Q. Why is HBO still not on Dish? Will they ever make a deal. It’s been a year now and I’m getting crazy about it with Game of Thrones on. What is up?! — Eric, Denver.
Eric, it’s actually been slightly more than six months since Dish and HBO couldn’t reach a new carriage agreement. And when the old pact expired on November 1, HBO pulled both HBO and Cinemax from Dish and the Dish-owned live streaming service, Sling TV.
Click Amazon: See Today’s 1-Day-Only Deals!
The dispute has driven some Dish and Sling subscribers up the wall, particularly with the final episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones coming up this Sunday.
When the blackout began, I predicted it might take months to resolve. And, Eric, I’m afraid to tell you that if it doesn’t end this week with GOT still on, it may take several more months.
Here’s why:
1. AT&T, which last year took ownership of HBO and Cinemax following its merger with Time Warner, wants to draw a line with its first high-profile carriage battle after the deal.
The company believes that HBO is an elite channel, one that every pay TV provider must have or risk losing subscribers. Consequently, AT&T wants to set a unprecedented benchmark price for HBO (and Cinemax) that it will try to impose later on other pay TV services.
2. Dish has a history of playing tough in carriage negotiations, which has often led to long blackouts. They know what AT&T is up to and they are happy to wait them out if necessary.
While some Dish and Sling subscribers have undoubtedly fled, it’s more likely that they have simply signed up for the standalone version of HBO (HBO Now) which costs the same as the Dish/Sling version. With the easy availability of HBO Now, it’s very easy for Dish to say no to AT&T’s demands at this point.
With Game of Thrones wrapping up this Sunday, it’s possible that the final episode will spark a new round of talks this week. But I wouldn’t bet too much on it.
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
Photo credit: Free photo via Pexels.com.
You failed to mention the real reason for the battle – AT&T now owns HBO AND DirecTV, Dish’s main competitor. So they are using HBO as a weapon to make people switch services. This is why anti-trust laws were invented. If only they were actually enforced.
Wealthy people and corporations have their favorite investment: the buying off of politicians.
Jeff, You Don’t miss anything, You are Right ON !!
AT&T is working OVERTIME to destroy DirecTV, They are making good progress.
always helps to send the Call Centers OVERSEAS to make customers FLEE Faster
That sale should be REVERSED.
Just wait till the Net-Neutrality disaster kicks in.
Dish needs to think about their rural customers who have to use satellite internet for streaming…. if its cloudy, it buffers or pixelated like crazy! I used amazon prime to have hbo so I could download GOT on my phone and then use smart view to watch it on my tv.
Just plain greedy and not giving a fig about those who are and want to pay for HBO and Cinamax. How on earth do these decision makers keep their jobs? They should stop being a jerk and do what’s right for those who want these channels.
keep trying to get HBO&CINEMAX BACK & GET OVTV GET SHOWTIME WOMEN