NBC-HD & Bravo HD on D*TV+Olympics!

[Vail55]

Here is the announcement:
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040728/285671_1.html
NBC will have an agreement like CBS & FOX for feeds only in O & O markets. Unfortunately I think that will exclude Tampa!
:roll:

[Floyd]

Here's a related story. Can you believe we're paying 70-cents for USA!!

NBC, DirecTV reach deal on fees, high-definition shows
By David Lieberman, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — NBC Universal (GE) and DirecTV (DTV) avoided a bruising fight about rising programming costs Wednesday with a broad deal that provides more high-definition programming to the No. 1 satellite company but may doom pop culture channel Trio.
They wouldn't disclose precise terms. But an executive familiar with the deal says that DirecTV agreed to pay higher fees to carry NBC's entertainment channels — including USA Network, Sci-Fi Channel, Bravo and Telemundo — through 2009.

Meanwhile, DirecTV will distribute NBC's HD programming from the Olympics in Athens, Bravo HD+ and HD broadcasts from NBC-owned stations. "Everybody's been looking for us to expand our HD," DirecTV programming chief Stephanie Campbell says.

Analysts were waiting to see what would happen in the first major negotiation between the two entertainment giants since NBC acquired Universal and Rupert Murdoch took control of DirecTV.

Murdoch had warned that DirecTV would join virtually every other satellite and cable company in resisting price increases for programming. In March, EchoStar and Viacom went at it as the No. 2 satellite company's Dish Network briefly dropped Viacom's MTV and 16 local CBS stations.

But Murdoch couldn't push too hard.

"It would have been a tremendous liability for DirecTV if they weren't able to offer the Olympics in HD," says Sanford C. Bernstein's Craig Moffett.

NBC and DirecTV each made concessions.

NBC seems to have thrown in the towel on low-rated Trio, which DirecTV reportedly wanted to drop, by leaving it out. That's significant: DirecTV accounts for about 67% of the 18 million homes the channel reaches.

"We're evaluating our options for Trio," says NBC Universal Cable President David Zaslav. He says NBC still might return to seek a carriage deal after it decides what to do with the channel. Campbell wouldn't discuss Trio.

Meanwhile, DirecTV agreed to pay higher fees for USA Network and Sci-Fi. USA's price will rise to about 70 cents per month for each home reached from the current 50 cents. Sci-Fi will go up a few pennies from about 20 cents.

That could set an important precedent as other cable and satellite providers look at the channels, which cut their last distribution deals about two years ago. Some cable executives said they were already overpriced.

Lately, though, NBC has gone all out to promote them — particularly USA's new science-fiction series The 4400.

"The 4400 is a hit, and a pretty good show," says Larry Gerbrandt of financial consulting firm Alix Partners. "DirecTV couldn't afford not to cut a deal — and neither could NBC."

[bdraw]

Does this mean that D* will carry BravoHD?

[Vail55]

Does this mean that D* will carry BravoHD?

Yes, it looks like they will be carrying it. Not my favorite though.

[bdraw]

More HD is always good, but doesn't look like there will be much to watch.
Thank goodness for HD Tivo atleast the little there is I won't miss.

[TSRich]

More HD is always good, but doesn't look like there will be much to watch.
Thank goodness for HD Tivo atleast the little there is I won't miss.

Hey, If I can get my US OPEN Tennis in time, I'll be happy.

[Dknow]

I checked the eligibility list on the D* site and it looks as if Tampa is listed as a big NO on the NBC HD list. We won't be getting it in our DMA. :evil:

[LonghornXP]

No the Tampa area won't get NBC HD via DirecTV but you can still pick this up from the DirecTV box via an OTA antenna. Also Bravo HD+ will be offered to every customer who gets the HD package no matter where you live. Bravo HD is a national HD channel. Also don't say that Bravo HD+ will always stay as a crap channel because last I heard is that NBC is looking at changing the name of this channel away from Bravo and is looking at starting to show new stuff from both SciFi and USA networks. I've heard they want to offer in HD at least these shows that I will list below.

USA Networks - The Dead Zone and Monk and maybe a future version of the 4400.

SciFi - Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis at least.

They also plan to show movies from both networks in HDTV and DD5.1 sound. Also the movies for the most part won't be on at the same time as they would be on USA or SciFi because the new HD channel will be a 24/7 HD network with programming from all networks. That means that our favorite USA and SciFi shows could be in HDTV without those networks ever going HD and right now DirecTV will have this channel whenever NBC makes their change which they plan to do sometime at the end of this year or early next year.

I see Bravo HD+ merging into something much much better than TNT HD would.