Time Warner Cable will move ESPN's HD channels off the HD tier

The road to ESPN's HD channels for Time Warner Cable customers has been a long and somewhat painful one. First they had to wait a very long time to get the channel at all, and then when it was finally added, customers discovered that they had to pay an extra fee (typically $10) since the channel was added to the HD tier. Then when TWC finally added ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD came along and then again customers had to wait some time before they could enjoy all those college football games and drag racing in HD. Now with ESPNews HD just around the corner, TWC and ESPN got together and worked up a deal that will not only add ESPNews HD to the TWC lineup, but will also move all the ESPN HD channels off the HD tier, which means that all digital cable subscribers will now get the channel for no additional fee, -- assuming they have the proper equipment. This really makes us wonder how many people will pay $10 a month for four channels including HDNet, HDNet Movies, Mojo and Universal HD? They had better add some more channels if they want to make it worth our while.

[Blake @ May 25th 2007 11:05AM]

I've become a fan of Mojo since it's included with the HD Tier, but without ESPN, there's no way to justify $10/month for Mojo. HDNet Movies occasionally has something to watch on, but with HBO HD, Cinemax HD and Starz HD, there's other options. Good news to hear, that's $10 less a month...

[Dante @ May 25th 2007 10:24AM]

We don't even have Universal-HD on our TWC lineup, heck we're still waiting for ESPN2HD. We do have MHD though, yippee ;)

[Michael Sheehan @ May 25th 2007 3:38PM]

Here in NYC, TW includes Universal HD as part of the digital lineup, no extra $, not as part of the HD tier. Still, I think it's criminal that anyone should have to pay extra for HD.

[pimpdee976 @ May 25th 2007 11:38AM]

@Dante
in new york we dont pay for universal hd it's free

[Jeff N. @ May 25th 2007 12:13PM]

Here in N.C. the HD Tier is $6.99

[Randall Bennett @ May 25th 2007 12:43PM]

I've got to say while I hate ALL cable companies, I definitely hate some more than others. TWC's hate-o-meter goes to 11. Why bother having an HD tier when you're already paying extra for the HD box? Comcast (in Salt Lake City, mind you) doesn't charge for an HD tier, but instead you pay like $7 for the cable box, so it's basically a $4 tier.

[Rig @ May 25th 2007 1:59PM]

I have Cox Communication and all the HD content is free as long as you have the standard channel as part of your package. Basically the only channels you "pay" for are HBO, Starz, Cinemax, and Showtime. You don't have to pay another fee to get the HD channel.

[Rushli0n @ May 25th 2007 1:47PM]

I have TWC in souther NH and looking at the line-up ESPN-HD is off the "HD-Tier". But I do not pay $10/month. I pay $4.95 for the tier. And like the post says, it only includes 4 stations.

[Rushli0n @ May 25th 2007 1:51PM]

I have TWC (living in Southern NH) and I took a gander at the site to verify the info about ESPN-HD. I have the HD-Tier as well FYI. According to the site, ESPN-HD is just an HD Channel, and not included in the HD-Tier.

But I don't pay $10/month for the HD-Tier. I pay $4.95/month.

[BrokenFern @ May 25th 2007 1:57PM]

DAMN! Though I'm glad the ESPN channels are free now, it does make it harder to pay $5 (in Los Angeles) for 4 channels.

I gotta say though, HDNet has a show called "Dead Like Me" that is pretty damn good. Mojo has "I Bet You" which is also pretty cool.

I guess if I keep HBO $15 for Entourage, $5 for 2 shows is a steal.

My TWC Hate-O-Meter is at a 13! Comcast was sooo much better. Curse you TWC!

[Rig @ May 25th 2007 2:01PM]

I have Cox Communication and all the HD content is free as long
as you have the standard channel as part of your package. Basically the only
channels you "pay" for are HBO, Starz, Cinemax, and Showtime. You
don't have to pay another fee to get the HD channel.

[Dante @ May 25th 2007 3:45PM]

We pay $4.99 a month for the following channels in HD...

NBC, ABC, FOX, PBS, Discovery, TNT, Mojo, MHD, HDNet, HDNet Movies and YES. If you want CBS in HD get an antenna because our TWC doesn't offer it. I've got some friends living in a tiny, tiny town (about 6k people) and they pay the same price but get about six more HD channels than we do. TWC can suck it.

[Gaber @ May 25th 2007 5:24PM]

Here in Durham, NC, the ESPNHD and ESPN2HD are part of the TWC regular digital cable package, and not the HD tier. However, I think this may be a monumental point in the transition to digial TV. From the first time that satellite and cable providers began creating HD "tiers" I began to wonder what would happen when all TV was HD and/or digital. The logical conclusion is that several years from now, when HD is the norm, there will be no HD "tier". This may be the beginning of that.

[horngreen @ May 25th 2007 7:20PM]

I just lost ESPN HD from this move. I subscribe to basic cable for $15/month with a HD box and HD package for another $15/month or a $30/month cable bill. Now you need to subscribe to the expensive digital package to recieve ESPN. So now I'm paying $6.99 for 4 extra HD channels(Universal, Mojo, HD net/movie). FYI the five network channels are free with basic subsciption and HD box. Time Warner makes it sound like this is a comsumer friendly move, but it is definately not for basic cable subscribers.

[EatingPie @ May 26th 2007 6:47AM]

Yeah, if ONLY ESPN were $10.00 per month. You're forced to subscribe to a $30.00 (or so) digital tier to even be allowed to subscribe to the HD Tier.

TWC sucks.

-Pie

[jasonp @ May 26th 2007 7:31AM]

awesome...i'll probably drop the hd tier if this is true. i don't watch the other channels enough to justify this.

[kevin @ May 26th 2007 9:28AM]

I love how the cable companies run advertisements about how HD is free on cable but not on Satelite. They somehow "forget" to mention that you need to rent a $10 box, subscribe to digital cable and just recently told me that I need to also subscribe to a $10 DVR service. Yeah Free sums it up. All I wanted was Red Sox in HD, and now I need to double the price of my cable bill.

[mk @ May 26th 2007 12:22PM]

In Austin we've had espnhd and espn2hd free since may 1st. The upper tier is only 6 bucks now.

[Ryan @ May 29th 2007 8:07AM]

In Dayton, Ohio the HD tier is ESPN(maybe not anymore) HD Net, HD Net Movies, inHD 1, inHD 2. That is it. Then we get like PBS, TNT, and CBS, Fox, and ABC just by having the equipment. Of course we do not get NBC because TWC doesn't have a deal in place to air that in HD.

[Jay @ May 29th 2007 11:55AM]

Here in NYC we pay $10 for 4 HD channels, HDNet, HDNet Movies, Mojo and ESPN. Once ESPN HD is moved from the HD Tier 6/14. TW will add these channels onto the HD Tier:
Fox Sports en Espanol 125/822
Nba TV 412
Fox College Sports Atlantic 452
Fox College Sports Central 453
Fox College Sports Pacific 454
Tennis Channel 455
Fuel 456
College Sports TV 457

Seems like they are going to try and make up for the lost channels (since inHD 1 and inHD 2 were combined a while back we lost 1 HD channel and now ESPN). Doesnt make sense to me to add these non HD channels to the HD tier but I will be canceling the package once the move occurs in June. FYI these changes were on my May bill.

[JasonF @ Jun 23rd 2007 6:14PM]

I live in Southwest Ohio (Time Warner Cable) and we have the HD Tier for $6.95 per month which has ESPN HD, Universal HD, HD Net, HD Net Movies, MOJO, and they said on August 8th they are addding ESPN HD... They sent us something in a mailer saying the lineups are changing so this must be what they mean. TWC has provided excellent service to us... However, WDTN (NBC) will not let TWC have their HD signal and according to TWC, they have tried just about everything but I can deal w/o NBC HD on here since I have the NTSC tuner anyways.

They also said they are adding ESPN U here in August and Disney HD, ESPNEWS HD, and ABC Family HD in 2008 when they launch.

I'm happy with that.