bluepenguin
04-30-2009, 06:53 AM
Yesterday DirecTV officially rolled out its “ScoreGuide” service to customers who have DirecTV advanced set top receivers/
The new ScoreGuide service lets sports fans check the scores of other games without changing the channel they are watching. To do this fans just press the red button on their DirecTV remote when tuned to one of the many sports channels on DirecTV. Upon pressing the red button the ScoreGuide pops up on the screen with real time sports scores.
I was able to test this new service over the weekend and enjoyed it. I just wish the ScoreGuide was available on all channels. On Sunday I wanted to check the score of the Red Sox / Yankees game but my wife was watching a channel that was no ScoreGuide enabled.
The reaction to the ScoreGuide has been positive from sports fans around the country, and shows why most people consider DirecTV to be the leader in sports coverage.
Changes at Dish
Yesterday afternoon after the stock markets closed Dish Network put out a press release stating that Dish Network was strengthening their senior leadership team.
The timing of this press release had me suspicious, not only was it sent out after the markets closed but it was sent out after Dish put out a press release announcing that Dish Network would be holding its 1st quarter earnings call on May 11th.
To me this spells out that we should expect more bad numbers from Dish Network when they announce their 1st quarter numbers. It also spells out to me that Dish understands that there is a problem and are bringing in new management to help reverse the trends.
I deal with retailers from around the country and many Dish Network installers and have been told that this has been the slowest quarter ever for them, with many reporting that their Dish Network sales are dead.
With that said it appears that Dish Networks chief rival DirecTV is poised to announce some great numbers for the 1st quarter. The word coming out of their DirecTV retailer conference known as the “Revolution” was that their 1st quarter numbers could be the best 1st quarter numbers ever from DirecTV.
If this is true then the question needs to be asked of what is really going on at Dish Network.
One of the key things I see wrong at Dish is their marketing. This weekend as I watched television, everything I watched was sponsored by DirecTV, where was Dish Network?
From where I sit I honestly believe that Dish Network currently has the best technology, but somehow DirecTV keeps advertising features such as remote DVR scheduling that make Dish look like its sitting still. This issue here is Dish also has the technology (and in fact I believe that Dish’s technology is better) yet they don’t advertise it.
I believe that marketing is the number one issue for Dish, but there are other issues at Dish that need fixing as well. Dish has customer service issues and is dire need of a complete image change. All the public fighting that Dish Network has done with program providers has driven away many customers and has kept more from signing up.
In addition Dish needs to simplify their offerings, I know quite a few people who wanted to sign up for service but declined as all of the programming packages Dish Network offers is too confusing.
The question ultimately for Charlie Ergen is does he want to be the nations number one television provider, or is he just comfortable being stuck at number two?
Will these announced leadership changes help turn things around for Dish? I would expect more changes over the next few weeks at Dish Network if they truly want to turn things around.
The new ScoreGuide service lets sports fans check the scores of other games without changing the channel they are watching. To do this fans just press the red button on their DirecTV remote when tuned to one of the many sports channels on DirecTV. Upon pressing the red button the ScoreGuide pops up on the screen with real time sports scores.
I was able to test this new service over the weekend and enjoyed it. I just wish the ScoreGuide was available on all channels. On Sunday I wanted to check the score of the Red Sox / Yankees game but my wife was watching a channel that was no ScoreGuide enabled.
The reaction to the ScoreGuide has been positive from sports fans around the country, and shows why most people consider DirecTV to be the leader in sports coverage.
Changes at Dish
Yesterday afternoon after the stock markets closed Dish Network put out a press release stating that Dish Network was strengthening their senior leadership team.
The timing of this press release had me suspicious, not only was it sent out after the markets closed but it was sent out after Dish put out a press release announcing that Dish Network would be holding its 1st quarter earnings call on May 11th.
To me this spells out that we should expect more bad numbers from Dish Network when they announce their 1st quarter numbers. It also spells out to me that Dish understands that there is a problem and are bringing in new management to help reverse the trends.
I deal with retailers from around the country and many Dish Network installers and have been told that this has been the slowest quarter ever for them, with many reporting that their Dish Network sales are dead.
With that said it appears that Dish Networks chief rival DirecTV is poised to announce some great numbers for the 1st quarter. The word coming out of their DirecTV retailer conference known as the “Revolution” was that their 1st quarter numbers could be the best 1st quarter numbers ever from DirecTV.
If this is true then the question needs to be asked of what is really going on at Dish Network.
One of the key things I see wrong at Dish is their marketing. This weekend as I watched television, everything I watched was sponsored by DirecTV, where was Dish Network?
From where I sit I honestly believe that Dish Network currently has the best technology, but somehow DirecTV keeps advertising features such as remote DVR scheduling that make Dish look like its sitting still. This issue here is Dish also has the technology (and in fact I believe that Dish’s technology is better) yet they don’t advertise it.
I believe that marketing is the number one issue for Dish, but there are other issues at Dish that need fixing as well. Dish has customer service issues and is dire need of a complete image change. All the public fighting that Dish Network has done with program providers has driven away many customers and has kept more from signing up.
In addition Dish needs to simplify their offerings, I know quite a few people who wanted to sign up for service but declined as all of the programming packages Dish Network offers is too confusing.
The question ultimately for Charlie Ergen is does he want to be the nations number one television provider, or is he just comfortable being stuck at number two?
Will these announced leadership changes help turn things around for Dish? I would expect more changes over the next few weeks at Dish Network if they truly want to turn things around.