By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of Satellite DIRECT magazine. Reported on DIRECTV for 30 years.
TV Answer Man, do you know how many DIRECTV subscribers will miss the Super Bowl because they don’t have CBS because of those fee battles? — John, Springfield, Missouri.
John, DIRECTV is now involved in three major carriage disputes. The TV provider lost 14 Cox Media Group-owned local channels last week in a fee fight and it lost about 30 Mission and White Knight owned stations in October 2022.
Update: DIRECTV and Cox Media Group sign new deal.
The combined list of the three broadcasters whose stations are now blacked out on DIRECTV, DIRECTV Stream and U-verse includes four CBS affiliates: WYOU TV in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania; KOLR-TV in Springfield, Missouri; WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio; and KIRO-TV in Seattle, Washington.
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With CBS broadcasting the Super Bowl this Sunday, you might think that DIRECTV subscribers in those four markets would be forced to install an antenna or subscribe to Paramount+ to watch the game. But that’s not the case.
Paramount, the owner of CBS, has decided to air the game on Nickelodeon as well. The broadcast will be kid-friendly, meaning a few commercials that air on CBS may not be shown on the Nickelodeon broadcast. There will also be a Nick-focused broadcast, meaning that SpongeBob Square Pants, Patrick and other Bikini Bottom residents will be highly visible. (Watch out for some green slime, too.) But the Nick airing will show every play of the game so DIRECTV’s Mission and Cox Media subscribers won’t miss a thing. (Nickelodeon is available in most DIRECTV packages.)
“The really awesome news? This year’s Super Bowl is gonna’ be EXTREMELY-SLIMEY, ULTRA-SPLAT-Y, and SUPREMELY SPONGEY!” Nickelodeon says at its web site.
I have no doubt that the owners of Mission and Cox Media Group are not particularly thrilled about the Nick broadcast because it reduces its leverage in carriage negotiations. But it’s a big break for DIRECTV.
John, 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.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
