Teh One Who Knocks
07-10-2012, 04:14 PM
by Mark Jafar, Viacom
Viacom’s distribution agreement with DirecTV is set to expire at midnight on Tuesday, July 10. We’ve been negotiating for months and even offered DirecTV an extension past the agreement’s original June 30th expiration date. As recently as today, we made significant economic movement in direct conversations with DirecTV.
However, despite our best efforts, DirecTV has rejected all of our proposals to renew our agreement. This evening, DirecTV provided Viacom with a counter proposal that included a lower rate than Viacom receives from any other distributor in the industry. With this offer, our negotiations have reached an impasse.
This means that, as of tomorrow night, nearly 20 million DirecTV subscribers will be without entertainment from the programmer they watch most. A total of 26 Viacom channels, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, CMT, Spike TV, TV Land and more won’t be available.
Our agreement with DirecTV is seven years old – ancient by the standards of the ever-evolving media industry – which means that DirecTV has enjoyed way below market rates for Viacom’s networks for a very long time.
If negotiations remain stalled, DirecTV will drop Viacom’s channels tomorrow tonight. No Dora, no SpongeBob, no Teen Wolf, no 106 & Park, no Daily Show, no Colbert, and no Snooki – a regrettable and avoidable turn of events if there ever was one, and an outcome that our team has worked tirelessly to avoid.
Here’s the official statement from Viacom:
As of midnight on Tuesday, July 10, DirecTV will drop 26 Viacom channels, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, CMT, Spike TV, TV Land and more. Viacom is the most watched programmer on DirecTV. Nickelodeon is the most watched cable network on DirecTV. We regret that DirecTV refuses to consider a fair deal that recognizes the value of Viacom programming. We urge DirecTV customers to call 800-531-5000 or visit www.whendirectvdrops.com and demand that DirecTV put its customers first, and keep Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET and all of Viacom’s channels.
Here are some indisputable facts about Viacom and the strength of its networks on DirecTV:
Viacom accounts for 20% of all viewing on DirecTV – more than any other programmer and above the national average for all distributors.1 Yet Viacom currently accounts for less than 5% of DirecTV’s programming expenses. 2
Nickelodeon is the #1 most-watched cable network on DirecTV. 1
Kids in DirecTV homes spend 50% of their viewing time watching Nickelodeon networks. 1
Over the past three years, Viacom has completed nearly a dozen significant distribution renewal agreements privately and without disruption to consumers.
And here are some indisputable facts about DirecTV:
Over the past three years, DirecTV has fought publicly over carriage agreements with seven different programmers – Fox, Tribune, Diversified Communications, Northwest Broadcasting, Sunbeam, Belo, G4, Versus, and YES Networks – and dropped five of them.
DirecTV is on track to deliver $5 billion in profit in 2012.3
Over the seven year life of our expiring deal, DirecTV doubled its worldwide revenue, tripled its profits and increased its subscriber base by more than 32%.3
Needless to say, Viacom will continue to work to convince DirecTV to keep our channels, and strike a fair and equitable agreement. Check this space for updates on the situation.
For more information, you can visit the website Viacom has set up to notify consumers of DirecTV’s decision to drop its channels at www.whendirectvdrops.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WhenDirecTVDrops.
Viacom’s distribution agreement with DirecTV is set to expire at midnight on Tuesday, July 10. We’ve been negotiating for months and even offered DirecTV an extension past the agreement’s original June 30th expiration date. As recently as today, we made significant economic movement in direct conversations with DirecTV.
However, despite our best efforts, DirecTV has rejected all of our proposals to renew our agreement. This evening, DirecTV provided Viacom with a counter proposal that included a lower rate than Viacom receives from any other distributor in the industry. With this offer, our negotiations have reached an impasse.
This means that, as of tomorrow night, nearly 20 million DirecTV subscribers will be without entertainment from the programmer they watch most. A total of 26 Viacom channels, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, CMT, Spike TV, TV Land and more won’t be available.
Our agreement with DirecTV is seven years old – ancient by the standards of the ever-evolving media industry – which means that DirecTV has enjoyed way below market rates for Viacom’s networks for a very long time.
If negotiations remain stalled, DirecTV will drop Viacom’s channels tomorrow tonight. No Dora, no SpongeBob, no Teen Wolf, no 106 & Park, no Daily Show, no Colbert, and no Snooki – a regrettable and avoidable turn of events if there ever was one, and an outcome that our team has worked tirelessly to avoid.
Here’s the official statement from Viacom:
As of midnight on Tuesday, July 10, DirecTV will drop 26 Viacom channels, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, CMT, Spike TV, TV Land and more. Viacom is the most watched programmer on DirecTV. Nickelodeon is the most watched cable network on DirecTV. We regret that DirecTV refuses to consider a fair deal that recognizes the value of Viacom programming. We urge DirecTV customers to call 800-531-5000 or visit www.whendirectvdrops.com and demand that DirecTV put its customers first, and keep Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET and all of Viacom’s channels.
Here are some indisputable facts about Viacom and the strength of its networks on DirecTV:
Viacom accounts for 20% of all viewing on DirecTV – more than any other programmer and above the national average for all distributors.1 Yet Viacom currently accounts for less than 5% of DirecTV’s programming expenses. 2
Nickelodeon is the #1 most-watched cable network on DirecTV. 1
Kids in DirecTV homes spend 50% of their viewing time watching Nickelodeon networks. 1
Over the past three years, Viacom has completed nearly a dozen significant distribution renewal agreements privately and without disruption to consumers.
And here are some indisputable facts about DirecTV:
Over the past three years, DirecTV has fought publicly over carriage agreements with seven different programmers – Fox, Tribune, Diversified Communications, Northwest Broadcasting, Sunbeam, Belo, G4, Versus, and YES Networks – and dropped five of them.
DirecTV is on track to deliver $5 billion in profit in 2012.3
Over the seven year life of our expiring deal, DirecTV doubled its worldwide revenue, tripled its profits and increased its subscriber base by more than 32%.3
Needless to say, Viacom will continue to work to convince DirecTV to keep our channels, and strike a fair and equitable agreement. Check this space for updates on the situation.
For more information, you can visit the website Viacom has set up to notify consumers of DirecTV’s decision to drop its channels at www.whendirectvdrops.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WhenDirecTVDrops.