Boston, MA 02\/28\/2013 (wallstreetpr) – DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH) is legally seeking damages worth $153 million from The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)\u2019s ESPN. The allegation is that ESPN has breached a same-term clause in its distribution agreement with DISH and is now offering its competitors like Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) better terms on licenses for sports programming. ESPN averred before a jury in the Manhattan Federal court that no other distributor had been provided with better packaging or rate terms than the ones that DISH currently has. It was a calculated decision on the part of the company not to offer DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH) the same terms.<\/p>\n
Unfair treatment?<\/b><\/p>\n
The lawyer for Connecticut-based ESPN said that the contract has a provision for fairness but that DISH wants special benefits with better deals. DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH) said that ESPN had offered the largest pay-TV company, Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) the right to distribute ESPNU the college-sports network to taverns and bars on better terms and ESPN Classic distribution as part of the lesser watched segment of channels. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is saying that DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH) did not agree to put a poorly watched channel ESPN Classic on its package that has the second most penetration in the market. Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) on the other hand had agreed to its terms and the company found that deal a more profitable one.<\/p>\n
No big deal<\/b><\/p>\n
Diane Sullivan the ESPN lawyer told the jury that DISH was demanding a refund of $79 million from Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)\u2019s ESPN based on what can be termed as a tortured contract-reading. The company had signed an eight-year agreement with DISH in 2005. In 2009 DISH learned from news reports and press releases that ESPN had made certain deals with Direct TV and Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA). Since then ESPN has signed more favorable deals with Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ), Time Warner Cable Inc (NYSE:TWC) and AT&T Inc (NYSE:T).<\/p>\n
Shares of DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH) went down by 0.77% to close at $34.87<\/p>\n
Shares of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) went up by 1.08% to close at $54.48<\/p>\n
Shares of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) went up by 1.16% to close at $40.15<\/p>\n
Shares of DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV) went up by 0.60% to close at $48.45<\/p>\n
Shares of Time Warner Cable Inc (NYSE:TWC) went up by 1.80% to close at $88.02<\/p>\n
Shares of Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) went up by 0.50% to close at $46.35<\/p>\n
Shares of AT&T Inc (NYSE:T) went up by 1.01% to close at $35.85<\/p>\n
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Boston, MA 02\/28\/2013 (wallstreetpr) – DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH) is legally seeking damages worth $153 million from The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)\u2019s ESPN. The allegation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":5700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_2902945987_2902945987":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[265,263],"tags":[1648,1666,1705,1645,910,916,1706,1805,1104,1708,922,1804,1707,1649],"stock_ticker":[],"class_list":["post-5699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","category-technology","tag-att-inc-nyset","tag-comcast-corporation-nasdaqcmcsa","tag-directv-nasdaqdtv","tag-dish-network-corp-nasdaqdish","tag-nasdaqcmcsa","tag-nasdaqdish","tag-nasdaqdtv","tag-nysedis","tag-nyset","tag-nysetwc","tag-nysevz","tag-the-walt-disney-company-nysedis","tag-time-warner-cable-inc-nysetwc","tag-verizon-communications-inc-nysevz","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n