By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of Satellite DIRECT magazine. Reported on DIRECTV for 29 years.
TV Answer Man, we don’t have our Fox station on DIRECTV because of some fight over money and stuff. Do you know how we can watch the games on Sunday on Fox? — Carl, San Angelo, Texas.
Clark, DIRECTV is without 64 Tegna-owned local stations due to a carriage fight between the companies. The dispute also affects DIRECTV Stream and U-verse and it includes network affiliates for Fox, CBS, NBC and ABC. So what can you do if you’re missing your Fox affiliate today when Fox starts broadcasting NFL games? You have three options:
1. TV Antenna
You can pick up local TV channels, including Fox, with an antenna for free, but it won’t work for everyone. Depending upon where you live, there may be obstacles such as mountains or tall buildings blocking the signal’s path. However, it’s worth a try, particularly since many indoor antennas cost under $30.
2. Free Trial From YouTube TV or Fubo
If you want to watch the games for free rather than buy an antenna, YouTube TV and Fubo, both of which carry Fox, are now offering free trials. You could sign up for the free trial and cancel after the game before you are billed for the first month.
3. The Fox Sports App
Unfortunately, in carriage disputes, Fox sometimes has prohibited DIRECTV subscribers in affected markets from using the app to watch national and local feeds of Fox sportscasts. Normally, you could use your DIRECTV user name and password to stream on the Fox Sports app. However, you might try it on Sunday. You never know. They might lift the blackout. (Fox does not have a standalone streaming service that you can subscribe to like CBS’ Paramount Plus or NBC’s Peacock.)
Carl, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
