Channels and Programming

[ComcastEric]

Universal Sports elected to switch from being carried over-the-air as a multicast broadcast channel to a cable channel. The change took place at midnight on December 31, 2011.

As a result of their decision, Universal Sports is currently in negotiations with Comcast and other companies for how the channel will be carried in 2012.

All channels, regardless of affiliation, are required to go through the same application and approval process in order to be carried by Comcast.

Once a decision is reached, further information will be communicated.

Eric

[tonyn818]

Just my opinion, but...

You at Comcast send out messages and communicate all types of garbage, but when a channel is deleted, you don't think the public has a right to know this is going to take place?

I think it's just another example of your very poor customer service.  Unless it's a question of getting a representative who barely speaks English or is highly incomprehensible.

[gts1]

I don't care about your negotiations. It shouldn't be this difficult. Just work out a deal, soon please, and re-up the network. Get it done.

I will be sending you daily emails until it is completed.

[dflowers]

I also noticed that Universal Sports has gone missing from the Comcast lineup. Please make sure that the negotiations get this channel back ASAP!  Most of the cable channels are pure garbage, but Universal Sports carries the Diamond League track meets during the summer and if those meets are suddently not available I will have to try and find another content provider. In this era of massive coverage of everything, removing a quality sports channel like Universal Sports is a huge step backwards.

[lkjacob]

It has now been over two months since Universal Sports disappeared from Comcast.  You told us that you were in negotiations.  I would be interested in an update from someone at Comcast.  Specifically, how soon do you anticipate having the channel available again?  I guess I want to know if I should start looking at discontinuing Comcast and moving to DirecTV so that I can watch the Olympics coverage and major cycling events such as the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta.  I am disappointed that I will not be able to see the Tirreno-Adriatico cycling race that is just about to start.

[edpeters]

I hate (really hate) to take Comcast's side in this, but it does appear that Universal Sports is trying to squeeze blood out of a Turnip (in this case it is the consumer that is the Turnip), by making it a 'specialty sports channel' rather then going for a wider distribution as a digital starter channel like ESPN, etc.

[tonyn818]

I was the one who started this discussion.  And it has since occurred to me that this is an NBC-owned station.  Didn't Comcast buy NBC or its entertainment division or television network?  So why is there a holdup in bringing Universal Sports Network to a Comcast channel? I cannot understand the problem.