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Posted By	Discussion Topic: WWF PPV's no longer on Directv
TeenWeek what's a status?	posted on 08-20-2001 @ 7:12 AM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Oct. 00	WWFE exits DirecTV ring over contract dispute By Cynthia Littleton LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- World Wrestling Federation Entertainment has said it will pull its pay-per-view events off DirecTV as the companies grapple with a contract dispute over how grosses from those telecasts are collected. DirecTV took WWFE to arbitration two months ago in a dispute over their most recent two-year contract that expired, after a six-month extension, with Sunday's "Summerslam" event. The two sides have spent months hammering out a new pact, but the old-contract dispute has delayed the signing of the new one. WWFE declined to elaborate Friday on details of what it terms a "matter of interpretation" on a contract clause. DirecTV would say only that it is a "financial revenue-based line item" in the recently expired contract. WWFE took an aggressive tack last week, sending an "alert" to other PPV distributors and fans to announce that as of the Sept. 23 "Unforgiven" production, the WWF's twice-monthly wrestling spectacles will not air via DirecTV until further notice. WWFE's earnings likely will feel the loss of a prolonged fight with DirecTV, whose 10 million subscribers represent about one-sixth of the potential U.S. PPV audience. Satellite broadcasters DirecTV and Dish Network are known for their success in marketing PPV titles, and WWFE's deals with DirecTV do not include a middleman distributor, as is the case with most cable operators. DirecTV has aired two WWF events a month -- one live, one taped -- for the past few years. A DirecTV spokesman said the WWF offerings are among the satellite provider's most popular PPV events. DirecTV intended to continue to do business in good faith with WWFE until the arbitration matter is decided, the spokesman said, adding that the company was caught off-guard by the "hard-line tactics" of WWFE's call to fans to "seek alternate means to purchase our September event." WWFE president and chief operating officer Stuart Snyder criticized DirecTV for taking the dispute to arbitration -- as called for in the contract -- in the first place. "First and foremost, we care that our fans have access to our programming," he said. "We've valued our relationship with DirecTV in our distribution network, and hopefully one day they will be with us again." This message was edited by TeenWeek on 8-20-01 @ 8:32 AM
i'm a walking joint I wish I was still FNMoron's wet dream... but he left me for a BONG!	posted on 08-20-2001 @ 7:18 AM
Psychopath Registered: Jan. 01	i'm moving in 2 weeks and bought Directv for the football package and than I hear Jim Ross last night...i'm so pissed off. i'm sure Directv will be getting many calls today about it. actually maybe it will stop me from wasting my money on these crappy PPV's.
TeenWeek what's a status?	posted on 08-20-2001 @ 7:32 AM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Oct. 00	I am outraged. No justice No peace.
TeenWeek what's a status?	posted on 08-20-2001 @ 10:07 AM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Oct. 00	HollywoodReporter.com has a story on the developing WWF/DirecTV situation. In the story, it says the delay in signing the new contract is due to disputes over how grosses of PPV buys are to be collected. The WWF was quoted as saying it was a "matter of interpretation" on a contract clause. DirecTV said the dispute was over a "financial revenue-based line item" in the old, and expired after last night's SummerSlam PPV contract. WWFE's COO Stuart Snyder criticized DirecTV for taking the matter to arbitration. He was quoted as saying, "first and foremost, we care that our fans have access to our programming. We've valued our relationship with DirecTV in our distribution network, and hopefully one day they will be with us again." Looking further into the situation, DirecTV may not be signing a contract since they have been the target of a buyout. Both News Corporation, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, and EchoStar, a satellite provider, have been in negotiations to buyout DirecTV. There have been snags in discussions for both companies. EchoStar, who had an offer rebuffed by DirecTV earlier this year, recently made an offer to buyout DirecTV for what is being reported as between $30-32 billion in stock. The problem with EchoStar buying out DirecTV is that it would combine the two largest satellite providers, which would cause concern among antitrust regulators since it would only leave one option for people without access to cable. News Corporation has been in negotiations for a year to buyout DirecTV. They seem to have the inside track, but have been held up by complex regulatory and tax issues. When asked about the delay, Murdoch said, ``they are a very large company with a very large number of lawyers.'' News Corp. COO Peter Chernin said, in reference to the complex regulatory and tax issue, "we're hoping we're near the end of the process." What this all means is that DirecTV could not be signing a new contract with the WWF until they are bought out. This would allow the company that buys out DirecTV to make a deal they see fit with the WWF. In a related note, the WWF turned the heat up on DirecTV during the SummerSlam PPV broadcast by telling their fans that this PPV would be the last WWF PPV on DirecTV. Reports circulating say that it prompted numerous DirecTV customers to call and complain about the situation.
TeenWeek what's a status?	posted on 08-21-2001 @ 11:02 AM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Oct. 00	WWF-DIRECTV DISPUTES HEATS UP, IN DEMAND STAYING OUT OF IT by Dave Scherer Updated: 8/21/2001 10:04:25 AM Multichannel News reported today that In Demand, the PPV company that distributes events on cable television, has said that they will stay out of the current DirecTV-WWF dispute. In Demand stated that they have no intention of marketing against the fact that DirecTV will not be airing the WWF's PPV events, which currently are the most purchased shows on PPV. As of this writing, DirecTV's 10 million customers will not be able to order the WWF's 9/23 Unforgiven PPV due to the fact that the contract between the parties expired with SummerSlam. DirecTV says that the dispute centers around a "critical economic term" that by terms of the contract they can take to arbitration to be resolved. DirecTV senior vice president of programming acquisitions Michael Thornton has said that the WWF has told DTV that they will not talk about a new contract unless the arbitration motion is dropped. Thornton said that the WWF is "behaving like a monopolistic company by blatantly saying it would not offer its [PPV programming] to DirecTV." He added that WWF PPVs are financially important to DTV and that they "feel we're being held over a barrel." The WWF's corporate-communications director Jayson Bernstein said that it's "unfortunate" that DirecTV chose to go to arbitration and that it's now "unlikely" that Unforgiven will be on DTV. Here is how I see it. DTV had every right to litigate their claim as they did. But the flip side is, when that contract was signed, there were two other wrestling companies doing PPVs. Now, there is only the WWF. The world has changed and so has DTV's leverage. I don't doubt for a second that the WWF is looking for a bigger piece of the pie from DTV and frankly, if I were them I would do the same thing. The WWF is the one who takes all of the risks by doing PPVs and the cable and satellite companies make a great deal of money from the WWF's risks. I still see cooler heads prevailing in this one. There is too much money to be made, and lost, for it to not happen.
i'm a walking joint I wish I was still FNMoron's wet dream... but he left me for a BONG!	posted on 08-21-2001 @ 7:12 PM
Psychopath Registered: Jan. 01	i'm hoping it will work out in the end also. maybe miss one PPV. there is a lot to be lost on both sides
BaLLooN NoT	posted on 08-21-2001 @ 9:09 PM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Oct. 00	well looks like i am not gettting Direct TV any time soon E-Mail = E-Mail Me AIM = OABaLLooNNoT METS will go ALL THE WAY THIS YEAR !!!!!!!!!!! (ok maybe not this year but i aint chainging this) Yankees & the Braves SUCK !!!!!!!! Resident Strip Club Pimp
mikeWOW I got a staple in my ass and all I got was this status	posted on 08-22-2001 @ 1:57 AM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Sep. 00	i m soooo heated.. my neighbor has the direct TV hot box and now i am not gonna be able to go there.. i might have to start paying 4 it.. shit! "i hate people that dont get it!"
WookiePoolParty	posted on 08-22-2001 @ 2:14 AM
Psychopath Registered: Mar. 01	Well we could always do the next PPV as a group at WWFNY. I have DirecTV myself, so I'm gonna be pissed if I miss out. And I can't cancel yet, I'm locked in until November... Help those that need it. Join IBC. WPP's Swiller Beer Pick of the Week: Yuengling Black & Tan, now available in New York
TeenWeek what's a status?	posted on 08-23-2001 @ 1:22 PM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Oct. 00	A WWF-DIRECTV UPDATE by Dave Scherer Updated: 8/23/2001 1:00:11 PM After speaking with a few people very close to the WWF-DirecTV situation, here's an update on that story. As mentioned before, the dispute centers around a financial item in the now expired contract that the sides had. In the contract, it clearly stated that either side could take a dispute to arbitration, and DirecTV did so. What people won't say on the record is that the WWF, being in a position of power, has negotiated a new contract that is much more favorable to them financially that the old one was. Being the only wrestling promotion in town and the steadiest draw on PPV allowed them to do so. Numerous people have told me that a new deal has been agreed to, but has not been signed due to the current dispute. People close to the situation have told me that a resolution is expected to happen. Right now, there is a lot of posturing going on, but with both sides expected to lose in excess of a million dollars for each event that does not air, all signs point to the 9/23 Unforgiven airing on DTV next month. What will probably happen is that we will be told that the sides came to an amicable settlement in their dispute, with terms not being announced. Everyone saves face, and everyone makes money.
WhackBagKid TALK TO ME, GOMEZ. HE WHO IS #1.	posted on 08-23-2001 @ 1:33 PM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Sep. 00	it actullay costs more money to go to WWFNY to go watch the PPV's Webmaster of the Undergound Unofficial I Hate adolescentmasturbator Message Board This Is Red This is Green
TeenWeek what's a status?	posted on 09-11-2001 @ 7:34 AM
O&A Board Regular Registered: Oct. 00	DirecTV Effects WWF Recently Dow Jones reported that WWFE is rumored to lose between $1 and $1.3 million dollars a month (before taxes) due to their deal with DirecTV expiring. Both sides remain in negotiations to reach a new deal. For the sakes of World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, hopefully a new deal is striked soon. With the new signings of several wrestlers, WWFE cannot afford to lose anymore money. Many wrestlers may be released if a new deal is not striked soon. More updates on this story soon.

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