By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – @tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, the Jets are playing the Bills on Monday Night Football on ABC and we are blacked out on ABC on DIRECTV because of the million-month fight with Nexstar. Any tips on how to watch the game like you had for CBS? — Larry, Salt Lake City.
Larry, DIRECTV on July 2 lost 159 Nexstar-owned local stations due to a carriage fight between the companies. The dispute affects DIRECTV Stream and U-verse and it also includes roughly 30 stations owned by Mission Broadcasting and White Knight but managed by Nexstar. The list of missing stations includes network affiliates for Fox, NBC, CBS, The CW, and, yes, ABC. So what are the options for DIRECTV/Nexstar viewers who are missing their ABC stations and want to watch tomorrow night’s Monday Night Football game between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills? (This is an easy one, but let’s get to the easy answer second, shall we?)
1. TV Antenna
You can pick up local TV channels, including ABC, 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. ESPN
Yes, the easy solution. Monday Night Football is also on ESPN tomorrow night and there’s no blackout of the sports network on DIRECTV. (Unlike Spectrum TV which has been without ESPN and other Disney channels since August 31.) So instead of tuning in the blacked out ABC, just hope over to ESPN, Larry.
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.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
