are trying to reach an agreement but money is the problem. ESPN won't let it be on the sports package or PPV. They want it on the preferred package with ESPNU.
This would mean raising rates for all other subscribers and I don't know if comcast wants to do that.
It seems they both are money hungry companies... If it is good enough for Verizon Fios, AT&T U-Verse and soon to be DTV and Dish, then Comcast should re-think its position...
Directv has mentioned that they have no plans on adding it anytime soon. Not sure about Dish though.
"
In San Antonio, Time Warner spokeswoman Melissa Sorola said in an e-mail, "We routinely talk with ESPN about a myriad of business issues, and we continue to discuss whether the addition of the Longhorn Network is in the best interest of all of our customers."
DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer said in an e-mail the company has had "intermittent discussions (about LHN), but we have no current plans to add it to our customers' line-ups."
He said DirecTV will continue to evaluate LHN, but added, "In our effort to keep our customers' monthly bills at an affordable level, it's just not reasonable to expect every customer to pay more to get Longhorn Network without having the choice of whether they want it or not." "
"
David Preschlack, ESPN's senior vice president for affiliate sales and marketing, said the agreement with AT&T "moves the ball forward for us in a meaningful way."
"We're clearly more optimistic coming out of this deal," he said. "We're happy with the product and with the distribution that we have, but we're not satisfied."
Preschlack said last week that ESPN was determined to reach agreements in line with deals it reached a year ago with Verizon FiOS, which is available in Texas only in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and with a group of smaller cable companies across Texas.
He said the AT&T agreement meets that criteria and that ESPN has offered deals along the same lines to other regional and national carriers. ESPN and AT&T did not disclose financial details, but the network was believed to be seeking a monthly fee of 40 cents per subscriber from carriers.
"Getting a deal done with AT&T supports the approach we're taking with this great product," Preschlack said. "I'm hopeful that other distributors will see the light of day and that deals that have been good enough for AT&T and Verizon and smaller mom-and-pop cable companies are good enough for operators who haven't done a deal yet.""
" He said ESPN hopes to reach agreements with larger entities like Comcast, Time Warner, DirecTV and Dish Network "as quickly as possible. It's not an 'if,' it's a 'when.'"
In Houston, where Comcast is the largest cable provider, spokesman Craig D'Agostini said in an e-mail, "We have had a great ongoing relationship with ESPN and we continue to talk with them regarding the carriage of the Longhorn Network." "
@lmiar wrote:
Come on Comcast - AT&T U-verse just signed with the LHN c/o ESPN and we hear that DTV & Dish might be next.. If they sign I will cancel my comcast service after all of these years and move over to one of these providers stepping up to the LHN..
The LHN (Longhorn Network) is in demand and for Comcast to sit on the side lines is just sad...
Our content and programming teams are in regular contact with ESPN (one of the owners and the distribution arm for The Longhorn Network) on many topics, including this network.
ESPN's current stance is that the Longhorn Network is required to be offered to a very widely distributed level of service, which those costs would likely be distributed along to all customers in that area.
@ComcastTeds wrote:
@lmiar wrote:Come on Comcast - AT&T U-verse just signed with the LHN c/o ESPN and we hear that DTV & Dish might be next.. If they sign I will cancel my comcast service after all of these years and move over to one of these providers stepping up to the LHN..
The LHN (Longhorn Network) is in demand and for Comcast to sit on the side lines is just sad...
Our content and programming teams are in regular contact with ESPN (one of the owners and the distribution arm for The Longhorn Network) on many topics, including this network.
ESPN's current stance is that the Longhorn Network is required to be offered to a very widely distributed level of service, which those costs would likely be distributed along to all customers in that area.
(The below opinion is not directed at you, ComcastTeds, but rather at the administrative/executive corporate level of both Comcast and ESPN.)
The above quoted position is already understood, however, as I mentioned in a another thread in this forum related to this subject, Comcast makes me subsidize many, many channels which I have no desire to watch and would never pay for if given the opportunity to remove them from my service--Comcast doesn't seem very keen to offer me this economic benefit, nor any real a la carte alternative. The argument by Comcast that basically they don't carry LHN at the price point and availability currently requested by ESPN as some principled, economic service to the customers is disingenuous. Neither ESPN nor Comcast are principled.
This minute, if ESPN would lower their per customer per month price point by an acceptable amount to Comcast whereby Comcast projected acceptable increased profit from the deal with little long-term risk, they would immediately pass that cost on to the whole subscriber base. Alternatively, if Comcast ever crunches the numbers and determines that they will lose too many consumers by denying them LHN immediately, the channel will be on in days of that determination. The argument for both ESPN and Comcast is profit and risk, not fairness of subsidization across the consumer base.
If a la carte purchasing were available we wouldn't have this problem. And looking at what is happening with HBO's response to pirating in Europe and Japan, soon cable and satellite broadcast services will have to offer a la carte or they will disappear in the broadcast market.
But I am rambling. Like the OP, just letting it be known that if DirectTV offers LHN, my family is leaving Comcast cable broadcasting service and will likely only retain internet service instead of the TV/internet/phone services we currently subscribe to. I'd prefer to stay with Comcast, but I can make the alternatives work if LHN is in play.
@Iwantlhn wrote:
Time Warner is in. Comcast still out. Really? What will it take? Pretty please?
For Time Warner it took... dropping CBS, and Showtime. Sorry I'd rather have CBS and Showtime.
You will probably get more results by contacting the Longhorn network..
@dwhiz52 wrote:
I'm sure that I'm not the only one requesting this but I really wish that Comcast would include The Longhorn Network in you Sports programming.
Thanks,
Comcast and a few other major video providers do not currently have an agreement or contract to offer the Longhorn Network. We don't have any announcements at this time on offering this channel on Comcast.
Our content and programming teams are in regular contact with ESPN (one of the owners and the distribution arm for The Longhorn Network) on many topics, including this network.
Some good "inside baseball" at the link below (from Feb 2012, but still a good read and assessment) regarding this:
http://www.barkingcarnival.com/2012/2/14/2797675/update-on-longhorn-network-dont-hold-your-breath
My understanding is this network is not currently available to be offered as a single "premium channel" or allowed to be bundled with other sports channels.
ESPN's historical stance has been that the Longhorn Network is required to be offered to a very widely distributed level of service, which those costs would likely be distributed along to all customers in that area.
Thanks for your reply and the link which gives a good overview of the situation. One additional question: What has ATT Uverse done in order to offer the LH Network?
Thanks, dwhiz52
@dwhiz52 wrote:
Thanks for your reply and the link which gives a good overview of the situation. One additional question: What has ATT Uverse done in order to offer the LH Network?
Thanks, dwhiz52
You would have to check with AT&T Uverse on that. Wikipedia has a list of video providers that currrently offer this channel in Texas.
Why can you get the SEC network but cannot get the Longhorn network?
Okay Comcast... 1 year later and still no LHN? College Football season is upon us and Comcast just signed the SEC Network, which by the way cost as much to carry as the LHN via ESPN. Read somewhere that Comcast had a chance to bundle them together but did not? Currently, ATT Uverse, Direct TV, TWC (soon to be part of Comcast?), Dish, Verizon Fios, Google Fiber, etc. are carrying the LHN but Comcast continues to hold out..
Why contine to hold out on this sports network when you (Comcast) offer the Pac 12 Network in addition to the SEC Network..? Please help out your customers and pick this network up.
I don't think DirecTV does carry the Longhorn Network
DirecTV does NOT have the Longhorn Network. They've actually come out publicly and said they don't have any plans to carry it any time soon. Honestly, with it being suche a niche network (only Texas fans care about it) it's hard to justify adding it if the price isn't right. Networks like SEC, Big Ten, and Pac 12 cover all the teams in those conferences so they reach a lot more fans and a much wider base geographically.
Does anyone know where Xfinity will carry the Longhorn network in the fall of 2014? If so, what channel? They've been talking about picking it up for years now and so far nothing.
Thanks
Rob
Will the Longhorn network be offered on Xfinity this fall?
sort of off topic: when will Comcast (Houston) pickup the Longhorn Network?
removed, off topic
Why was that off topic? The real question: When will Comcast get Longhorn Network?
The off topic post was about SEC network and nothing to do with the subject.
Speedracer14 brings up a good question. I have one as well:
When will Comcast get the Longhorn Network?
Comcast, when will you carry the Longhorn Network?
Insightful question, aramirezw14. Brings up another one that's been on my mind:
When will Comcast get Longhorn Network?
@Aprical wrote:
Sorry everyone, this may be a little off topic so I applogize. I was just wondering when Comcast would get the Longhorn Network. Comcast, any idea when you'll get the Longhorn Network?
Ok, sorry for that guys, carry on with your ongoing conversation.
Comcast and a few other major video providers do not currently have an agreement or contract to offer the Longhorn Network. We don't have any announcements at this time on offering this channel on Comcast.
Our content and programming teams are in regular contact with ESPN (one of the owners and the distribution arm for The Longhorn Network) on many topics, including this network.
Some good "inside baseball" at the link below (from Feb 2012, but still a good read and assessment) regarding this:
http://www.barkingcarnival.com/2012/2/14/2797675/update-on-longhorn-network-dont-hold-your-breath
My understanding is this network is not currently available to be offered as a single "premium channel" or allowed to be bundled with other sports channels.
ESPN's historical stance has been that the Longhorn Network is required to be offered to a very widely distributed level of service, which those costs would likely be distributed along to all customers in that area.
@speedracer14 wrote:
And to get back on topic, when will Comcast add the Longhorn Network?
See post above yours.
I've been a comcast customer for many years, and have never had reason I felt sufficient for a formal complaint. Now I do. Got a call from a salesperson who made an offer for upgraded service. I asked specifically if the new package included the Longhorn Network. Salesman asked his supervisor, came back and said yes, it is included. I looked it up today to confirm, and that was incorrect info. I'm in Texas, and would much prefer to have the LHN than the SEC network! I think my new package even includes, the PAC12! Makes no sense whatsoever. Am seriously considering switching to Uverse because of this, especially now that the CSN fiasco is apparently getting resolved, and I'll be able to watch all my teams with their service, which I can't with Xfinity.
Comcast,
How many customers have you lost due to your ineptitude and unwillingness to carry a network dedicated to the most lucrative brand in all of college sports?
@speedracer14 wrote:
Comcast blames ESPN with the help of an old blog site link. Virtually every other provider has added LHN. Comcast was easily able to work with ESPN regarding SEC Network. Comcast customers deserve a better response than the previous 'solution'.
Not blaming anyone, just pointing out an article I thought would provide some good background.
Here is an article from this week:
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2014/08/27/sec-network-launch-challenges-lhn-for-viewership-recruits
Thanks for your feedback.
The Comcast programming teams and local management teams constantly evaluate programming choices and make decisions based on customer interests, costs, channel bandwidth management and contractual obligations. The Comcast employees who participate in these forums certainly pass along your collective feedback, interests and concerns to those teams.
As with any business, situations may change based on customer demand, channel bandwidth opportunities, business opportunities, costs and contractual obligations.
Costs and customer feedback have a lot to do with any programming decision.
Comcast continues to be in discussions with ESPN regarding possible distribution of many of their channels and offerings. Our programming teams meet with ESPN regularly. A contract and agreement to terms is required before we can offer any channel to our customers. These need to be terms that make sense for both parties and for our customers.
All channels, regardless of affiliation, are required to go through the same application and approval process in order to be carried by Comcast.
Many University of Texas football games can be found on ESPN or ABC.
"As with any business, situations may change based on customer demand, channel bandwidth opportunities, business opportunities, costs and contractual obligations.
Costs and customer feedback have a lot to do with any programming decision."
Comcast has a horrible track record in making shrewd business decisions, especially within its Houston footprint. Look no further than CSN Houston.
See an article that provides some good background on Comcast's failures:
http://abc13.com/sports/report-at-t-directv-poised-for-csn-houston-takeover/246746/
AT&T seems to understand good business enough that they will come to the rescue for Comcast and make consumers happy. Such is also apparent in their decision to carry the Longhorn Network. Comcast, are you behind the curve here?
What is wrong with Comcast, they spend all their time and money to change the DVR software 2 years ago for the worse but they can't get a deal made for the Longhorn Network in Houston Texas. Terrible managment.
I've been loyal to Comcast for many many years (skipping the enticement of those grey cirlcles and Ma'Bell) but now that I think about it, my "X1" platform has hundreds of channels but they can't offer the LHN? We get numerous channels of music, fancy "netflix" like interface, but not LNH? Numerouse ESPN channels (espn8 - the Ocho) but no LNH? Perhaps after all these years it may be time to start to look at those 'other guys'...
@Biledo wrote:I've been loyal to Comcast for many many years (skipping the enticement of those grey cirlcles and Ma'Bell) but now that I think about it, my "X1" platform has hundreds of channels but they can't offer the LHN? We get numerous channels of music, fancy "netflix" like interface, but not LNH? Numerouse ESPN channels (espn8 - the Ocho) but no LNH? Perhaps after all these years it may be time to start to look at those 'other guys'...
It's truly sad how behind the curve Comcast is here....
Duplicate post removed.
@dwhiz52 wrote:I'm sure that I'm not the only one requesting this but I really wish that Comcast would include The Longhorn Network in you Sports programming.
Thanks,
I am very upset that I can't watch my beloved Longhorns!!! I can't even watch it on the ESPN app because when it asks for my provider, and I select Comcast, it tells me the Longhorn Channel is not available!!! It makes me so mad!!!
@ComcastTeds wrote:
@speedracer14 wrote:
Comcast blames ESPN with the help of an old blog site link. Virtually every other provider has added LHN. Comcast was easily able to work with ESPN regarding SEC Network. Comcast customers deserve a better response than the previous 'solution'.Not blaming anyone, just pointing out an article I thought would provide some good background.
Here is an article from this week:
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2014/08/27/sec-network-launch-challenges-lhn-for-viewership-recruits
Thanks for your feedback.
The Comcast programming teams and local management teams constantly evaluate programming choices and make decisions based on customer interests, costs, channel bandwidth management and contractual obligations. The Comcast employees who participate in these forums certainly pass along your collective feedback, interests and concerns to those teams.
As with any business, situations may change based on customer demand, channel bandwidth opportunities, business opportunities, costs and contractual obligations.
Costs and customer feedback have a lot to do with any programming decision.
Comcast continues to be in discussions with ESPN regarding possible distribution of many of their channels and offerings. Our programming teams meet with ESPN regularly. A contract and agreement to terms is required before we can offer any channel to our customers. These need to be terms that make sense for both parties and for our customers.
All channels, regardless of affiliation, are required to go through the same application and approval process in order to be carried by Comcast.
Many University of Texas football games can be found on ESPN or ABC.
Comcast,
It's basically a done deal that DirecTV will begin carrying the Longhorn Network soon. See article here:
http://www.tvpredictions.com/tv092814.htm
Is Comcast okay being the only major television content provider in the United States without the Longhorn Network? If so, it's quite sad that your company has allowed this and is indicative of how poorly your company is managed.
Comcast,
Congratulations. You are the only major televesion content provider in the United States without the Longhorn Network.
Why? It doesn't make any sense.
AVAILABILITY Longhorn Network is available with these providers and on WatchESPN with a subscription to an affiliated video provider. Please contact your provider to check availability and channel designations.
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