Making television easy again. By Phillip Swann
Q. I have DIRECTV and I used to get channels for Fox, NBC, ABC and all the networks from New York and Los Angeles, but now I just get Fox. Why is that? Didn’t you write an article saying AT&T got new agreements with everyone but ABC? — Jim, town withheld. Jim, I will try
Updated, June 1, 9:30 a.m. ET DIRECTV can no longer carry ABC’s ‘out-of-market’ channel under a new law, but it has signed last-minute deals with CBS, NBC, Fox and the CW to continue offering its programming to certain rural residents, RV owners and others who can’t get their local network affiliates through the satcaster. For
Update: On June 9, Lilly Broadcasting removed the viewer alert from its web sites, suggesting the companies have resolved the dispute for now. The TV Answer Man will update this story if we get more information. DIRECTV could lose five network affiliates and two CW stations next week due to a fee fight with their
Q. I read that Comcast now has HBO Max, but I can’t find it. How do I watch it on Comcast? Is it really on Comcast? — Penny, Deale, Maryland. Penny, the answer is yes and no, which may sound complicated. And, guess what, it is complicated because HBO Max is a bit complicated. Let
Updated, May 29 1 p.m. ET AT&T has reached a multi-year deal with Fox to allow DIRECTV to offer the network’s programming to RV owners, truckers, and “other subscribers” for whom the satcaster does not provide local channels, according to an AT&T statement. See June 1 update on this story. The statement from AT&T is
Q. I saw your article about HBO Max not being on Roku and Fire TV. So where can you watch it? Which streaming devices? — Karen, Yonkers, New York. Karen, first let me offer some background on HBO Max for those who are not familiar with AT&T’s new streaming service. HBO Max, which launched today
Q. I’m the kind of guy that if something isn’t in 4K, I don’t want to watch it. So will HBO Max be in 4K? Will they have any shows in 4K? And if they are in 4K, will it be 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range)? — Bob, Prince Frederick, Maryland. Bob, as you know,
Q. I have subscribed to HBO Max, but I want to know if I can watch it on Roku. It’s really the only streaming box I use. If Roku doesn’t have it, I will cancel HBO Max immediately. — Donna, Shaker Heights, Ohio. Donna, the AT&T-owned HBO Max is scheduled to debut next week, but
News Analysis Last week’s Fox Business report that “bankers” are saying AT&T needs to sell DIRECTV because it’s an ‘underperforming asset’ certainly rings true. Since AT&T purchased DIRECTV in 2015 for $49 billion, the nation’s top satellite TV service has lost roughly five million subscribers. Making matters worse, the customer defections are dramatically increasing with
Q. I read your article today about AT&T selling DIRECTV to Dish. Why would Dish want DIRECTV now? Aren’t they losing subscribers, too? What’s the point of buying a satellite TV service in a pandemic, particularly when the business is dying. I don’t get it. And wouldn’t the federal government block the deal anyway? —
Bankers say AT&T needs to sell DIRECTV due to the Coronavirus outbreak and accumulating company debt, according to a Fox Business report. The report does not name the bankers, nor say how many are offering this opinion. It also does not say if the bankers are communicating this position with AT&T, or if AT&T is
The AT&T-owned HBO Max is scheduled to debut next week, but as of this morning, the new streaming service will not be available on arguably the two leading streaming devices, Roku and Amazon’s Fire TV. John Stankey, AT&T’s CEO, acknowledged last week at an industry conference that HBO Max would likely not be available on