Q. You wrote awhile back that AT&T’s U-verse may be negotiating a new deal with the Pac 12 Network, which maybe could lead to DIRECTV carrying it, too. Anything new on this? — Wendy, Marina Del Rey, California.
Wendy, I’m very sorry to report that the Pac 12 Network just announced today that U-verse will no longer carry it, effective December 2.
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“As of Dec. 2, AT&T @Uverse will no longer carry Pac-12 Networks,” the network’s Twitter customer help team tweeted this afternoon. The channel also made the disclose at its web site.
The news is not shocking; AT&T has frequently hinted it wanted out of the carriage agreement which began in 2013. In addition, AT&T’s DIRECTV has never shown interest in the Pac 12 Network, before or after the two companies merged.
However, there was hope of a new deal last August when AT&T removed a reference on its web site that suggested U-verse would pull the Pac 12 Network as early as that month. Instead, AT&T said the regional sports network could be dropped in November if a new agreement was not reached.
Shifting the deadline from August to November opened up the possibility that the two companies were discussing a new deal, at least for U-verse, if not for DIRECTV as well.
But today’s announcement kills that hope, and it looks like the Pac 12 Network will continue to operate without the nation’s largest pay TV provider (DIRECTV.) as a partner.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
football seasons over, would have dropped it anyhow