Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
Hellstorm1
Contributor - Level 1

@nlk10010 wrote:

You do realize there are other sites besides this? Have you ever visited dslreports and read the large thread requesting MSG-HD?

BTW, NatGeoWild provided the same "Pass-Through" (I would suspect all sites do it) and I don't recall seeing a request for that channel here. Someone actually has to utilize the link. Huge numbers of FSC fans have. If you have evidence (not merely wishful thinking) that this large number of requests was from a small number of people then please post it.

What criteria are you using to support your contention that the WC ratings "prove" soccer is a niche sport? You are entitled to your opinion but without objective standards it's just that, an opinion. Besides, all that matter is what channels are requested, and FSC-HD is one of the ones that dominates. IIRC, even the "Twitter rep", whatever that is, admits FSC-HD is the most requested channel.

Either way, I think we can agree that the reason Verizon isn't adding HD is not because their "analysis" shows there's nothing out there worth adding, it's because they don't have the capacity.


While the World Cup actually drew millions of viewers...

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/18/world-cup-ratings-out-of-home-viewing-adds-14-non-tv-platforms-...

... it seems that ratings have dropped astronomically since then.

From: http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/major-league-soccer-is-losing-the-tv-ratings-battle/9925

"... at Fox Soccer Channel, the TV ratings for Major League Soccer are even worse with an average of just 53,000 viewers per game."

It seems this writer's suggestion that interest in the World Cup is roughly equivalent to interest in most Olympic sports - a few weeks of viewing every four years is plenty - is fairly accurate.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2003000,00.html

I'm sure Verizon is well aware of the drop-off from millions of viewers to thousands of viewers since the World Cup ended.

I think we can agree that the reason Verizon isn't adding HD soccer channels is because the viewership simply isn't there.


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Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
nlk10010
Enthusiast - Level 2

@Hellstorm wrote:

-snip- 

While the World Cup actually drew millions of viewers...

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/18/world-cup-ratings-out-of-home-viewing-adds-14-non-tv-platforms-...

... it seems that ratings have dropped astronomically since then.

From: http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/major-league-soccer-is-losing-the-tv-ratings-battle/9925

"... at Fox Soccer Channel, the TV ratings for Major League Soccer are even worse with an average of just 53,000 viewers per game."

It seems this writer's suggestion that interest in the World Cup is roughly equivalent to interest in most Olympic sports - a few weeks of viewing every four years is plenty - is fairly accurate.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2003000,00.html

I'm sure Verizon is well aware of the drop-off from millions of viewers to thousands of viewers since the World Cup ended.

I think we can agree that the reason Verizon isn't adding HD soccer channels is because the viewership simply isn't there.



I'm not even sure we can agree on the way to spell non-sequitur. You first support the contention that the World Cup was well viewed, then point to a thread about how MLS viewership has dropped, and conclude that Verizon is not adding FSC-HD because they are aware of this dropoff.

That follows exactly how? That's like saying Verizon's not adding TCM-HD because they are aware of the dropoff in MLS viewership. MLS only provides a small fraction of the games on FSC-HD. And all this despite the fact that of all the channels that COULD be requested, FSC-HD is at or near the top.

I'm sure if you could have dug up a thread claiming that viewership of FSC had dropped you would, but you didn't.

But I think you've just provided Verizon with another bogus excuse for not adding HD channels. Well done, they'll probably think it makes perfect sense.

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Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
Ian81
Enthusiast - Level 2

Also, a big point you are missing is that the reason a lot of people do not watch FSC is the fact it is in SD, for example, the ESPN games (premier league games) regularly get 400,000-500,000 viewers, then when people have to switch to FSC for the next game and it's not in HD (or they already know its not in HD), they are not going to waste their time watching it. Not to mention FIOS has the ability to charge for it, or include it in the FSC + package, I for one this year have not signed up to FSC+ because there is no way I am paying $15 a month for a channel in SD, when we know it is available in HD.

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Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
Carl
Specialist - Level 1

CBS College Sports HD please.

Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
Hellstorm1
Contributor - Level 1

@nlk10010 wrote:

I'm not even sure we can agree on the way to spell non-sequitur. You first support the contention that the World Cup was well viewed, then point to a thread about how MLS viewership has dropped, and conclude that Verizon is not adding FSC-HD because they are aware of this dropoff.

That follows exactly how? That's like saying Verizon's not adding TCM-HD because they are aware of the dropoff in MLS viewership. MLS only provides a small fraction of the games on FSC-HD. And all this despite the fact that of all the channels that COULD be requested, FSC-HD is at or near the top.

I'm sure if you could have dug up a thread claiming that viewership of FSC had dropped you would, but you didn't.

But I think you've just provided Verizon with another bogus excuse for not adding HD channels. Well done, they'll probably think it makes perfect sense.


Speaking of non-sequiturs, how is not adding an HD movie channel (TCM-HD) based on the dropoff in MLS viewership anything like not adding HD soccer channels due to a dropoff in MLS viewership?

Since no one likes the MLS numbers...

From: http://www.epltalk.com/espn-and-fox-soccer-channel-see-bounce-in-epl-tv-ratings/23335

"Over at Fox Soccer Channel, Sunday’s 11am ET game between Liverpool and Arsenal drew 291,000 viewers, which was the twelfth most watched FSC telecast of all time."

Those numbers are still down astronomically from the "3.2 million average viewers [per game]... 4.7 million average consumers when out-of-home TV viewing and usage of other platforms is included," claimed in the story I linked to reagarding the World Cup ratings.

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Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
kjudk1955
Newbie

I am not linking from another forum and I spend well over $400 per month with Verizon.

We need to receive FSC in HD in the near future or I will begin looking for a provider that does provide it.  It's that simple.

Verizon's customers deserve, at the very least, an answer as to the status of providing this channel in HD.  Total silence is NOT ACCEPTABLE!

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Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
nlk10010
Enthusiast - Level 2

@Hellstorm wrote:

 -snip-


Speaking of non-sequiturs, how is not adding an HD movie channel (TCM-HD) based on the dropoff in MLS viewership anything like not adding HD soccer channels due to a dropoff in MLS viewership?

Since no one likes the MLS numbers...

From: http://www.epltalk.com/espn-and-fox-soccer-channel-see-bounce-in-epl-tv-ratings/23335

"Over at Fox Soccer Channel, Sunday’s 11am ET game between Liverpool and Arsenal drew 291,000 viewers, which was the twelfth most watched FSC telecast of all time."

Those numbers are still down astronomically from the "3.2 million average viewers [per game]... 4.7 million average consumers when out-of-home TV viewing and usage of other platforms is included," claimed in the story I linked to reagarding the World Cup ratings.


I notice you still haven't come up with a shred of evidence that FSC viewership is lagging.

If you don't like soccer then fine. Leave it at that. But don't try to tell the milions of people who want to watch FSC-HD on Verizon that it's not "worthy" of being added, while NatGeoWildHD and ID-HD are.

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Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
Hellstorm1
Contributor - Level 1

@nlk10010 wrote:
I notice you still haven't come up with a shred of evidence that FSC viewership is lagging.

If you don't like soccer then fine. Leave it at that. But don't try to tell the milions of people who want to watch FSC-HD on Verizon that it's not "worthy" of being added, while NatGeoWildHD and ID-HD are.


What "milions of people"?  The twelfth most watched FSC telecast of all time drew 291,000 viewers. Smiley Very Happy

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Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
dlbags
Enthusiast - Level 1

For a channel many cable companies still don't carry, for a game played in the UK and a game played on SATURDAY morning- not prime time, those numbers are actually very good and FSC's numbers are up from last year as is ESPN and we are only THREE weeks into the season of the EPL, Seire A just started and the Spanish league about to with Champion's League going next week. 

So while you *think* you are making an informed statement your lack of information of the sport puts it out of context.

If you don't like soccer then fine, but to go out of your way to try to put forth some notion as to why they shouldn't get it while they keep useless channels like "Wealth TV HD" is silly since you don't have a dog in this fight so to speak.

Also, guess what? It's moot. Why? it's a done deal, the contract's are signed it's a matter of *when* they put it in. The part we fault Verizon on is the fact that they are very late to the party. Especially given the concentration of customers in the northeast; where I might add the competition is fiercest with many customers having a choice for providers that do inf act have it in HD (TWC, Direct TV and Dish). I need not remind you how many first and second generation Americans live in this area and still watch soccer as well as many of us who have grown to love it the last ten years or so and can very easily just switch providers. I mean how to you let one of the worst cable companies like TWC beat you to the punch?

I could go on about many other reasons why people love the EPL and other Euro leagues like you can watch them in the morning and still watch American Football or as the Italian leagues play mid week  but as I said it's moot. it's a done deal Verizon is getting it. Read the Twitter of Verizon Fios TV.

It's just when. And personally they need to get their act together fast. Watching that first one on ESPN 2 every week then having to switch to SD on FSC is getting annoying.

It's a fact soccer's popularity is growing and mistakingly you think it's tied to the MLS which is some respects it is but  not really because the best players and leagues are in Europe and FSC HD shows most of them- in HD. A company like Fox is usually pretty smart and wouldn't waste all the money they spend converting to HD like they did this year or buying Gol TV had they not had a sound business plan or researched demand...

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Re: Suggest Channels to Add to FiOS TV
Hellstorm1
Contributor - Level 1

Since you've introduced the topic of uninformed statements and ignorance...

I do have a dog in this fight. The fact that Verizon only has a limited amount of bandwidth available for additional HD channels is well-established.

Before they waste any more bandwidth on yet another sports channel, I'd rather they concentrate on adding channels I'll actually watch like FearNet HD, Fox Movie Channel HD, Turner Classic Movies HD and even History International HD or Crime & Investigation HD.

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