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ESPN college Bowl Game monopoly (Vanity)
12/21/2014 | BwanaNdege

Posted on 12/21/2014 7:53:33 PM PST by BwanaNdege

There will be 39 college football bowl games played this season. Three of those, the Citrus, Sun and Las Vegas will be shown on ABC or CBS, i.e. "broadcast" TV. The remaining games will be carried ONLY by the various ESPN channels.


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: collegefootball; sportsmedia
ESPN has chosen to make the games available to watch Online, but to do so, you must log in with the name of your Cable/Satellite TV provider and your password.

Fans without a Cable or Satellite TV account are shut out from watching.

Are there any Freeper rabble-rousers or tort lawyers interested in starting a Class Action suit against this monopoly?

1 posted on 12/21/2014 7:53:33 PM PST by BwanaNdege
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To: BwanaNdege

On what grounds would this lawsuit have merit?


2 posted on 12/21/2014 8:08:37 PM PST by BipolarBob
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To: BwanaNdege

Well, there’s always radio.


3 posted on 12/21/2014 8:09:13 PM PST by Dave346
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To: BwanaNdege

Bowl Games, the NIT of College Football.


4 posted on 12/21/2014 8:10:20 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: BwanaNdege
Sounds like good business practice by ESPN. Although I have nothing but contempt for that far-left network operation, they've identified a need and have found a way to make money in the best traditions of the open market. I can't believe that I just praised ESPN since I loathe their politics (especially after firing Rush Limbaugh) but, with those caveats, I applaud them for embracing capitalism.

I'm a big CFB fan and am glad to part with my money to watch the bowl games on ESPN. They do have good analysts, notably Republican Lou Holtz and Rece Davis doesn't seem too bad, he may also also be a Republican. Mark May? 'RAT!

5 posted on 12/21/2014 8:19:14 PM PST by re_nortex (DP - that's what I like about Texas)
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To: BwanaNdege

ESPN by far spends more than any network. In turn they charge more than any cable channel.

They may have a monopoly but busting it up may be pointless as I don’t want Al Sharpton doing play by play of my game.


6 posted on 12/21/2014 8:30:13 PM PST by eyedigress (e(!zOld storm chaser from the west)/?s)
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To: BwanaNdege

I know. This is infuriating. The only reason I keep cable is for live sports. However, our cable company raised our rates again, so as soon as football is over, we may have to cancel. We get a gazillion channels and only watch a handful.

It’s way past time to end cable monopolies in cities and towns and to give people the choice of paying for only the channels they want. MSNBC would disappear.


7 posted on 12/21/2014 10:09:06 PM PST by Pining_4_TX (All those who were appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48)
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To: BwanaNdege

Yeah good luck with your idiotic lawsuit. Go be poor somewhere else.


8 posted on 12/21/2014 10:16:34 PM PST by stuck_in_new_orleans
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To: BwanaNdege

Other networks can bid on having the bowls/bowl packages shown on their networks. They were not blocked from presenting their proposals and outbidding ESPN.


9 posted on 12/22/2014 1:08:03 AM PST by MilesVeritatis (Devote yourself to the truth, no matter where it leads you.)
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To: MilesVeritatis

Since the bowls are privately owned, they can sell the rights to any bidder, and ESPN is the highest bidder. Such is life.


10 posted on 12/22/2014 3:29:24 AM PST by rstrahan
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To: BipolarBob

What? Lawsuits still require merit? Who would have guessed?

/S

“Merit, we don’t need no stinkin’ Merit!”


11 posted on 12/22/2014 6:31:22 AM PST by BwanaNdege
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To: stuck_in_new_orleans

I guess I should have added the “Sarcasm” tag for you.

ESPN has not provided a way for cable/satellite non-subscribers to PAY ESPN for the access to watch their games.


12 posted on 12/22/2014 7:18:09 AM PST by BwanaNdege
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To: BwanaNdege

If ESPN is paying more money for the games .....


13 posted on 12/22/2014 10:08:41 AM PST by Mike Darancette (AGW-e is the climate "Domino Theory")
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To: BwanaNdege

ABC has had the Rose Bowl forever. Waiting for ND State vs IL State game.


14 posted on 12/22/2014 10:13:15 AM PST by Mike Darancette (AGW-e is the climate "Domino Theory")
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To: BwanaNdege

That’s my beef: I don’t want to pay $60/month for cable, but would happily pay ESPN $5-10/month directly to watch their programming. They just don’t want my money.


15 posted on 12/22/2014 9:03:54 PM PST by MikeD (We live in a world where babies are like velveteen rabbits that only become real if they are loved.)
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This is not about politics. It’s about the government licensing broadcast TV stations. This year Disney put most college football bowl games on ESPN while airing realty shows and other cheap content on ABC. When ABC’s broadcast license comes up for review, we should notify the FCC that this broadcaster is wasting our broadcast spectrum with cheap crap. Do you want all broadcasters to own cable channels so that they too can restrict content to fat dumb people who watch hours of TV daily and are willing to pay extra for it?


16 posted on 01/01/2015 11:32:11 PM PST by PayTV
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To: BwanaNdege

college football should be a utility. its a long established service paid for by generations of tax payers. a few college administrators looking for a quick buck should not be able to contract with ESPN as a sole source


17 posted on 01/01/2015 11:35:59 PM PST by ic555
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