After discussing it for over six months DirecTV and Comcast finally came to an agreement to get Versus back on the satellite’s lineup. DirecTV says Comcast wanted more money for the Versus feed, and Comcast argued DirecTV wanted to cut the channel’s potential audience almost in half from 14 million households. Meanwhile, hockey fans with DirecTV were unable to watch the NHL on Versus. Full Story
Although Hulu recently lost popular Viacom content from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report”, they may make up for some lost viewership with the addition of content from NFL Network. The NFL channel on Hulu (http://www.hulu.com/nfl) is featuring nine football categories including 149 “Game of the Week” episodes, 18 “Greatest Games” episodes, and 43 “Super Bowl Highlights.” Each team also has its own sub-channel (For example http://www.hulu.com/nfl/carolina-panthers) which makes its easier to find content for a certain team rather than browsing through categories. Full Story
Showtime will launch a new stylish interactive widget for FiOS HD subscribers watching the Strikeforce Challengers sporting event on Friday, Feb. 26. The mixed martial arts broadcast will premiere SHOWTIME Sports Interactive, an EBIF interactive TV app enabling you to vote, view fighter stats and bios, and access a fight calendar. The widget is designed to look like an old baseball card, with retro looking illustrations and all the imperfections of an age (no, your TV isn’t getting old). Showtime says its the first programmer to rollout an EBIF iTV app in high-def, and will include the feature in select HD MPEG-4 broadcasts.
If you’ve ditched your cable recently amid the promise of free broadcast HD and Internet streaming, you were probably surprised yesterday if you are also a hockey fan who went looking for the much hyped USA/Canada Olympic hockey battle. NBC, in their infinite programming wisdom (cf. the recent Tonight Show fiasco), pushed out a hockey game that turned out to be a stunner and an upset victory for Team USA. However, if you went searching for it on your local NBC affiliate you got to view a series of uplifting sob-stories and then some ice dancing instead. Let me repeat: Ice Dancing. Prancing in frilly, rhinestone-studded costumes on skates. The Winter Olympics equivalent of synchronized swimming. A rather bloodless affair that carried no tension, no excitement, nothing really to cheer for unless you’re a huge Bob Fosse On Ice fan. Instead of flying hockey pucks you got frostbitten jazz hands, suckers. Full Story
Below is the Winter Olympics 2010 schedule for Friday, Feb. 19, 2010. Times may vary according to where you live. To view a schedule for your time zone go to the Olympics 2010 website and enter your zip code. For a count of earned medals by Country visit this page. Full Story
Dish Network has added 9 new HD channels to its national lineup, including Fox Soccer Channel HD which launched today (Feb. 11) exclusively to Dish customers. The new channel can be found on Dish 149 if you have Dish’s America’s Top 250 package. Full Story
For the first time Cox Communications will provide all its Winter Olympics coverage, approximately 835 hours of it, in high-definition. Cox says it is also providing the content online and On Demand, at no additional cost to subscribers. For online distribution, the Cox/NBC Universal agreement includes 1,000+ hours of digital content which will be available to customers with at least Expanded Basic service. Full Story
The BBC will broadcast every match of the RBS Six Nations Championship in HD this year, a first for the rugby series. The Six Nations will start off Feb. 6, 2010 on BBC One and BBC HD with Ireland versus Italy. In the US, the game appears on the BBC America schedule, although it is not clear whether it will be in HD or not. Full Story
In case you missed the news earlier this week In Demand Networks is giving a free preview of NBA League Pass until Jan. 24. The preview is offered half way through the NBA’s regular season, promoting the service which provides up to 40 out-of-market games per week including some in HD. Full Story
Comcast added ESPN content to their On Demand menu this week, with plans to include programming from the Winter X Games, college sports, classic boxing and the upcoming FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Also included will be ESPN’s 30 for 30 sports documentary series, which highlights sports history from 1979 to 2009. Full Story
EPSN says it will launch the industry’s first 3D television network this year, broadcasting at least 85 live sporting events starting on June 11 with the 2010 World Cup. EPSN says they have been testing 3D for over two years, including a 3D theater broadcast of a USC-Ohio State football game back in Sept. 09. Full Story
World Fishing Network (WFN) has launched in hi-def on AT&T’s U-verse TV service. The new HD network is available on U-verse channel 1679, and features 24-hour fishing programming including original shows, local stories, and news. Full Story
The Boston Herald reports Comcast is adding Celtics content to its video-on-demand (VOD) library which currently includes Red Sox and Bruins content. Celtics programming will include player features, a documentary, press footage and the Celtic’s cheerleaders. Full Story
Outdoor Channel has gained additional distribution in South Florida as Comcast switched the outdoor sports-focused network from its premium Sports Entertainment Package to its wider-reaching Digital Preferred package. Customers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties with Comcast’s core digital TV service will gain access to the channel. Full Story
Dish Network is giving subscribers a free preview of NBA League Pass for the entire week, allowing access to NBA TV, NBA League Pass Broadband, NBA League Pass Stats Central, and HD broadcasts of select games. At the same time, NBA.com is offering a free League Pass Broadband preview, also lasting until Tuesday, Nov. 3. Full Story
If someone asked me to describe NFL RedZone in one sentence I would say it’s like watching SportsCenter highlights, except live. Host Scott Hanson does a great job switching gears, and the coverage looks great in HD, but the show cannot help being anything but chaotic. Full Story
Verizon’s FiOS TV service has added exclusive New England Patriots programming to its on-demand library. The programming will be available exclusively to its customers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (FiOS is not offered in other New England states). Full Story
Following in the footsteps of Verizon’s FiOS TV, Dish Network will also offer a free preview of NFL RedZone this Sunday, Oct. 4. The preview will run from 1:00 p.m. until 4:15 p.m. ET, and can be found on channel 155 in both standard and high-definition. Full Story
It’s a good week for those who like to watch outdoor sports in high-definition, as world Fishing Network (WFN) has made an agreement with Comcast to carry the network in both standard and high-definition. Full Story
Now Time Warner Cable subscribers in the New York City, Mount Vernon (New York) and New Jersey areas can watch outdoor sports in high-definition (HD), as the Outdoor Channel HD announced their carriage in those areas. Full Story
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