USA Network removal Change coming January 4, 2022 Hi Susan, Just a friendly reminder that you chose a TV package that does not include sports programming. Recently, we’ve learned that USA Network is adding sports shows to its schedule. As a result, we’re removing USA Network from your package on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. Here is my response: Susan Grayson <s***********@gmail.com> 11:16 AM (31 minutes ago) Reply to Cox This is the most idiotic message I have ever received from COX. So USA network shows a sports competition now & then, & you (COX) decide that USA is now verboten? Will you be cutting NBC from my package because they show Olympics & skating competitions? Oh my GOD, there might be a soccer game on NBC & COX must prevent me from viewing it without paying extra? It makes about as much sense to me. Perhaps you should also cut PBS because they show cooking shows & I don't pay for your "Lifestyles" package. Or maybe cut the Discovery channel because they show how to build homesteads & that's too much like HGTV, which I don't pay for. I have stuck with cable for decades when there are numerous alternatives. It seems to me that you might want to make cable MORE attractive to your customers instead of less. Your entire TV package menu is designed to make your customers buy more & pay for more packages than they want just to get one additional TV show that only exists in a package they don't really want. I live with & accept that because free market capitalism practices allow you to do so. I have not complained--I can either accept or reject your services. But you sure don't make it easy to like & maintain a positive attitude about you. Are you so desperate that you must 'nickel & dime' your customers like this? I wouldn't be surprised if my rate increases with this decrease in service. The fact is--I rarely watch the USA channel & probably won't miss it, but the fact that you use this nonsensical, idiotic & shameless reason for this change is insulting & worrisome. I intend to publicize this because you deserve the shame. And by the way, another reason I might just drop you from my life is that excruciating GD commercial that I see (and most annoyingly HEAR) that 'it's gonna be OK' at least 10 times a day. That smarmy song & dubious fake message lead me to change channels every time I hear it. MAKE IT GO AWAY, PLEASE!!!! It has just occurred to me that if you can delete one channel from my lineup, then you must be able to add one channel without mandating that I buy a 'package'. This requires more investigation & possibly some publicity as well.

I agree with everything...but you should remove your Gmail address.

I received essentially the same email, which indicates that the removal of USA Network from my package is based solely on my subscription not including sports programming. As part of my channel subscription, I receive a variety of channels that show sports programming, namely my local NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX affiliates, in addition to channels such as TNT and WGN. So the idea that I have not subscribed to a channel package that includes sports programming is flatly false. USA Network shows a variety of content, including movies, sitcoms, dramas, reality, and news, among other things, and there has been no annoucement of any plan to stop doing so. Although the Cox email indicates that the change is rooted in not subscribing to "sports programming", there is no reason to believe that Cox will stop there. This change would establish a precedent whereby Cox could remove USA Network from a customer's package unless the customer subscribed to both "sports programming" and "movie programming" (or any other similar combination), with each tier having a separate fee. This could potentially lead to customers being required to subscribe to dozens of tiers of programming simply to enable reception of just one channel. Since most other channels also show a variety of content, the precedent that would be set by this change would apply to virtually every channel. Cox could even go a step further and restrict the time of day a customer could receive the channel based on the type of content being shown. It is for the reasons stated above that I strongly oppose this change, and am currently exploring legal options to prevent this change. I encourage everyone else to do the same. You may not care about sports, and you may not care about USA Network. You may not even be affected by this change because you currently subscribe to a package that includes what Cox deems "sports programming". But if this change is allowed to happen, you can be sure that at some point Cox will make another change like this to remove something you do care about, or which you are not subscribed to.

Don't misunderstand me...I'm just tryin' to help...but it's not "sports" programming" but "regional sports" programming. The Regional Sports Surcharge is not a government-mandated fee and...alongside the Broadcast TV Surcharge...are the largest increasing costs for cable-TV. What is it? Regional sports networks charge Cox to transmit their regional sports programs. Cox will then charge you this cost to recoup from you the money it had paid to the regional sports networks. The surcharge is not regulated and is highly arbitrary. Largest Increasing Costs. Since 2019, the Broadcast TV Surcharge increased $6.00 (60%) and the Regional Sports Surcharge $3.00 (43%). Notice how these surcharges are nicely rounded? If the USA Network is transmitting regional sports and you've subscribed to a cable-TV package without this surcharge, Cox will remove the network from your package simply because Cox can't recoup money from you. It's just punishment for being a frugal consumer. It's also the rationale to cut-the-cord. I'm curious to your TV package without the Regional Sports Surcharge. What is it? I may subscribe to it!

I am not aware of any plans by USA Network to show regional sports programming. However, there was a recent announcement to expand the amount of national and international sports coverage on USA Network. See https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2021/11/02/usa-network-broadens-slate-with-addition-of-premium-nbc-sports-content-in-2022/. USA NETWORK BROADENS SLATE WITH ADDITION OF PREMIUM NBC SPORTS CONTENT IN 2022 Premier League, NASCAR, INDYCAR, USGA and The R&A Golf Championships, and College and Olympic Sports Among Premium Properties and Events Moving to USA Network USA Network to Feature Premier League Tripleheader on January 1, 2022 USA Network Was #1 Sports and Entertainment Cable Network Throughout the Recent Tokyo Olympics NBC Sports Content Also Moving to CNBC, Peacock and Other NBCUniversal Platforms NBCSN to Conclude Programming on Dec. 31, 2021 LOS ANGELES, Calif. and STAMFORD, Conn. – November 2, 2021 – Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, USA Network broadens its slate with the addition of premium NBC Sports events, including coverage from the Premier League, NASCAR, INDYCAR, the Olympic Games, USGA and The R&A Golf Championships, college and Olympic sports, horse racing, cycling and more. In addition, CNBC, Peacock, and other linear platforms will also host a wide variety of live sports. USA Network will kick off the 2022 sports calendar on Saturday, Jan. 1 at 7 a.m. ET with a New Year’s Day Premier League tripleheader, beginning with Arsenal hosting defending champion Manchester City. “We are excited to transition the cable coverage of many of our premium sports events to USA Network, Peacock, and other widely-distributed NBCUniversal platforms, which will give us a significant boost in television homes and will put us in an even stronger position as we grow our business,” said Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports. “USA has always been home to big, iconic characters – on reality shows like ‘Chrisley Knows Best,’ premium scripted dramas like ‘Chucky’ and ‘The Sinner,’ and of course the high-octane energy of our WWE personalities – and larger-than-life pro athletes will fit right in,” said Frances Berwick, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming. “We expect this expansion of our live sports offering will both engage existing fans and bring in new communities to USA, further cementing the network as a top destination for the best and broadest entertainment in all of its many forms.” During the recent Tokyo Olympics, USA Network televised live coverage of track & field, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and softball, and ranked as the #1 sports and entertainment cable network in primetime with an average of 1.6 million viewers. In September, the Manchester United-Newcastle match featuring the return of Cristiano Ronaldo ranked as the most-watched Premier League game on USA Network. NBC Sports Programming on USA Network in 2022 Atlantic 10 basketball Horse Racing IMSA INDYCAR: Two races Monster Jam NASCAR: Cup and Xfinity Series races Olympic sports Premier League Supercross The R&A – The Open, AIG Women’s Open: Early round and weekend lead-in coverage The Winter Olympics Tour de France USGA – U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open: Early round and weekend lead-in coverage Note: Many of these sports will continue to have programming on the NBC broadcast network. In addition, all linear coverage can be streamed via authentication on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. (*All PGA TOUR events remain exclusively on NBC or GOLF Channel.) For streaming fans, Peacock features extensive live sports including Sunday Night Football, all Notre Dame football home games, Premier League, NASCAR, golf, and much more. In 2022, Peacock will continue to offer an array of live sports coverage including Super Bowl LVI and Olympic competition. To learn more about sports on Peacock and how to sign up, visit https://www.peacocktv.com/sports. Additional sports content will be presented across widely-distributed linear and digital platforms in the NBCUniversal portfolio, including CNBC, E!, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. It was announced earlier this year that NBCSN will cease operations at the end of 2021. Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, NBCSN will display a slate to inform viewers about tune-in information. In addition, there will be extensive marketing and social media campaigns as well as content within telecasts to alert viewers about the situation. NBC Sports’ partners will also educate their fan bases about the change. Exact timing of the network’s decommissioning may vary based on distributors.

Also, I am subscribed to the Cox TV Economy package. I do not have a regional sports surcharge, but I do have a broadcast surcharge.

USA sports--email today from Cox

Bruce
Honored Contributor III
4 years ago
I agree with everything...but you should remove your Gmail address.
I_am_Richard
New Contributor III
4 years ago
I received essentially the same email, which indicates that the removal of USA Network from my package is based solely on my subscription not including sports programming. As part of my channel subscription, I receive a variety of channels that show sports programming, namely my local NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX affiliates, in addition to channels such as TNT and WGN. So the idea that I have not subscribed to a channel package that includes sports programming is flatly false.

USA Network shows a variety of content, including movies, sitcoms, dramas, reality, and news, among other things, and there has been no annoucement of any plan to stop doing so. Although the Cox email indicates that the change is rooted in not subscribing to "sports programming", there is no reason to believe that Cox will stop there. This change would establish a precedent whereby Cox could remove USA Network from a customer's package unless the customer subscribed to both "sports programming" and "movie programming" (or any other similar combination), with each tier having a separate fee. This could potentially lead to customers being required to subscribe to dozens of tiers of programming simply to enable reception of just one channel. Since most other channels also show a variety of content, the precedent that would be set by this change would apply to virtually every channel. Cox could even go a step further and restrict the time of day a customer could receive the channel based on the type of content being shown.

It is for the reasons stated above that I strongly oppose this change, and am currently exploring legal options to prevent this change. I encourage everyone else to do the same. You may not care about sports, and you may not care about USA Network. You may not even be affected by this change because you currently subscribe to a package that includes what Cox deems "sports programming". But if this change is allowed to happen, you can be sure that at some point Cox will make another change like this to remove something you do care about, or which you are not subscribed to.
- I_am_Richard
  New Contributor III
  3 years ago
  I gave Cox a chance to reverse course on this decision, and they did not. On January 4, 2022, I tuned to USA Network only to be greeted with a message saying that a subscription was required to view this channel. I promptly canceled my Cox TV service, and now I am enjoying watching an episode of Law & Order: SVU--a.k.a. "sports"--on USA Network via Sling TV.
Bruce
Honored Contributor III
4 years ago
Don't misunderstand me...I'm just tryin' to help...but it's not "sports" programming" but "regional sports" programming.

The Regional Sports Surcharge is not a government-mandated fee and...alongside the Broadcast TV Surcharge...are the largest increasing costs for cable-TV.

What is it? Regional sports networks charge Cox to transmit their regional sports programs. Cox will then charge you this cost to recoup from you the money it had paid to the regional sports networks. The surcharge is not regulated and is highly arbitrary.

Largest Increasing Costs. Since 2019, the Broadcast TV Surcharge increased $6.00 (60%) and the Regional Sports Surcharge $3.00 (43%). Notice how these surcharges are nicely rounded?

If the USA Network is transmitting regional sports and you've subscribed to a cable-TV package without this surcharge, Cox will remove the network from your package simply because Cox can't recoup money from you. It's just punishment for being a frugal consumer. It's also the rationale to cut-the-cord.

I'm curious to your TV package without the Regional Sports Surcharge. What is it? I may subscribe to it!
- I_am_Richard
  New Contributor III
  4 years ago
  I am not aware of any plans by USA Network to show regional sports programming. However, there was a recent announcement to expand the amount of national and international sports coverage on USA Network. See https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2021/11/02/usa-network-broadens-slate-with-addition-of-premium-nbc-sports-content-in-2022/.
  
  USA NETWORK BROADENS SLATE WITH ADDITION OF PREMIUM NBC SPORTS CONTENT IN 2022
  
  Premier League, NASCAR, INDYCAR, USGA and The R&A Golf Championships, and College and Olympic Sports Among Premium Properties and Events Moving to USA Network
  
  USA Network to Feature Premier League Tripleheader on January 1, 2022
  
  USA Network Was #1 Sports and Entertainment Cable Network Throughout the Recent Tokyo Olympics
  
  NBC Sports Content Also Moving to CNBC, Peacock and Other NBCUniversal Platforms
  
  NBCSN to Conclude Programming on Dec. 31, 2021
  
  LOS ANGELES, Calif. and STAMFORD, Conn. – November 2, 2021 – Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, USA Network broadens its slate with the addition of premium NBC Sports events, including coverage from the Premier League, NASCAR, INDYCAR, the Olympic Games, USGA and The R&A Golf Championships, college and Olympic sports, horse racing, cycling and more. In addition, CNBC, Peacock, and other linear platforms will also host a wide variety of live sports.
  
  USA Network will kick off the 2022 sports calendar on Saturday, Jan. 1 at 7 a.m. ET with a New Year’s Day Premier League tripleheader, beginning with Arsenal hosting defending champion Manchester City.
  
  “We are excited to transition the cable coverage of many of our premium sports events to USA Network, Peacock, and other widely-distributed NBCUniversal platforms, which will give us a significant boost in television homes and will put us in an even stronger position as we grow our business,” said Pete Bevacqua, Chairman, NBC Sports.
  
  “USA has always been home to big, iconic characters – on reality shows like ‘Chrisley Knows Best,’ premium scripted dramas like ‘Chucky’ and ‘The Sinner,’ and of course the high-octane energy of our WWE personalities – and larger-than-life pro athletes will fit right in,” said Frances Berwick, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming. “We expect this expansion of our live sports offering will both engage existing fans and bring in new communities to USA, further cementing the network as a top destination for the best and broadest entertainment in all of its many forms.”
  
  During the recent Tokyo Olympics, USA Network televised live coverage of track & field, men’s and women’s beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and softball, and ranked as the #1 sports and entertainment cable network in primetime with an average of 1.6 million viewers. In September, the Manchester United-Newcastle match featuring the return of Cristiano Ronaldo ranked as the most-watched Premier League game on USA Network.
  
  NBC Sports Programming on USA Network in 2022
  
  Atlantic 10 basketball
  
  Horse Racing
  
  IMSA
  
  INDYCAR: Two races
  
  Monster Jam
  
  NASCAR: Cup and Xfinity Series races
  
  Olympic sports
  
  Premier League
  
  Supercross
  
  The R&A – The Open, AIG Women’s Open: Early round and weekend lead-in coverage
  
  The Winter Olympics
  
  Tour de France
  
  USGA – U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open: Early round and weekend lead-in coverage
  
  Note: Many of these sports will continue to have programming on the NBC broadcast network. In addition, all linear coverage can be streamed via authentication on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. (*All PGA TOUR events remain exclusively on NBC or GOLF Channel.)
  
  For streaming fans, Peacock features extensive live sports including Sunday Night Football, all Notre Dame football home games, Premier League, NASCAR, golf, and much more. In 2022, Peacock will continue to offer an array of live sports coverage including Super Bowl LVI and Olympic competition. To learn more about sports on Peacock and how to sign up, visit https://www.peacocktv.com/sports.
  
  Additional sports content will be presented across widely-distributed linear and digital platforms in the NBCUniversal portfolio, including CNBC, E!, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. It was announced earlier this year that NBCSN will cease operations at the end of 2021.
  
  Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, NBCSN will display a slate to inform viewers about tune-in information. In addition, there will be extensive marketing and social media campaigns as well as content within telecasts to alert viewers about the situation. NBC Sports’ partners will also educate their fan bases about the change. Exact timing of the network’s decommissioning may vary based on distributors.
  - Bruce
    Honored Contributor III
    4 years ago
    I am not aware of any plans by USA Network to show regional sports programming
    
    Regional sports would probably be qualified from your article as the "...and more."
- I_am_Richard
  New Contributor III
  4 years ago
  Also, I am subscribed to the Cox TV Economy package. I do not have a regional sports surcharge, but I do have a broadcast surcharge.
  - Bruce
    Honored Contributor III
    4 years ago
    FYI...this post will be locked soon because we're comparing costs, which Cox strictly forbids!
    
    Yeah, I now pay $16 as well.
    
    1 Jan 2019: $10.00
    1 Jan 2020: $13.50 ($3.50 (35%))
    1 Jan 2021: $16.00 ($2.50 (18.52%))
    
    Cox TV Economy at $47! Thanks for this info.
Andrew_Wees
Contributor III
4 years ago
You need to post this on Facebook

Forum Discussion

USA sports--email today from Cox

Susan Grayson <s***********@gmail.com>

USA NETWORK BROADENS SLATE WITH ADDITION OF PREMIUM NBC SPORTS CONTENT IN 2022

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