Sling TV has announced it will lose three NBC Sports regional sports networks on April 1 due to a carriage dispute with their owner, NBC Sports.

The live streaming service says NBC Sports Washington, NBC Sports California and NBC Sports Bay Area will be removed from its lineup. Sling has carried the three channels since 2017. 

“As of 4/12021, NBC Regional Sports Networks will no longer be on SLING. We are committed to providing the best value with the flexibility our customer’s deserve and, unfortunately, we were unable to come to an agreement on those terms,” Sling said in an e-mail to customers.

Sling lost NBC Sports Chicago in October 2019 in a separate carriage fight with NBC Sports. The streamer never carried the remaining three NBC sports regional nets, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Boston and NBC Sports Northwest.

The service’s subscribers last night began posting complaints on Twitter about the removal of the three channels on April 1.

“You’re dropping regional NBC Sports channels. I have no choice but to switch to YouTube TV since that’s the main reason I have sling TV. It’s disappointing. Any chance for a reversal?” one subscriber tweeted. 

Sling’s Twitter customer service team responded that “Sling remains open that the Regional Sports Networks will work with us to offer their content in a way that provides choice and value to all our subscribers. But at this point they are not willing to work with us to accept any arrangement.”

NBC Sports has not commented on the dispute. It’s unclear if this action will also affect Dish subscribers. Dish owns Sling TV.

Update: Dish will also lose the three channels.

An NBC Universal spokesman released this statement late this afternoon:

“The NBC Regional Sports Networks offered to continue distribution on fair market terms. DISH and Sling declined those terms and will be dropping the networks. The many other distributors that continue to carry the RSNs are listed on each RSN’s website.”

Need to buy something today? Please buy it using this Amazon.com link. This site receives a small portion of each purchase, which helps us continue to provide these articles.

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