Time Warner Cable Is Delusional: Dropped HDNet

I am constantly amazed at the business decisions that professional corporations make.  Recently, Time Warner Cable axed HDNet.  Any true fight fan knows that HDNet produces more MMA programming events than any other company.

The events they show are of high quality and keep the MMA community up-to-date about events that ALL true mma fans want to see.  They show events all over the world versus just the UFC and Showtime fights.  HDNet is the premium channel for all real fight fans.

Just this week, I was about to watch one of my favorite shows called Inside MMA.  This show features my long time friends Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten.  We all went to different schools to together.  That's a joke by the way.  Just seeing if you are awake. 

Much to my surprise there was this cheaply made insert screen that said, "HDNet is no longer available. However, we now offer two new channels on our HD Tier: Smithsonian Channel HD and MavTV HD." 

Well that is just great!  Time Warner cancels their program lineup without notice to their "Loyal Customers"?  We deserve better than this from a cable company. Have they lost their mind?  I mean, HDNet is the only reason I even had HD. Oh, and if the channels are in HD why couldn't you at least put the notice in HD Time Warner?

According to www.Multichannel.com, Robyn Watson, Time Warner Cable Director of Corporate Public Relations was quoted as saying, "There's a limited appeal for the programming.  In a world with more than 100 HD channels, being in HD is not enough.  We are adding other channels in HD to give our customers more choice."

Well, first of all I think her title is way to short.  Gosh, how many people have a title that long?  Second, let me just pick this small statement apart; which is actually smaller than her title.  "There's a limited appeal for the programming." 

If that statement is true then why did they put a third-class show with the same type of programming in place of HDNet?  Hello...Open mouth and insert foot!

Now I don't have the big title or the big education so I am just talking here (writting actually) and trying to understand this statement and what they have done.  I tuned in to Time Warner's "Alternative Channel" MavTV. 

They had a featured fight with poor lighting that appeared to be in my back yard.  When I saw it I immediately rushed to the back of my house to see if they were really in my back yard.

So my statement to Time Warner Cable is this. Are you saying that fight fans don't want QUALITY HD fight programming because their is no appeal for this, but there is a huge demand/appeal for fights that have poor lighting and appear to be in my back yard? 

That's like saying there is no demand for a car with four wheels and we are just going to sell people cars with one wheel.  How ridiculous does this sound?

My philosophy is pretty simple in life.  You provide the best product and some will appreciate it and some want.  Apparently Time Warner does not appreciate high quality programming that is geared to one of the fastest growing segments in society.

That's right, MMA is one of the fastest growing sports and HDNet is the only company that has done their best to provide all the top level fights that are not on PPV (that's pay-per-view for those that don't know what PPV stands for).

I guess it's time to send a statement to Time Warner how all of us fight fans feel about this.  I am in the process of cancelling my service and going to another provider.  This not only includes my HD programming, but my Internet as well. 

I believe if they lose enough people they will think less about long titles for their employees and focus on the customer's wants and needs.

As for me, I am done with them.  I will find service that supports the efforts of HDNet.  And if you are not aware, HDNet is owned by Mark Cuban, another personal friend of mine.  That's another joke.

In closing, think of it this way.  If programming of this caliber is taken off a network, it throws MMA backwards.  We lose ground in getting MMA events sanctioned in all states, shown on many channels and drive the cost down by shear numbers.

MMA can only survive and thrive if you support companies like this. To see some of the up and coming shows check out http://www.hd.net/insidemma.html.

My hopes in sharing this article with fight fans is to alert you that MMA programming is available and you can get it with other providers.  You will see some of the best tournament fights, as well as some of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC. 

So be sure to check them out and remember it's better to drive on four tires versus one.  Time Warner believes in a different set of standards for themselves and their customers and HDNet continues to give their best no matter what they say.

Frankly, the reason I don't want to use Time Warner Cable anymore is simple. "There's a limited appeal for the programming."