TWC Sports Net?

Does anyone know if Fios is going to pick up the new Time Warner Cable Sports Network come October 1, 2012? I really don't want to pay the termination fee in order to switch to Time Warner Cable just so I can catch the Laker games in Southern California. I've actually been pretty content with Fios and would hate to switch.

Accepted answers

LakerZombie

Seriously.

I really hope the flood gates open now and every cable / sat provider wise up like Charter and gets a deal done before they start losing customers.

Your turn FIOS, please get a deal done in the next few days.

We want our Lakers!

All comments

jtooth

This is not a unique message.. but the more the better.

I have cable so I can watch all Laker games! If I can't watch all Laker games, I won't have cable anymore!!! It's that simple.

BigChicken

So on Sunday when the LAKERS are playing their first preseason game all of the verizon customers will be upset having no clue as to what's happening during the game meanwhile verizon management could care less about their valued customers.

I'm really disliking verizon more and more 😞

GO LAKERS !!!

AngrySoCalFan

Still no word on the negotiations. I am really worried this will never happen. If you are frustrated and feel like you want to do more to get VErizon's attention, than sign this online petition which will be sent to them. So far over 60 people have signed it in less than 3 days. You are not alone in your frustration.

http://www.change.org/petitions/verizon-fios-add-twc-sportsnet-lakers-channel

RBH54

Tomorrow I will miss my first televised Lakers game in 28 years. Thanks Verizon. It's looking like I will soon be a TWC subscriber.

TomL22

Verizon, come to terms with Time Warner to carry the new Los Angeles Lakers channel.

VerizonFIOS may be a superior product, but without the Lakers it does not matter.

Don't waste time. Get it done.

Raiders131

Love Verizon but will be switching to TWC if I miss 1 regular season Lakers game! Everyone sign that petition!!

sid_and_nancy

Chick Hern is spinning in his grave. Jim Buss sold the fans out to the highest bidder. They should have never allowed Time Warner to pull this **bleep**.

Raiders131

Honestly I would pay $5 easy for the channel and another $2 or $3 for the pac 12 channel!! Just get it done!!!

Thedoctor46

Laker Fans. Start worrying and jumping carriers once other companies have struck a deal with TW.

Nothing we can do other than wait and make plans for change (10/30/12) if Verizon can't get it done.

I'm not a fan of TW either due to their technical limitations (tv and Internet quality), however it's a change I'm willing to take for our Lakers. At least TW doesn't require any long term commitment.

Raiders131

Step it up Verizon i need my LaKers!!

chaunce

For people that are saying they will pay a few extra bucks to get the channel.

In a non greedy and blood sucking world this would be feasible. However not for cable companies now. This is why they have "tiers" so they can group a bunch of channels together and overcharge everyone for. Even if you don't want it at all.

Raiders131

Chaunce, that sucks G. If it were any other situation I wouldn't care but the Lakers??!! Can't miss that.

truth2truth

I am glad all these Lakers fans are making their voices heard. Come on Verizon, you will lose a lot of customers if you don't get this deal done soon. I gotta have my Lakers... We are already paying to much to not have something we value and 150 other channels we do not care about... Get it done... Lakers 2013 NBA Champs.

srfmum

{please keep your posts courteous} OK so I just switched from TWC to Verizon and just found out I can't even watch any Laker games...**bleep**!! VERIZON tech lied to me 3 days ago...now I'm **bleep**. Definitely switching back to Time Warner cable...cheaper bundle pack and at least now I can read the guide!! Warning to ALL...{please keep your posts courteous}

chaunce

games on now and i am missing it. Man Frustrated

TW has bundle packages that are pretty much the same as verizon everyone. Just keep that in mind when switching. I am gonna wait another week to see if direct tv or any other network gets it before i go to tw though. From what i am reading though everyone is that verizon prob wont get it.

Just look at the pac 12 network. They will not pony up the money. Especially when they got this redbox deal in december which will be a bust.

ramirezmu8

I will switch to TWC if the channel is not picked up before the start of the regular season.

Zelgie

I will be canceling my Verizon Fios as well if we don't get TWC. I can live with crappier internet speed. But I can't live with paying for cable TV without Lakers.

Moman2

Time Warner has the rights to boardcast Laker basketball games. I need to know if Verizon has plans to purchase from TW the right to air local Laker basketball games ASAP please. I don't want to switch carriers but this will make me switch if the Lakers are not available on Verizon.

Raiders131

Good point Carl. A deal just needs to get done ASAP!!!

chaunce

As a customer there is not much we can do. All the posting and such isn't gonna and hasn't done much. Just a blip on the radar.

In the short term there is something you can do until the regular season starts. If you have any paid programming you can cancel then do it. (HBO SHOWTIME, Extra Tiers)

And when you do it, make sure you tell them the reason why you are doing it. Only way you can get through to these guys is through their pocketbooks.

MANU2

I need to watch my LAKERS or i'm going to switch to another provider

llcooolray

Im lucky enough to be out of contract with verizon and been happy with the service for years but not adding the new lakers channel will force me to switch. I've already made an appointment for time Warner to install their service at my house. if by that time, fios still doesn't have the lakers channel theres no turning back.

i suggest all lakers fans do the same and if you're still under contract I'm sure there's some legal precedent that if fios is not able to provide a service that they used to, your contract with thme would be null and void.

GO AHEAD FIOS MESS AROUND AND SEE HOW MANY CUSTOMERS YOU LOSE.

the worst part is either no one at fios knows **bleep** or just doesn't give a **bleep** about their customers.

timinsandimas

The way I see it, if Fios cannot provide the channel, millions of customers are going to leave Verizon and make the switch. Can you imagine how much money Verizon will lose if this happens. If I cannot watch the Lakers season opener on Fios, then I am taking my hard earned $ elsewhere. I really don't give a crap about all the other channels Fios has, I want my Lakers!.

timinsandimas

bobbo527

@timinsandimas wrote:
The way I see it, if Fios cannot provide the channel, millions of customers are going to leave Verizon and make the switch. Can you imagine how much money Verizon will lose if this happens. If I cannot watch the Lakers season opener on Fios, then I am taking my hard earned $ elsewhere. I really don't give a crap about all the other channels Fios has, I want my Lakers!.

Verizon only has 4.4M FiOS subscribers throughout the US so your "millions of customers are going to leave" claim is a little exaggerated. I did find this article that indicates that no other carrier has signed on to air the channel because TWC wants too much money per subscriber for it. So unless you're switching to TWC you're a little out of luck at the moment.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-plaschke-lakers-tv-20121007,0,312689.column

BigChicken

A month ago I was afraid to make the switch because I didn't want to lose quality of our HDTVs or internet but I HAD to switch because I love the LAKERS! Now my bill is $65 dollars cheaper a month WITHOUT a 2 year commitment. Seriously I don't see any difference in v-fios and TimeWarner HD and as far as internet goes I'm running 3 three PCs, 2 Roku boxes, and two TiVo boxes with just their first tier TV/Internet service. I've been amazed because I've always thought nobody even compares to verizon but I was wrong. Oh and the LAKERS channel TMC SportsNet is included in their basic channel lineup so no special sports package is necessary!! Hope I've helped if you are worried about what I was. I made the switch and I'm glad I did now!!!

GO LAKERS!!!!

jrolfedrev

I called the customer service inquiring about TWC LAKERS and response was they are not sure when they will ahve it but they are in negotiation. I had been with Verizon since 2005 as it's the only available due to new development but most of my neighbors are Laker fans and if they do not have it by next as most of us are month-to-month, we are all switching to TWC. We love FIOS but Lakers are priority.

Sorry Verizon it's just business......you think you can manipulate the Inland Empire but we are going to switch....bet on it.

motordog

Just letting you know Verizon, I'm gonna bail on you too. TWC here I come. Go Lakers.

partridj

I need me some Lakers!

chaunce

To the person that said verizon has 4.4 million subscribers.

Yes, that is true they are on the bottom of the totem pole if we are talking about market share. Direct, Dish, Comcast all will have to make way bigger deals. Verizon is the last company TWC cares about or would think of sticking it to. In fact it would be beneficial for them to make a deal with verizon because it is not even close to being available everywhere. The other companies are. Especially dish and directv. Verizon is more expensive than dish and direct and comcast and would be a good chess move to make it seem to those customers that it isn't them that is holding up the deals. SO more pressure would be put on them by the consumer to get something done.

The problem is, that as a customer of verizon it does concern me that they can't reach a deal or are unwilling to pony up. It makes me look at the viability of the company long term. It makes me look at the big redbox deal they have planned in december and if they invested too much into that.

Can verizon afford to pay what TW is offering? At what point does verizon say to me, "sorry we are going out of business cause we only have 4.4 million subscribers which puts us as the low man on the totem pole, we can't be a provider anymore"

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

bobbo527

@chaunce wrote:
To the person that said verizon has 4.4 million subscribers.
Yes, that is true they are on the bottom of the totem pole if we are talking about market share. Direct, Dish, Comcast all will have to make way bigger deals. Verizon is the last company TWC cares about or would think of sticking it to. In fact it would be beneficial for them to make a deal with verizon because it is not even close to being available everywhere. The other companies are. Especially dish and directv. Verizon is more expensive than dish and direct and comcast and would be a good chess move to make it seem to those customers that it isn't them that is holding up the deals. SO more pressure would be put on them by the consumer to get something done.
The problem is, that as a customer of verizon it does concern me that they can't reach a deal or are unwilling to pony up. It makes me look at the viability of the company long term. It makes me look at the big redbox deal they have planned in december and if they invested too much into that.
Can verizon afford to pay what TW is offering? At what point does verizon say to me, "sorry we are going out of business cause we only have 4.4 million subscribers which puts us as the low man on the totem pole, we can't be a provider anymore"
Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Sorry, but the ONLY thing that makes me go hmmmmm is the fact that as of today NO other carrier on the planet has signed up to carry this channel, and that includes DirecTV who seems to add everything. THAT tells me something. I know Laker fans are upset about this, and I do not blame them, but dumping ALL the blame on Verizon is shortsighted and very wrong. In the end it is going to be us, the subscribers, that pay because that $3.95 per subscriber fee is only going to be passed on to us in higher rates. Then you all will start whining that the cost of cable is toooooooooo expensive. It's the old chicken and the egg and it needs to stop.

Lakerfan2

The big deal is that some of us are still under contract with Verizon and just can't get out of it to switch to TWC. And other people, like my brother don't even have the option of getting TWC in Los Angeles. True this isn't all Verizon's fault but it is sad that many Laker fans are not able to watch their team this coming season. And if this is the only way for Laker fans to come together and make their voices heard then so be it.

jeweled

I will definitely have to switch over to TWC if Verizon doesn't pick up the Laker channel by the beginning of the season.

Lakerfan2

Does anyone know, if we purchase the NBA League Pass will Laker games be blacked out in Southern California or Los Angeles for that matter?

Lakerfan2

^^ I don't want to ask Verizon because they'll probably say no just to get my money and when the season starts I'll be out of luck because the games are actually blacked out.

Lakerfan46

I'm going to start looking at TWC so I can get my Lakers. I think the negotiations are going to be harder to settle than we think, probably will cost more for a package and Verizon FIOS is already expensive. Need to check my contract date, but if I can I will switch now. Verizon and the others better get the deals done or thousands of subscribers like me will switch.

BigChicken

@ Lakerfan, I live in the LA area and I got an NBA League Pass subscription last season and YES the local games are blacked out.

@ all verizon peeps, if Time Warner is available in your area then I would get it. 90% of everyone here are saying that they're going to switch but in actuality to verizon these statements are just empty threats because you guys are still with verizon and verizon is still getting your money... so why would they even care? For verizon to get TM SportsNet then they must see a mass exit of customers. I switched and I am one happy LAKERS fan FO SHO!!! I am in no way associated or work for TimeWarner... I was just one peon verizon customer that got lied to too many times... I learned my lesson.

GO LAKERS!!!!

chaunce

@lakerfan

Yes in so cal the league pass games will be blocked out.

Lakerfan2

Thanks! That's what I thought but I figured I'd still ask.

Raiders131

Verizon get the **bleep** channel already!!

chaunce

It's no empty threat powe. It's not an easy move to make for many cause you have to void ur contract, pay a bloated cancelation fee, and then deal with twc installation.

Come regular season though expect to see this forum empty because most will have switched.

DannyMac10

Hey this might work if you guys haven't posted it yet. Does Verizon have NBA Package? If so, subscribe and get the other teams feed since the Laker feed is black out for us here in So Cal. Will that work if not, I done at the end of Oct if no channel on Fios TV. I contacting my bank to put a stop on any Veizon withdrawal for early cancellation fee since they still owe me my Visa $350 debit card promise when I signed up back in March 2012. They didn't fulfill their promise on the Visa bonus card..contract void!

Now to check if the NBA Package is available

Go Lakers..wish I could watch them..Thanks Verizon and the Lakers and TWC

BigChicken

@ DannyMac10, verizon has lied several times to me... they can be very deceitful!

About getting the NBA, last season I bought an NBA League Pass subscription then found out that the LAKERS games were blacked out so like you I thought the same thing and chose other teams that would play the LAKERS like OKC, Clippers, Heat, & etc only to find out they too were blacked out. I did start watching OKC only because Fisher was there and I had paid for the subscription lol but what a waste that subscription was.

I was watching SportNet right now and Kobe isn't playing tonight so it gonna be the Blake Show this evening.

GO LAKERS !!!!

CJSILVERY

WHEN I SIGNED UP FOR FIOS I HAD BASKETBALL AND OTHER SPORTS - TONIGHT I CAN'T VIEW LA LAKERS GAME BECAUSE ONLY TIME WARNER CUSTOMERS WILL SEE - MY QUESTION IS IF I SIGNED A CONTRACT TO GET SPORTS CAN I CANCEL THAT CONTRACT (WITH NO TERMINATION FEE) IF VERIZON DOES NOT FULFILL THEIR PART OF THE CONTRACT?

RAMOSFAMILY10

I WANT TO WATCH THE LAKER GAMES!!! VERIZON FIOS MY CONTRACT IS UP.. GET THE LAKERS CHANNEL OR LOSE ANOTHER CUSTOMER ... PLEASE AND THANK YOU..

Rick310

What a bummer no laker pre-season games. First season not able to see first laker games at home. I think verizon should of done something sooner. Do they really care about it's customers?

For latest news on Timewarner and Lakers

go here http://readhere.info/timewarnernews

ginodidas507

So I have been reading over the last weeks worth of threads and wanted to see if any of you considered the following:

Because Verizon has not announced anything that convinces the customer to stay because time Warner sports is coming, just flat out leave; or, stay with Verizon order the League Pass for 180 for the season and stay with Verizon, or spend 40 bucks for the season and get NBA Mobile League pass for my genius phone and stay with Verizon. Any thoughts or suggestions? It is irritating though that Verizon with their letters in capitals "FIOS" are unable to compromise with a small sector of time Warner sports and come to an agreement.

Honestly I could care less of the business side, cause guess what?? Im a paying customer that keeps this business running and if the service being provided does not satisfy the money I pay for, then what do you suggest is the next logical step?

I am no out of the ordinary type of customer, I am just an average customer, earn income, pay bills, pay utilities and provide. Im sure there are more out there like me who do the same to some level of similarity. Usually when similarities begin to amass, they begin to create huge results. Which huge result will Verizon see?

chaunce

Depends where you are at. If you are in SO cal the league pass games will be locked out. So that really isn't a viable option unless you want to see a black screen.

DannyMac10

To me it hasn't been resolved. The Verizon rep told me that I opted for Free Multi Room DVR for 2 years over the Visa Bonus Debit Card. Checked my bill and they are charging $31.98 for multi room DVR and giving me credit for $19.99 for only 1 year not 2 as he stated. Not only that subtracting the $31.98 from $19.99 credit means I am paying for multi room DVR 2 rooms each month. So this contract is voided on Verizon's part by not supplying the Visa Bonus Debit Card they promised back in March 2012. At that time that was the big come on Verizon was pushing to new subscribers. Again, I am paying for a multi room DVR package each month so the Verizon rep who said I was getting it for free for 2 years is wrong!