The DIRECTV-Dish Sale: Will Dish Start Carrying Regional Sports Networks?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.
Former editor of Satellite DIRECT magazine. Reported on DIRECTV for 30 years.

TV Answer Man, will the sale of Dish to DIRECTV have any impact on the sports networks and RSN packages, especially in regard to carriage fee disputes? Will having only one satellite company result in more or less carriage disputes? — Mike, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Mike, DIRECTV announced that it has agreed to buy EchoStar’s video assets including Dish’s satellite TV service and its live streaming service, Sling TV. Federal regulators will have to approve the sale and that could take a year. But I expect it will be approved, and when it is, it could have a significant impact on Dish’s lineup.

As of now, Dish does not carry any regional sports networks (RSNs). But DIRECTV has prided itself on being known as a ‘sports leader,’ carrying most RSNs and national sports channels (not to mention being the exclusive carrier of the NFL Sunday Ticket for nearly three decades until Google took over last year.) As the new owner of the only satellite TV service in the nation, I strongly expect DIRECTV will begin offering RSNs to the Dish audience as well. (I also predict that DIRECTV will rebrand Dish as a DIRECTV service.)

As for carriage disputes, DIRECTV will wield more power with a combined audience of nearly 20 million subscribers. That should help it negotiate better terms with programmers although that doesn’t mean there won’t be a few blackouts along the way. DIRECTV has proven (via the recent disputes with Nexstar and Disney) that a blackout may sometimes be necessary to get what it wants.

Mike, hope that helps. The TV Answer Man will answer more question about the DIRECTV-Dish deal today. If you have a question, 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.

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.