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Verizon Settles With Active Video. Nearing Deals With Pac-12 and BeIn Sports.

Verizon has settled a lawsuit with active video where verizon was accused of using active video's patents to form a part of fios tv without their permission. The settlement is for 260 million dollars but what active video was looking for was not only the money but to shut down fios tv too. That of course had to do more with the fact that verizon's competitors like cablevision and comcast are now active video clients where they have lost customers to fios as they are doing everything that they can to prevent verizon from adding as many customers as verizon can. A three judge panel decided that it was too much to shut down an entire tv company to leave verizon's customers without tv and the judges decided that the penalty of 260 million would suffice since active video will not be hurt in the long run since they have comcast and cablevision among other companies as their clients. Bloomberg news has the press release if you want to see it. In the meantime verizon will be coming to agreements soon with the Pac-12 network and BeIn Sports where people wil be able to watch games on those channels. Now the Pac-12 deal from what i can tell is set to launch on the west coast only but that could change since verizon's competition comcast also offers that channel nationally but it is not available in a big market like the new york/new jersey area. BeIn sports just came to an agreement with comcast and it is nearing one with verizon but just because the deal is about to happen it does not mean that it will be up just like that. They have to make sure that there is no issue with the signal and the schedules are right among other things. If you have the spanish package it will be included in your deal if you do not then you will have to get the sports package to see the games if you are a soccer/futbol fan and want to see some of the world's best soccer players and best teams play.

Comments

Ineedlaliga

Is it true??? Really? Can someone from Verizon please confirm this??

Dish Network is scheduled to come to my house tomorrow - if verizon is getting BeIn Sports I'll gladly cancel the installation!

Sadpunker

I was about to cancel my services today, I question about the beIN channel and they I quote "assure that the channel would be available very soon, however cannot give an exact time frame"

mm112

Verizon will be adding BeIn sports and once again i will say that the exact day of it being added to the guide is something they only know because as i said there are many things that have to be checked like the signal among other things before they put it up. An announcement will be made but it is more likely that the channel will be up and running first before they actually tell you it is there. At&t U-verse is also set to add BeIn sports to their lineup too. BeIn sports also hinted at what i revealed on here that no one from verizon will confirm for you until everything is 100% set to go where BeIn sports went on their own twitter page @BeInSport1Usa where they tweeted that major announcements will be made about deals that are about to occur with tv providers. Verizon has no idea of how many people were set to cancel over this issue where it would behoove them to have at least let people know that they were talking to BeIn Sports to prevent them from leaving for another provider. How much money did i save customers from paying in cancellation fees and then signing up with another provider while also helping verizon keep them from losing many of their customers? Only the customers who were set to cancel and the verizon employees who took all of those angry calls will ever know. You would think that at the very least that would merit some assistance with the problems that i and a lot of other people are having with fios tv but the answer to that of course is no. My post has yet to be deleted because the people at verizon know i am right. When the channel pops up on your guide do not forget who told you about it first.

BigPete82

What channels will the Pac-12 Networks be on so I can begin monitoring for test patterns?

prisaz

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-24/verizon-gets-mixed-ruling-in-video-on-demand-patent-fight-1-.html

I thought it was against the TOS to discuss legal or litigation matters in The community?

Is this where my $2 per box is going? $2.74 per household for Active Video? $2 per box may help them recover some of it.

JuveFan

Glad to read this post today as I was prepared to switch to DirecTV. My contract with FIOS ends in 6 weeks so if it's not available by then I'm off to satellite.

By the way, aside from waiting for beIN Sport, is there any advantage (soccer only) to having DirecTV rather than FIOS?

Sikousi

If Verizon doesn't add bein sports channel, I will go back tO Directv

ohogain

If Verizon does not add Pac-12 Networks, we will move to the first carrier in our area that does. We are on FIOS month-to-month and I deferred renewing at the higher internet speed until FIOS carries the Pac-12 Network so I can leave at any time.

MSainas

Is there any news on this? Where is our beIN sports verizon?????

Dbermud

I have been very happy with FiosNAND like the iPhone DVR app. I am concerned I will be forced to change to TWC. If Fios does not have an agreement soon with TWC Sports for Laker games and PAC 12 network. I will be changing. The only reason I haven't changed already is I also have Fios Internet and prefer not tochange my email address. Changing to TWC bundled service will also save me money. I'll stay if I can get both networks. Make a deal soon, Fios.

tns

@prisaz wrote:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-24/verizon-gets-mixed-ruling-in-video-on-demand-patent-fight-1-.html
I thought it was against the TOS to discuss legal or litigation matters in The community?
Is this where my $2 per box is going? $2.74 per household for Active Video? $2 per box may help them recover some of it.

Not sure if they succeeded but they did alter VOD to try and avoid violating the patents. If they succeeded then this only applies to past usage that violated the patents.

Ineedlaliga

IF BeIn is in the works what would be a realistic time table to actually see the channel? I am begining to think we are being strung along and no BeIn is coming - I hope not - but The hundreds of post here, on FB and twitter pleading for BeIn and Verizons silnce on the matter don't give me a warm fuzzy.....

johnmcgann

@Madridista wrote:
I am begining to think we are being strung along

In order to be "strung along" someone at Verizon would have had to promise something. It seems you're equating it with the mania and wildwishing of some of the forum members. As far as I know, not one word about BEIN has been spoken by Verizon in an official capacity.

BigPete82

@mm1, what is your source telling you these days regarding Pac-12? The season started this past weekend and we still don't have Pac-12!!!!

mm112

I am going to give those of you who want an update about BeIn Sports, the pac-12 network an update and i am also going to address another channel that is often brought up on here which is the lakers network. First with BeIn sports the deal will happen but what is holding it up is of course money. Every single time that a new sports channel is created whether it is a college sports team, a professional sports team or an international sports team providers have to factor into in how much that will end up raising people's sports packages or in the case of BeIn sports it could also increase the spanish package price. As far as the pac-12 network is concerned the hold up is also money where verizon does not want to get burned like they did with the longhorn network channel 320 where it is not getting the ratings that they had hoped it would when they added it as a national channel. Comcast also went through the same situation where they were contemplating whether it is worth it financially to provide the national feed for pac-12 or not but now they have come to an agreement with that network. A pac-12 spokesperson just said about verizon and other providers who wanted to add the pac-12 network "as we apporoach another weekend of thrilling pac-12 football the fact is that a number of providers like dish, direct tv, att&t uverse, verizon fios and charter communications are still refusing to reach a fair agreement with us." As far as the lakers network is concerned it too is also a situation where verizon is trying to decide whether there are enough laker fans that are out there to merit adding the network although from what i understand it will be. When there was that whole tennis channel debacle where it was pulled because people at the tennis channel wanted to no longer to be in the sports package and wanted to be included in everyone's package like they were cnn i assured people that it was a power grab by them where they simply wanted more money where no provider would give in to their demands and that the channel would be back where it inevitably did come back. I was also the person who told the funimation fans that the real reason that it was being dropped was because verizon was going to be adding more disney content where a month later disney junior popped up on channel 260 after funimation was dropped from channel 262. My advice to you is to keep the pressure on verizon and tell your fellow fios customers to do the same to try to get them to make a deal now.

CLyttle

Just Talking about BiEN Sports here,I don't have the Spanish package nor do I speak Spanish I hope that this channel is offered in English.

Verizon doesn't have a Sports Package per say do they ? if they do and one would need it to get Bien what would it be called ?

mm112

If you do not have the spanish package you will get the BeIn sports channel in english if you have the sports package. It will be included in both the sports package and the spanish package just like gol tv is available to watch in english on channel 313 and 1523 in spanish where the announcers call the games in english on channel 313 and in spanish on channel 1523. The sports package is from channels 300-335 where the pac-12 network and BeIn sports in english would be added. Now it remains to be seen at what specific number on the guide these channels will be added at and will they also be offered in hd? Only verizon would know that. You would think that with any sports channel that it would be in hd. That being said verizon has yet to make other soccer/futbol channels like gol tv, fox deportes, espn deportes in hd available for their customers even though other providers have them. Next year the contract is up for fox soccer so we will see if they will keep that one or if it will be dropped as a result of having added BeIn sports. Direct tv just dropped gol tv from their lineup after they added BeIn sports so we will see if any sports channels are dropped as a result of them having added any new sports channels to the verizon fios guide.

Coachdny

You are mistaken, GOL TV was NOT dropped by DIRECTV.. and DirectV offers it in HD (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/sports/sports_pack?footernavtype=-1&lpos=header)!

I left Directv for FIOS last month.. im truly starting to regret that decision. There should be NO reason why a competing provider can offer GOL TV and Bein in HD .. I thought FIOS with all its bandwith and fiber optic technolgy was meant for HD Programming... very misleading truths out in the real world about FIOS... might be switching back soon... and just keep phone and internet..

mm112

Google direct tv gol tv to see the story that was reported ten days ago in the philadelphia enquirer where direct tv will be dropping the gol tv in english feed on september 13. The story came out on august 30. The english language feed will be dropped from their lineup for BeIn sports which direct tv came to an agreement with. Gol tv used to have the rights to the spanish league and the italian cup competition but since al jazeera bought the rights to those games gol tv is now seen as a channel that is pointless to have where gol tv in spanish will eventually go away too because BeIn sports now has the rights to the best teams that play soccer in spanish. If you want to read the official statement from gol tv where they confirm that direct tv will be dropping them on september 13 then feel free to do so. If someone wants to post the link on here from the philadelphia inquirer to prove my point by googling direct tv gol tv and clicking on the left hand side of the page on the google news story then they are free to do it. Now while i empathize with people who only want to watch their favorite sports teams only you can put the necessary pressure that has to be put on not only verizon but whichever channel it is that you would like to be added. The channels that i have mentioned on here will be added at some point but no one can give you a definitive date or say whether they will be in hd.

JohninMalibu

Verizon needs to tell us something before we switch to DISH which now has the PAC12 Network.

gobruin

We are very upset that we can't get an answer about Pac-12 network. We're missing our games this weekend as we speak! Get it done, or we will pay a penalty and move on to Time Warner or Dish!

charliewatts

It seems that making threats to leave on this board is silly. Call, email or fax Verizon. Your voice for threats go unnoticed here.

Of course, I'm on record as an opposer to adding adding more sports channels to the FiOS service.

@gobruin wrote:
We are very upset that we can't get an answer about Pac-12 network. We're missing our games this weekend as we speak! Get it done, or we will pay a penalty and move on to Time Warner or Dish!

orlortiz

Thank you very much for your helpful information....

ChristianS

If Verizon FIOS does not begin to carry the beIN network I will seriously consider swithching to Comcast

ZDM1197

I called to cancel my Verizon contarct today. I have a $120 penalty for cancelling early. My contract is up in 2014...no big deal. Along with the early cancellation fee I would accountable for a pro-rata portion of my monthly charges, again no big deal.

We are huge soccer fans and along with soccer I understand that beIN Sports will carry the World Superbike motorcycle racing Championship (which was recently dropped by that inept NASCAR I mean SPEED Channel) I'm also a huge motorcycle racing enthusiast. I know motorcycle racings fans pale in comparison to soccer fans but it's icing on the cake.

I'm giving Verizon until March 1st to see what happens, if not I'll pay my early termination penalty and hop on over to comcast. I just don't trust Verizon, they say beIN negoiations are "hot and heavy" at the moment....but this could last months and months, it already has.

My advice to Verizon...."GET IT DONE ASAP" before subscribers go some where else.

doc1949

Verizon, don't make the same mistake that Comcast ALMOST did when they picked up the PAC12 network last summer! Initially, they were only going to offer it on the West Coast, but they received so many complaints form PAC12 alums on the east coast that they expanded the channel to other areas like Metro Philly.

Also, offer this network in HD not SD please!

doc1949

Also, offer this network in HD not SD please!

mm112

I thought i would give people who are out there an update as to what is going on with the pac 12 network. Verizon is holding off on signing the contract until they open up more hd space on the fios guide for the channels who they have come to agreements with so that those channels can be added first before they do the pac 12 network deal. Verizon has signed contracts with a bunch of channels to have their hd feeds added to the guide but there is no space on the guide to add them so the pac 12 deal is being delayed. Some of the hd channels that are on the way are espn deportes hd, univision deportes hd, sony movie channel hd, ultra tainment hd (a entertainment hd channel from mexico which will be added at channel 1517), tv guide hd (for those who do not have it), msg plus 2 hd , and some byron allen owned hd channels just to name a few. I've also found out that byron allen is going to be creating some family friendly programming so there are going to be more additions of those .tv hd channels some time next year where channels for children and family programming are currently being worked on by byron allen's entertainment studios. So until verizon's employees create more hd space on the fios guide you should not expect to see any major channel additions to it. Some smaller sd channels like those me-tv type channels may be added but not the hd content that people want. This fall is when a lot of major changes will be happening for fios tv customers where the channels that i have mentioned on here will be added along with the availability of the six tuner dvr which will not be made available to all customers at the same time. Owners of mottorola boxes will get the first shot at those new dvrs then eventually the people who have cisqo boxes. Then there is the guide provider switch where verizon will be dropping fyi television of grand prarie texas for tribune media services of chicago illinois. Fios tv customers can expect that change to happen in september or october where they will be getting a notification by verizon about changes to the guide that are on the way. Tribune media is responsible for the tv listings that you see in newspapers throughout the country in the tv section about what will be on tv and they are rsponsible for the guide data that is on the tivo guide. So if someone has a tivo dvr because they did not trust verizon's guide data provider fyi television now verizon will be using that same guide data provider that tivo uses so customers can now get a verizon dvr quite possibly one of those new six tuner ones this fall when it is made available.

celticpride1

I wish it was fall already i cant wait! Hmmm! maybe they can throw a bone to us tivo owners to switch to the 6 tuner fios dvr? At the very least inculde us with the motorola users to be first in line for the new box! Boy do i have decision coming up this fall stay with fios and maybe try for the new media center ? or switch to directv for the 5 tuner genie?(sorry tivo i just cant afford to pay another $1500.00 to but 2 new tivos with lifetime service! And i need more than 2 tuners!!!)

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