"ESPN has struck a bad bargain for consumers. The sports network's financially wanton deal will push the cost of pay-TV service into the stratosphere, making the product less and less affordable during a time of severe economic stress and high unemployment. Evidently, ESPN is pleased to be known as the worldwide leader of hyper-inflationary price hikes. Pardon the interruption but that's just not cricket.
"Consumers need to understand that programmers like ESPN are responsible for the rising cost of cable and satellite TV. ESPN protects its ability to engage in reckless deal making by forcing pay-TV providers to carry the channel on the most basic programming tier that all subscribers must purchase, which means that consumers with no interest in sports are required to subsidize the sports fan. The pay-TV business model is broken because ESPN, the most expensive basic channel on cable and satellite, stubbornly refuses to give consumers the ability to opt out of costly programming they don't care to watch. Loyal pay-TV customers should resent ESPN's high-handed and inflexible business strategy."
About the American Cable Association:
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ACA supports independent cable operators and their customers by promoting a legislative and regulatory environment that allows for a fair and competive marketplace and by providing the tools and information our members need to compete effectively
