Putting fans first?

If you’ve watched more than five seconds of TV this month, you’ve seen advertisements against the Big Ten Network. These advertisements paint the network, a group with exclusive rights to Big Ten games, as a selfish conglomerate trying to stiff the average fan. Comcast and the network are currently locked in negotiations – Comcast wants the network to be a subscription service, but the network wants to be included in general programming. \nIt’s not an ideal situation. But for all the network’s flaws, it has at least refrained from pandering. Putting Fans First, the group that airs the anti-Big Ten Network ads, is sponsored in part by Comcast, which has obvious reasons for its decision. There are private individuals sponsoring the group as well, mostly people who are angry that they can’t watch basketball games and have jumped on the bandwagon, looking for something to blame. But Comcast’s stake in how this turns out is significant: If it bought rights to the Big Ten Network at the terms the network has put forth, it would have to pay roughly $0.30 per subscriber per month. That’s not a cost that it wants to incur. And while Comcast maintains that the network would overcharge the average consumer, the truth is, Comcast controls its own pricing. How it would choose to distribute the cost of including network in its lineup – whether through cutting into profits or charging consumers the full rate – is its own decision. \nRight now, Comcast faces a trade-off between making cable service more expensive to its consumers and subsequently incurring their rage, or cutting into profits. That’s the reason for the ads – Comcast wants to do neither. And while usually corporate decisions are influenced by economics and bargaining power, Comcast is trying to turn public opinion to its side. How they do it, however, is misleading. \nBy turning the Big Ten Network into a public enemy, Comcast successfully diverts the frustration of sports fans everywhere. These fans, if allowed to form their own opinions, might become angry with Comcast for dragging its feet because it doesn’t want to cut its profits, which is precisely what Comcast accuses the network of doing. In essence, this is the story of two media conglomerates that are both hesitant to accept lower profits. It’s not about “right or wrong,” nor is it about “the fans.” It’s about costs. But at least the network admits this; Comcast is too busy trying to look like your friend. At the end of the day, profits are what drive corporate decisions. If anyone tells you differently, they’re being paid to do so. \nComcast wants us to be able to choose whether to order the Big Ten Network, and that’s a fantastic idea. But you might notice, Comcast doesn’t give you the option with other channels. I still have to pay for Nickelodeon and Lifetime, stations for children and women, respectively. If Comcast was really in favor of consumer choice, it wouldn’t force me to pay for “The Hallmark Channel.” It seems that it is only for “putting fans first” when profits can follow.