Canadian MMA fans received some disappointing news last week from Bell Satellite TV, a subsidiary of Bell Canada which provides satellite television service across Canada, when it posted on its Electronic Program Guide that HDNet would no longer be carried as of December 7th by the provider.
MMAPayout has learned that the decision to drop the network by Bell TV came after Bell told HDNet that the network would be moving from their current theme pack arrangement to what the station considers less desirable theme packages. Mark Cuban, CEO of HDNet, has described the move as an example of a provider pushing around a small network, and is urging all Canadian HDNet fans to contact Bell TV directly. To ease some of the customer frustration, HDNet is currently ironing out the details on deals with Rogers Cable and Shaw Direct (Bell TV competitors) to give the Bell TV customers incentives to switch over their services to either provider according to availability.
Bell TV told MMAPayout.com that the two parties were not able to come to mutually beneficial terms and that alternative MMA content is still available for their customers.
Bell and HDNet were unable to arrive at mutually beneficial terms for the packaging of HDNet. That means Bell will no longer provide HDNet service beginning December 7, 2010. Bell will continue featuring key MMA events on Pay-Per-View – including of course UFC 124 George St-Pierre vs. Koscheck II on December 11 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
MMA content is also available on Spike and the many sports stations carried by Bell including RDS, Sportsnet and The Score.
Payout Perspective:
The news to Canadian MMA fans who have Bell TV is disappointing, considering that HDNet just completed a deal with the UFC to give the network access to UFC events, which has cemented the network as the best MMA and combat sports network in North America. HDNet showcased the new UFC access material during the UFC 121 Lesnar vs Velasquez event, where Mike Straka was on scene from the Honda Center and gave Inside MMA exclusive interviews, footage, and content. Along with access to cover UFC events on scene, HDNet also gained UFC content such as the Primetime series along with other exclusive content currently under development.
The network’s involvement in MMA dates back to the pre-Zuffa days of the WEC. In recent years HDNet has aired more live MMA events than any other network.
Bell customers can contact the company at 888-759-3474 or http://support.bell.ca/en-ON/contactus_tv
TELUS and a few others don’t carry it up in Canada. Which really sucks. When you note that we pay among the highest fees in the world for UFC PPVs 50% more than in the US. I have to wonder if that is a factor in getting rid of the channel with the most free MMA.
jv:
I believe Rogers and Shaw still have HDNet, but definitely feel bad for those that don’t have any options.
Looks like I’ll be dropping bell and switching providers. I’m sick of Bell changing their packages, whether it be with internet, mobile phone or satellite.
I will be switching providers in 2011 hdnet is a great channel what: other channels will be next to lose we pay enough per month for the service the customer should decide what channels they take out without your customers your nothing.
i called bell and said i was canceling my satellite service the day the cancel hdnet.. customer retention at bell called me and offered me 20 dollars off my bill per month for a year if i stayed.. at the moment i said yes but, on further thought i’m saying NO..hdnet is really the only source of k1 and mma from japan . plus the concerts are great.. so bye bye bell as of dec 7th..
dave mcc,
I know a few folks up there in Canada that are quite unhappy with the move to drop HDNet. I hear you and experienced the same thing when my provider dropped the network and I switched to a competitor who offered HDNet. I don’t regret it one bit, love the channel for all the reasons you stated.
Cheers,
Jose
just switched to shaw direct , shaws satellite service.. i now pay 22.99 bucks a month for shaws digital value pac, which is not advertised , you must ask for it , plus i pay $5.99 for their hdextra pac which includes hdnet..HD receiver for new customers is 49 dollars, shaw gives new customers upon joining shaw 100 dollar programing credit plus 50 dollar PPV free movies..at 30 bucks a month for my package that translates into 3 free months of service and 50 dollars in PPV movies..
just switched to shaw direct , shaws satellite service.. i now pay 22.99 bucks a month for shaws digital value pac, which is not advertised , you must ask for it , plus i pay $5.99 for their hdextra pac which includes hdnet..HD receiver for new customers is 49 dollars, shaw gives new customers upon joining shaw 100 dollar programing credit plus 50 dollar PPV free movies..at 30 bucks a month for my package that translates into 3 free months of service and 50 dollars in PPV movies
HDNET thinks IT can boss BELL around and tell it what theme pack it will and will not go into. Bell has hundreds of channels, what makes HDNET so important it can boss a company around. If HDNET was so great and people loved it so much it wouldnt matter what theme pack it would go into would it not?
Just another channel trying to strongarm a company into doing what it wants. Don’t get me wrong I don’t think Bell is much better for droppping it but I understand the reasons at least.
Je crois bien que je vais changer de founisseurs je commence a en avoir plein mon…. de Bell Expres vue en plus nous n’avons plus HDNET