DISH drops OLN

[billhoward]

There goes one resource for watching hockey. Outdoor Life Network (OLN) is off the Dish Network.

According to The New York Times:

>>> DISH has been resisting demands by Comcast, OLN's owner, that it make the channel more widely available to its 11.4 million subscribers. In retaliation, Comcast has replaced N.H.L. games with other programs. Until now, OLN has been available to about 65 million homes.

This press release is from the DISH Network point of view:

>>> ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 2005--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) confirmed today that it is no longer carrying Outdoor Life Network. The Comcast-owned programmer recently demanded that EchoStar force millions of additional DISH Network customers to pay for its outdoor programming as a condition to continued availability. EchoStar was unwilling to impose those additional costs on consumers.

According to Hollywood Reporter:

>>> Earlier this month, Comcast began replacing NHL games scheduled on the channel with other OLN programing on systems run by Cablevision and EchoStar. The two distributors were put in Comcast's penalty box because they put OLN on channel tiers available to fewer than 40 percent of their subscribers, according to a Comcast spokesman. Sources said EchoStar stunned Comcast brass by yanking the channel without warning. Company executives flew to the satellite service's Denver headquarters Thursday to negotiate a truce, but after 10 minutes of discussion, EchoStar ended the meeting, citing an unspecified crisis.

[Jordan 04]

A mark, a yen, a buck or a pound,
a buck or a pound, a buck or a pound,
Is all that makes the world go around,
that clinking clanking sound,
Can make the world go round.

[ugarte]

Comcast should have known better than to think that the threat of withholding hockey gave them any leverage.

[Tub(a)]

[Q]ugarte Wrote:

 Comcast should have known better than to think that the threat of withholding hockey gave them any leverage.[/q]

We'll see what Dish Network subscribers think about it when they can't watch the playoffs.

[CowbellGuy]

DISH always felt bush league when I was with them. So happy I switched back to DTV.

[Mr. Timekeeper]

OLN itself seems bush-league--poor picture and sound quality....

[ajec1]

[Q]Tub(a) Wrote:

 [Q2]ugarte Wrote:

 Comcast should have known better than to think that the threat of withholding hockey gave them any leverage.[/Q]
We'll see what Dish Network subscribers think about it when they can't watch the playoffs. [/q]

or "Buck McNeely Outdoors" for that matter

[Jordan 04]

[Q]ajec1 Wrote:

 [Q2]Tub(a) Wrote:

 [Q2]ugarte Wrote:

 Comcast should have known better than to think that the threat of withholding hockey gave them any leverage.[/Q]
We'll see what Dish Network subscribers think about it when they can't watch the playoffs. [/Q]
or "Buck McNeely Outdoors" for that matter[/q]

The sad part is they do actually get similar numbers for these types of series.  I only looked into one, but OLN gets roughly the same viewership for "RV Today" as they have for their post-opening-night hockey games.