This is certainly an aggravating situation. All the blame goes to the Conference management. They sold the rights away without regard for the fans. They didn’t perform proper due diligence.

I don’t blame Comcast for their position. They are not in business to perform a public service. How they maximize their profits is their decision.

I currently subscribe to Comcast. I have the cheapest possible package. It’s basically the local channels with a few others. No frills. I don’t get ESPN, CNN, TBS or many of the other typical cable stations. I also don’t get “The Mountain”. I’m just not someone who wants to pay $30 a month for television. I am a season ticket holder for BYU football and would love to be able to see more games on television. I’m frustrated that Comcast owns the rights yet doesn’t give The Mountain to all its customers.

Here is a possible business solution to this dilemma. Comcast should consider providing The Mountain channel to their basic plan customers such as myself. This would provide a low cost alternative to dish fans who don’t get the games. For most people spending $50-$70 per month on television is the norm. Many people will consider an additional $13.50 a reasonable price to get these games. It’s cheaper than buying a single a ticket to the game. It’s also not difficult to have both Comcast and Dish in the same home. Comcast would need to work something out on the installation. Perhaps wave the installation or significantly lower it during the month of August.

This plan would allow everyone in the West to get the Mountain West conference games at a reasonable price. Comcast is incented because they increase their revenue and some customers will ultimately switch over from Dish. They may also get an upsell to high speed Internet or phone. This type of promotion may cause Dish to finally settle with Comcast to get the games. After all, they don’t want tons of customers purchasing Comcast for fear they will completely switch over their services. 

I realize some local areas have additional complications but I think this concept has possibilities.