DIRECTV today lost 26 local TV stations due to a carriage dispute with their owner, Mission Broadcasting. The blackout also affects DIRECTV Stream and U-verse.
The stations, which are managed by Nexstar, are in 26 markets including New York. Providence, Rhode Island, Little Rock, Albuquerque, Abilene, Texas, Albany, New York and Erie, Pennsylvania, among others. You can see a complete list here.
“WNAC and DirecTV have a contract that allows them to carry our programming to you,” the Mission-owned Fox station in Providence states at its web site. “That contract has expired and DirecTV removed WNAC from your schedule. WNAC has presented a proposal for fair value, based on the importance and value our programming brings to our viewers. Despite our tireless efforts, DirecTV has refused our fair offer and is making negotiations very difficult. You might have seen them do this before. They will tell you it’s for your benefit, but don’t believe it. Our offer is fair. And now they hold you the subscriber hostage. It’s not right.”
DIRECTV has not issued a statement as of 5:30 p.m. ET. The TV Answer Man will report back here if we receive a statement.
Mission’s stations are managed by Nexstar which also owns a station in most Mission markets. Nexstar is involved in a separate carriage dispute with Verizon with 13 local stations in 11 markets blacked out in the FiOS lineup due to a fight over fees.
The TV Answer Man will update this story if we receive additional statements or information regarding the blackout.
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.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
HOW DARE YOU!!! Just as the fall season starts up you pull this shit. We pay a lot of money to have television and the best shows are on CBS. Stop being so childish and greedy, give back the stations so we the people who pay for your stations can have our shows.
Hello I think that DirecTV should have already signed the New contract with Mission Broadcasting!
DirecTV has zero Problems ripping us customers off or screaming for their outrageous monthly bill.
DirecTV are Crooks. I’ve been a Customer since 2011. As soon as Att bought them out or whatever they’ve done. I have them on my Credit report for $666 for returned equipment, they claim I didn’t return.
DirecTV was called the morning my mailman left my driveway year’s ago. I’m not going to send them the equipment I’m using..
I plan on CONTACTING the ATTORNEY GENERAL’S office.
Wouldn’t be the first time AGO collect almost $500 for me from DIRECTV.
These kind of disputes where the powers that be fight over how much more the consumer will pay is exactly why I cut the cord in 2016. The delivery entity blames the content provider who in turn blames the content creators. It is a never ending upward spiral of cost, fee and tax escalation. Thanks, but no thanks!
This has happened with CBS and NBC and now ABC. Direct TV always pretends to be outraged and says they are negotiating on behalf of their customers to avoid a price increase. After customers are inconvenienced by the loss of their station mysteriously an agreement is reached and the customer ends up paying more. Why not just increase your rates without holding our stations hostage as in the end this is what the plan was anyway. Direct TV is trying to save face and make it sound like they are always the victim when raising customers rates.
DirecTV and the Providers should READ
the comments from it’s customers.
DirecTV has lost MILLIONS of customers because
of these Crazy Negotiations and OVERSEAS Customer Service.
ALL TV and also the Internet needs to be Regulated.
Can’t trust any of them. There is NO reason for Negotiations.
How would the public react if they Negotiated Water and Electricity ?
TV and the Internet are now a Public Utility.
Next thing, some FOOL will try and Negotiate Oxygen.
TV makes a KILLING off the Commercials.
Go back to the Old Days. (NO Middleman)
“Mission Broadcast, Sinclair, Tegna, etc.
Just the Stations and Cable/Fiber or Satellite
If it is NOT Broken, DON’T fix it.
Look what happened to AT&T LAND LINES.
RAISED the Rates, sent Customer Service OVERSEAS,
Lost MILLIONS of customers, just like DirecTV.
[Don’t forget who Bought DirecTV and is HELL BENT on Destroying it]
AT&T Sold about 1/3 of DirecTV, BUT still has Control.
[Five Board of Directors] Three of them are AT&T
Like selling 1/3 of your car, But you are still the Driver.
The buyer got the SHAFT
Sound like what happened to US TV Viewers ?
FCC are you listening ?
REGULATE these THIEVES.
Sunday ticket and still no fox game, give me my money back
You’ve got billionaires fighting over dimes and pointing fingers at each other like spoiled little brats! and using their customers as pawns…
It will be great to see corporate America drop their asses for YOUTUBE TV….
I will leave direct TV after over 30 years if Fox is not back on by tomorrow for the World Series. If you live more than 60 miles from the station you can not get it on antenna. I know others leaving also so was it worth it.
Please tell me where I can watch Fox 33 iand TV show Monarch?
Thank you for interrupting the shows that we record weekly🙄😳😡
Corporate greed at it’s finest. Disputes seem to happen when sports biggest events are happening, season finalizes, or the start of a new season. I thought that commercials paid for TV airing. Guess I was wrong. Only person that is suffering are YOUR CUSTOMERS. Oh right, I forgot, neither of you Corporate suck asses care, it’s all about the mighty dollar and how much you can get. SHAME ON BOTH OF YOU. DIRECT TV AND NEXSTAR/MISSION
I tried to get the FOX Sports app so I could watch the World Series. It wouldn’t let me because I was a DirecTv subscriber. What an outrage! First time since 1967 I’ve missed watching the World Series…over what?? A few pennies?
It’s bad enough we pay for these services anyway but to be held hostage for a greedy conglomerate really is outlandish and this practice needs to be controlled and stopped.
So when does it stop you get every network upping cost to make more money without any improvements on there services or programming. You have enough commercials on the broadcasts now that hour program you only see a third of what could seen.
The highway robbery of subscribers needs to halt and the broadcasters customer loyalty needs to return!!!!!
Conserved subscriber!
When is enough, enough? Hard working people paying way too much already. Ones who don’t have OTA, because of area, or bad internet to stream? Which you have to pay even more. Please stop your corporate gouging!!! I know you don’t really care, but I hope someone has a heart.
I have called Everyday they said go buy a TV antenna really 🙄 you get plenty of money for the high bills!!!!! You need to fix this!!!
I pay plenty of money for about 10 stations all the rest of them do nothing but try to sell you health coverage , pots and pans or some other freaking garbage that I rank in the same boat as my tv viewing experience on direct tv. Pay the damn money to get the channels that I already pay dearly for. They reason why they don’t is because the big wigs use that money to line their pockets. They’re just as crooked as any politician. I hope they rot in hell when everybody starts streaming, I’ll be next. I signed a contract for certain channels that I no longer have so direct tv broke the contract. See ya!!!
I agree I watch fox a lot they should give credit for not having I have missed 2 weeks of shows we have contracts and you have broken direct tv is high as hell I get pissed off when I check to see if it is on so it’s time to find another provider I don’t know if I trust you with my e mail you seem a little not trust worthy
We all should negotiate paying that bill next month!!! And come to the same conclusion they do. NOT PAY IT OR DROP THEM LIKE THE PIECES OF SHIT THEY ARE!!!
That’s why I got rid of Directv and Dish Network because they are very greedy a/f. People are having hard times these days and then this happens it’s uncalled for
So how did that game work out for you? In Texas we still have “nada”.
Such bullshit!! I am missing my Ohio state buckeye games!!! Better be solved by the time the buckeyes play Michigan😡
WTF! Pull your heads outta your arss and get this fixed. It’s all about $. Too many money hungry-self centered ________ . Bring CBS back ASAP! Ridiculous…
It has been over a month when will we have the ability to watch FOX or are you wanting to lose more money per month by losing thousands of subscribers. Come on this is ridiculous. Let your subscribers know what’s going on and how much longer before we jump ship to other carriers.
enough is enough. I keep getting told that they are in negociations. I doubt that very much. Lets get this turned back on for crying out loud.
I think a Class Action lawsuit should be in order. We are paying for our local channels and not getting them. A one time $10.00 credit just won’t due. It has now been over 2 months of blacked out service with a notice that rates will increase in January.
Almost 3 months since we lost our local CBS station, time to dump Directv for not providing the service we are paying for
I want my local channels back. We pay for DirecTV. We want our local channels now
You should not be allowed to air major shows such as play off games in basketball. Last game today and we still don’t have ABC network wtf!