With the end of the World Cup approaching and the start of football season coming up in August, DirecTV and E.W. Scripps have announced a new multi-year agreement that will return 54 local broadcast stations owned and operated by the station group to DirecTV’s streaming, satellite, and U-verse customers.

The agreement ends a five-week blackout affecting millions of customers across 36 Nielsen DMAs, including Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Nashville, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Tampa-St. Petersburg, and others.

“These agreements recognize the enduring value of local television stations as essential infrastructure for American communities,” said Adam Symson, Scripps’ president and CEO. “Our stations save lives with severe weather alerts, provide critical emergency information during natural disasters, deliver local news that informs and holds power in check, and unite communities through live sports that no other platform can replicate."

“Fair compensation from distribution partners ensures we can sustain these essential public services for millions of Americans who depend on us for accessible, trusted connection to what matters most in their daily lives," he added.

While the agreement ends the dispute, DirecTV continued to criticize the process of negotiating new retransmission consent agreements with station groups.

“[W]e are frustrated that broadcasters use blackouts as a tool to force us to accept unwarranted rate hikes that consistently exceed normal, inflationary increases, and by a lot,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer at DirecTV. “At a time when affordability matters more than ever, families are too often asked to pay more while receiving less…[A]s ownership becomes concentrated among a handful of ever-larger broadcasters gaining stations across new and within their existing markets, those expanded stations become increasingly powerful and further unbalanced negotiating tools. The more markets and major network affiliations a broadcaster controls, the greater its ability to withhold programming from the very communities it is meant to serve.”

“Consumers should never lose access to essential local television because of a carriage dispute,” he added. “It's time to modernize the system so it rewards service to local communities—and not consolidated market power—by returning to the original purpose of broadcasting of putting viewers’ interests first.”

Separately, DirecTV is part of an antitrust lawsuit in California seeking to block the Nexstar/Tegna merger that would further consolidate the industry.

Broadcasters have long argued that consolidation is necessary to help them compete with big tech companies who already dominate the ad and streaming businesses.

Just in time for the start of this week’s NHL Stanley Cup Finals and NBA Finals, 54 E.W. Scripps-owned stations have gone dark on DirecTV streaming, satellite and U-verse TV pay TV platforms.

The stations—17 of which are ABC affiliates airing the NHL and NBA finals games—went dark at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday (May 31) after Scripps and DirecTV failed to agree to a new retransmission consent agreement.

“Scripps is demanding the highest rates DirecTV has ever received from a station group, which would continue to dramatically raise costs for consumers and businesses already struggling with affordability,“ the pay TV provider said in a statement. “After DirecTV declined those demands and sought a more reasonable agreement, Scripps chose to remove its stations from viewers in several major markets nationwide.”

In a statement to TV Tech, Scripps said it "has been engaging in good-faith negotiations with DirecTV to establish an equitable agreement that serves both companies and, most importantly, consumers.“

“Regrettably, DirecTV has elected to remove Scripps local stations from their lineup, employing the same heavy-handed tactics that have become synonymous with pay-TV operators who hurt their own subscribers by using them as bargaining chips in contractual disputes,“ the broadcaster said. “By contrast, Scripps stations have gone dark only twice since we began broadcasting in the 1940s."

Scripps also stressed that viewers can still watch their content using an antenna or on other pay TV services like YouTube TV and Fubo.

"Scripps remains committed to reaching a fair resolution that restores our local stations to DirecTV’s paying subscribers," the station group said. "At stake is our viewers’ fundamental access to trusted local journalism, critical weather alerts, emergency information and live sports programming that strengthens community bonds – all essential public interest content in which Scripps invests substantially every day."

DirecTV said that Scripps has suspended stations in cities including Baltimore, Boise, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Lexington, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Omaha, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Tampa-St. Petersburg, and West Palm Beach, among others.

In response to the dispute, DirecTV also complained that “Scripps and its peers continue to remove content from American viewers in hopes of enriching their bottom lines. Scripps removed 40 of its stations from Comcast Xfinity customers in 19 of these same cities for more than a month, starting April 1.”

“We understand customers are frustrated by temporarily losing their usual access to Scripps stations and the local news, network programming, and live sports they provide,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer at DirecTV. “Unfortunately, Scripps is demanding the highest rates we have ever seen for programming that remains available for free over-the-air and through many station, network, and third-party streaming apps. We remain committed to protecting customers from indiscriminate and unnecessary cost increases for less popular programming while still working to restore the stations that many viewers rely on.”

SACRAMENTO—A temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the merger between Nexstar and Tegna has been issued by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley in California in the U.S. District Court Eastern District Of California.

The ruling blocks the two companies from proceeding with integration of their operations until the court issues another ruling on a preliminary injunction in an antitrust case filed by DirecTV that seeks to block the deal.

The court has asked for further pleadings on the issue and plans to hold an in-person hearing on April 7.

The FCC approved the deal and Nexstar announced it had closed the $6.2 billion transaction but the merger continues to be challenged in the court.

The March 27 ruling was in response to an antitrust suit brought by DirecTV in the Eastern District of California, the same court where where eight states have filed a separate antitrust lawsuit seeking to block the deal. Opponents of the deal have also filed lawsuits in Federal Court in U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Of Columbia Circuit.

In the ruling, Nunley noted that the deal will allow Nexstar to increase retransmission fees, which will give it more leverage to “threaten and impose blackouts…That threat leaves distributors with two bad options: acquiesce to Nexstar’s higher fees or lose access to these stations, thereby blocking the MVPD’s subscribers from accessing the content carried on the blacked-out stations and driving some consumers to switch to other distributors’ services where they can find that same content.”

“In short, by making blackouts even more painful for distributors like DirecTV, the merger will make it even harder for them to resist Nexstar’s demands for higher prices,” the judge wrote.

Nunley also rejected Nexstar’s arguments that a TRO would harm them. “First, Defendants do not adequately explain why a hold-separate order would prevent Nexstar or Tegna from expanding and increasing its investment in local news or prevent it from investing in local programming and local coverage. Second, congressional intent will not be undermined simply because the FCC has cleared this transaction. As Plaintiff correctly notes, the FCC was `not given the power to decided antitrust issues’ and FCC action `was not intended to prevent enforcement of the antitrust laws in federal courts.’ A court order to enforce antitrust laws, therefore, would not undermine congressional intent in regulation of the broadcast industry.”

“Based on the foregoing, the Court finds Plaintiff [DirecTV] sufficiently establishes irreparable harm in the absence of a TRO,” the court noted.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division, alleging that the proposed merger between the broadcast station groups Nexstar Media and Tegna violates the federal antitrust laws and would significantly harm consumers.

The complaint asserts that the proposed merger—which combines the nation's largest and second-largest English-language broadcast station groups—represents a concentration of broadcast media that will drive up consumer costs, reduce local competition, shutter local newsrooms, and increase both the frequency and duration of blackouts from retransmission consent disputes.

DirecTV’s actions come on the heels of a multistate lawsuit filed in the same court by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia. More on that lawsuit can be found here.

Like the federal antitrust suit filed by the eight states, DirecTV pays particular attention on markets where Nexstar would own at least two, and sometimes three, of the most influential and widely watched local stations. The markets include more than 25 million TV homes in major cities like Austin, Buffalo, N.Y.; Charlotte, N.C.; Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Indianapolis; Memphis, Tenn.; New Orleans; Portland; San Diego; St. Louis; and Tampa, among others.

DirecTV alleges that owning two or more affiliate stations of major broadcasters in those markets would give the combined company more power to demand higher retransmission fees in negotiations with pay TV operators, which in turn would raise programming costs for consumers and lead to more widespread blackouts of programming. These blackouts would make it difficult for fans to watch local professional and college sports.

The suit also notes that a significant number of these markets are also state capitals, where reduced competition would limit the diversity of local news coverage.

As previously reported, DirecTV has filed evidence with the Federal Communications Commission claiming that wherever Nexstar already operates similar “duopolies,” it reduces alternate viewpoints and competition for stories by using one newsroom, one news director, one online news site, and spreads the editorial staff to create news content shared and frequently repeated across two station newscasts.

"DirecTV supports the action taken by the states and has determined it is necessary to join this effort to protect competition and consumers," said Michael Hartman, general counsel and chief external affairs officer at DirecTV. "We have consistently made clear that this merger is anti-competitive and not in the public interest and, if it goes forward, will trigger a wave of similar consolidation."

"The acquisition would give Nexstar control of 228 broadcast stations reaching 80% of television households in 132 local markets and increase concentration in dozens of local markets by more than 10 times the amount that is presumptively unlawful under the antitrust laws," the complaint states. "That enormous increase in market power will enable Nexstar to raise prices and reduce the amount, variety, and quality of local news without having to worry about losing business to competition."

The complaint also highlights that the merger is likely to exacerbate the already sharp rise in retransmission consent fees charged by local station groups, which have increased more than 5,000% over the past two decades—from approximately $214.6 million in 2006 to an estimated $11.9 billion in 2025. Retransmission consent fees are a large input cost for pay TV providers, which means the greater leverage and market power Nexstar will gain by buying its close rival Tegna will translate into price increases that end up on millions of Americans' monthly TV bills.

"By acquiring Tegna's competing stations, Nexstar will deprive distributors and consumers of the benefits of competition: lower prices and higher quality," the complaint further states. "Instead, Nexstar will be able to raise prices and reduce quality. DirecTV and its subscribers will end up paying more for less. The antitrust laws forbid acquisitions that substantially lessen competition, enabling acquirers to charge more while offering less."

Nexstar and Tegna have filed papers with the FCC that address many of the arguments made by the two lawsuits. They have consistently contended that the merger would strengthen their ability to compete against big tech companies that control much of the video market and would bolster their ability to invest in local news.

As previously reported, both President Trump and FCC Chair have backed the merger.

TV Tech has reached out to Nexstar for comment and will add those comments when they become available.

WASHINGTON—DirecTV has filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission that include a new study rebutting longstanding arguments that lifting ownership caps on station groups will lead to better local news.

In comments filed with the FCC over the years, the NAB and broadcast groups have argued that the total hours of local broadcast news coverage has increased in the last decade.

In response to the study, the NAB issued the following statement: “Over the past decade, as broadcasters gained modest additional scale, local news output rose sharply. From 2011 to 2023, local news telecasts increased by more than 40%, and total hours grew nearly 50%. Scale strengthens local journalism. The record is clear. The truth is local news will not survive if broadcasters are forced to compete at a disadvantage. It is no surprise that a pay TV competitor that is not limited in how many homes it can reach nationwide would prefer that outcome. DirecTV is not raising these arguments to protect local journalism. It is protecting its bottom line. Modernizing outdated ownership rules will ensure local stations can continue delivering the trusted news and lifesaving emergency information our communities depend on.”

The DirecTV study looks at the diversity of local news content by examining the impact on local news in markets co-owned stations where a station group owns more than one TV station.

“Recent history shows that when broadcasters acquire a second, third, or fourth station in a local market, they consolidate news operations, leaving one newsroom where there had been two, three, or four, thus decreasing the quality of local news,” DirecTV said in a letter to the FCC that included the study. “This is not a speculative claim. In fact, in the context of the proposed Nexstar-Tegna transaction, we’ve filed evidence demonstrating that Nexstar, for example, has done this with every duopoly or triopoly it possesses.”

“We now show that these results also apply to broadcasters other than Nexstar,” the letter noted. “By our calculations, in the vast majority of markets in which any broadcaster holds a duopoly, triopoly, or quadropoly today, they have consolidated news operations. We also attach a presentation that describes the methodology behind these assertions. Specifically, we studied every existing Big Four broadcast duopoly, triopoly, and quadropoly that we could identify and found that when a broadcaster owns at least two Big Four stations in a market, they generally combine the news operations–station websites, news directors, and on-air talent–of those two, three, or four stations. In the majority of duopolies, triopolies, and quadropolies, the co-owned stations offered essentially the same local news.”

“The evidence conclusively demonstrates that broadcaster consolidation reduces competition, output, and quality in local news,” DirecTV concluded. “Accordingly, we urge the Commission to reject broadcasters’ proposals that would create more duopolies, triopolies, and quadropolies and decrease local news content.”

For the study, the researchers looked at any Nielsen DMA with a Big Four duopoly, triopoly, or quadropoly owned by one of America’s top ten broadcasters, excluding the ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox O&Os and found 98 duopolies, 15 triopolies, and 3 quadropolies included, totaling 253 Big Four affiliations.

The researchers then measured how often these stations groups consolidated their local online news to a single site, regardless of how many stations are involved; how they used one news director to determine what’s news across the two or three, or even four Big Four stations involved in any single DMA; and how they shared journalists and on-air news talent from one station to another, rather than operating distinctly.

That analysis found that

• For all broadcasters, 90.5% of news sites are shared in DMAs with joint ownership of multiple Big Four affiliations.
• For all broadcasters, 98.2% of News Directors are shared in DMAs with joint ownership of multiple Big Four affiliations.
• For all broadcasters, 97.3% of news talent are shared in DMAs with joint ownership of multiple Big Four affiliations.
• Among the top 10 station groups, 87.3% of news sites are shared in DMAs owned by Top 10 Broadcasters with joint ownership of multiple Big Four affiliations.
• 97.4% of News Directors are shared in DMAs owned by Top 10 Broadcasters with joint ownership of multiple Big Four affiliations.
• 96.1% of news talent are shared in DMAs owned by Top 10 Broadcasters with joint ownership of multiple Big Four affiliations.

DirecTV filed the study and comments as part of the FCC Quadrennial Review of Ownership Rules.

In response to the study, the NAB issued the following statement: “Over the past decade, as broadcasters gained modest additional scale, local news output rose sharply. From 2011 to 2023, local news telecasts increased by more than 40%, and total hours grew nearly 50%. Scale strengthens local journalism. The record is clear.

The truth is local news will not survive if broadcasters are forced to compete at a disadvantage. It is no surprise that a pay TV competitor that is not limited in how many homes it can reach nationwide would prefer that outcome.

DirecTV is not raising these arguments to protect local journalism. It is protecting its bottom line. Modernizing outdated ownership rules will ensure local stations can continue delivering the trusted news and lifesaving emergency information our communities depend on.”

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has approved license transfers for three stations to subsidiaries of Sinclair. The decision involved WEYI-TV, Saginaw, Michigan, WGTU(TV), Traverse City, Michigan and WHAM-TV, Rochester, New York.

DirecTV had opposed the transfers, arguing in part that the deals would give Sinclair more power to demand higher retransmission fees, which in turn would increase pay TV programming costs for consumers.

More specifically the transfers involved:

• The assignment of the license of WEYI-TV, Saginaw, Michigan, from HSH Flint (WEYI) to Sinclair subsidiary WEYI Licensee, LLC.
• The assignment of the license of WGTU(TV), Traverse City, Michigan, from Traverse City (WGTU-TV) Licensee, Inc., a subsidiary of Cunningham Broadcasting Corporation (Cunningham), to Sinclair subsidiary WGTU Licensee, LLC.
• The assignment of the license of WHAM-TV, Rochester, New York, from Deerfield Media (Rochester) Licensee, LLC (Deerfield) to Sinclair subsidiary WHAM Licensee, LLC.

When the applications were first filed, the deals would have required an exemption from FCC ownership rules. However, as previously reported, a Federal court ruling in the Zimmer Radio case overturned a longstanding prohibition on owning two of the top four stations in the market.

In its filing opposing all three transfers, DirecTV continued to oppose the deals. It argued that it had standing to file a petition in opposition because the transfers would raise retransmission fees and cause the operator direct economic harm. DirecTV contended that “[n]othing in Zimmer Radio alters the Applicants’ affirmative obligation to show that the proposed license transfers are in the public interest.”

In addition, it argued that local television consolidation gives broadcasters more leverage to charge higher retransmission fees, which leads to higher bills for multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) customers.

DirecTV also contended that Sinclair did not meet FCC standards that the transactions provide verifiable benefits because Sinclair only provided vague and non-measurable assertions that “synergies” would enable Sinclair to invest in the acquired stations and expand programming.

In its ruling the Media Bureau found that DirecTV did meet the requirements for standing but rejected its other arguments.

"[W]e find that the proposed transactions fully comply with the Commission’s rules, including the post-Zimmer Radio Local Television Ownership Rule, and there are no issues or potential public interest harms identified in the record that would require further consideration.," the Media Bureau noted in a letter to the applicants affirming the license transfers. "Notably, while the Commission will consider transaction-specific objections to otherwise rule-compliant transactions, we find that DIRECTV has failed to advance any such objections. Accordingly, we conclude that grant of the Applications will result in public interest benefits and serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity."

More information is available here.

In the run-up to Apple TV’s inaugural season as the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of Formula 1, DirecTV has announced that it is making the 24-race circuit available nationwide to both residential and business customers.

The agreement means that anyone who subscribes to Apple TV through DirecTV will now be able to discover and watch Apple TV’s live sports directly within their DirecTV experience, without having to exit to a separate app.

Its business customers include 300,000-plus sports bars, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial venues served by DirecTV For Business.

With F1 on Apple TV, fans can enjoy all 24 Grand Prix races, including practice, qualifying, and sprint sessions, all in one place.

DirecTV’s agreement also renews the same customers’ access to Apple TV’s live sports with Major League Baseball’s "Friday Night Baseball” doubleheaders throughout the 2026 campaign, as well as with a new season of Major League Soccer, starting this Saturday, Feb. 21. Starting this season, Apple is also including all MLS matches in its standard Apple TV subscription at no extra cost.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV for Business has announced the nationwide launch of its new streaming TV solution for small businesses, with plans to expand the offering to larger business locations soon.

"DirecTV for Business has been undergoing the same digital transformation as our consumer platform, and the launch of our new streaming TV for business option gives small business owners more choice and flexibility to help them find the best fit for the best TV experience," said Doug Eichler, senior vice president, DirecTV for Business. "From entertaining current customers to attracting new ones, TV can play an important role in the success of your business, and now you can get the ultimate entertainment experience of DirecTV via streaming or satellite."

In launching the offering, DirecTV noted that streaming offers a simple, self-installation solution for small businesses with a high-speed broadband connection, particularly in metropolitan areas where satellite installation may not be possible due to landlord restrictions or line-of-sight issues in high-rise buildings.

The DirecTV for Business website offers tools that help small business owners determine if streaming or satellite is a better option for their shop or retail store, local bar or restaurant, private office, medical waiting room, gym or salon location.

The new DirecTV for Business streaming-TV option for small businesses also includes access to DirecTV's collection of more than 140 free ad-supported television (FAST) channels.

These channels feature live and on-demand entertainment content from top movie studios, TV programmers, news organizations, sports leagues, local broadcast station groups, and more, including ABC and The Walt Disney Co., CBS and Paramount, NBC and NBCUniversal, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery, AMC Networks, A+E Networks, the NBA, ACC Digital Network, Fox Sports, international soccer, cricket, rugby, and other popular leagues and conferences.

This new offering for small businesses is the most recent example of the company’s push to expand its streaming operations.

Recently, DirecTV Hospitality and Google announced they will work together to bring an enhanced, personalized streaming experience to hotels nationwide by integrating Google TV's business-to-business version of the Android TV operating system into DirecTV’s Advanced Entertainment Platform, with full deployment scheduled for 2026.

WASHINGTON—Several labor unions and public interest groups have filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission urging the regulator to deny the Nexstar-Tegna merger because it would violate station ownership caps and would not be in the public interest.

“Though Nexstar and Tegna seek a waiver of this limit, the commission is prohibited by law from waiving, altering, or eliminating this National Cap,” the petitioners wrote, adding that as the FCC “is legally barred from granting applicants’ request to waive the National Multiple Ownership rule, the Commission should immediately deny those waiver requests and deny the application in full."

The petition to deny the transfer of broadcast licenses from Tegna to Nexstar was filed by Free Press, the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians—Communications Workers of America (NABET-CWA), The NewsGuild—Communications Workers of America (TNG-CWA), the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry and Public Knowledge.

The Dec. 31 joint filing adds to a growing list of opponents to the deal. Others who have filed petitions opposing it now include EchoStar, Newsmax, Circle City Broadcasting, DirecTV and the American TV Alliance (ATVA).

Last November, Nexstar filed for FCC approval to acquire Tegna’s broadcast licenses. If approved, the multibillion-dollar deal would combine the nation’s first- and fourth-largest largest television-station groups. It would have 265 full-power television stations in 44 states and Washington, D.C.

The Nexstar filing argued that the deal “is absolutely critical to preserve the ability of the local television stations owned by Nexstar and Tegna to continue as viable, reliable sources of trusted, locally focused news and information.”

In its filing, EchoStar argued that the FCC does not have the authority to waive the 39% ownership cap and that the creation of a gigantic station group controlling “265 stations in 132, or 80%, of the country’s 210 Designated Market Areas…sharply contravenes [public]...interest. It would result in higher prices for multichannel video programming distributors and therefore for consumers.”

Circle City 's filing noted: “CCB is licensee of full-power television stations WISH-TV and WNDY-TV, both in the Indianapolis market, and is the applicant in a pending application for consent to acquire the license of television station WRTV, also in the Indianapolis market. CCB’s interests and those of viewers in the market, as well as the interests of advertisers and MVPDs, would be adversely affected by the grant of these applications.”

Circle City also stressed that the deal would not be in the public interest because it hurt other local outlets and reduce local news. “The proposed combination would give Nexstar a near-monopoly over local television advertising revenue, retransmission consent revenue, program acquisition, and local news production in the Indianapolis market,” the CCB filing concluded. “It would, in all likelihood, force CCB to reduce or eliminate its own local news operations, if not shut down entirely.”

In a notable example of how pay TV operators are integrating streaming services into their lineup and using those services to retain or attract subscribers, DirecTV is launching new channels called “Peacock Games” that feature different sports and games from NBCUniversal’s streaming service.

The first channel was launched Dec. 9 and is available to subscribers who get Peacock through DirecTV.

Coming on the heels of the recent addition of seven new ESPN+ live sports channels for its satellite customers, DirecTV said it is introducing as many as five extra “Peacock Games” channels for any sports fans who receive their Peacock service through DirecTV.

Available to both satellite and streaming homes, the first “Peacock Games” channels debuted on Dec. 9, featuring major college basketball action, with others set to launch in the future to support upcoming events.

The new channels will be found immediately after channel 619 in the guide and feature major Big Ten and Big East college basketball, top English Premier League action, and other significant live action, DirecTV said.

DirecTV also reported that the channels are being launched as NBC Sports is gearing up to produce an impressive lineup of events for Peacock and NBC, including the Milan Winter Olympics (Feb. 6-22), the Super Bowl (Feb. 8), and the 75th anniversary NBA All-Star Game (Feb. 15), among other events.

DirecTV has announced that its MyFree DirecTV streaming service has added seven new channels. Those include four sports services, NBA FAST, Red Bull TV, DAZN Ringside, and Pursuit UP, along with three previously announced channels from AMC Networks, The Walking Dead Universe, Portlandia, and All Reality WeTV.

The channels are set to go live on the free, ad-supported streaming platform on Nov. 18 and 19, DirecTV reported.

DirecTV described the channels as follows:

• "NBA FAST is the NBA’s official FAST channel featuring breaking news, behind-the-scenes stories, and highlights from around the league. (Channel 4114 starting Nov. 18)
• "Red Bull TV, from AcTVE, takes audiences directly into real-world communities, personalities, and moments that push the boundaries of sports and culture. (Channel 4119 starting Nov. 19)
• "DAZN Ringside, from Amagi, brings fight fans the very best boxing, including the DAZN Boxing Show, short films, feature-length documentaries, and select live undercards from the biggest fights of the year. (Channel 4133 starting Nov. 19)
• "Pursuit UP, from Pursuit Media, is the go-to channel for outdoor enthusiasts, including top fishing, hunting, and outdoor lifestyle series. (Channel 4172 starting Nov. 19)
• "The Walking Dead Universe, from AMC Networks, features full-length episodes of the latest critically acclaimed franchise extensions, including “Dead City,” “Daryl Dixon,” and “The Ones Who Live.” (Channel 4227 starting Nov. 18)
• "Portlandia, from AMC Networks, features favorite characters and episodes from the Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning comedy satire starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. (Channel 4324 starting Nov. 18)
• "All Reality WeTV, again from AMC Networks, is for anyone who loves daring reality series and high-stakes drama, Real people. Real drama. Real life. (Channel 4253 starting Nov. 18)"

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON—DirecTV Advertising has launched DirecTV Elect, a new digital platform powered by AI that is specifically designed for political advertisers looking to reach connected TV (CTV) audiences.

The launch comes at a time when Political ad spending is set to reach $10.8 billion (up more than 20% from 2022) in the 2026, making this the most expensive midterm election cycle in history, according to AdImpact's Political Projections Report 2025-2026.

The vast majority of that spend, about 83%, is expected to be driven by TV, including broadcast, cable, and CTV, with CTV growth taking center stage as the fastest growing media type at $2.5 billion.

DirecTV Elect offers CTV at scale, with inventory across DirecTV and national cable networks, reaching an audience of over 130M monthly active users nationwide. This provides political advertisers and advocacy groups with seamless access to a wide variety of programming including news, live sports, and entertainment through a platform built to deliver political messages on TV.

"AI is redefining how political campaigns discover and engage with voters, helping unlock deeper insights and more effective connections," said Amy Leifer, chief advertising sales officer at DirecTV Advertising. "When that intelligence is complemented by the reach and credibility of television, voters gain greater clarity and confidence in what they see, while campaigns can achieve stronger results. DirecTV Elect brings these strengths together — combining the trust of television, the precision and flexibility of digital, and the intelligence of DirecTV Advantage, all fueled by AI.

More specifically, DirecTV Elect delivers AI-driven insights into voter sentiment and campaign issues powered by DirecTV Advantage, the company's data solutions suite that allows political advertisers to turn those insights into actionable CTV media strategies.

DirecTV Elect uses AI to analyze millions of signals from Large Language Model (LLM) responses, news, social media, donation patterns and recent voting behaviors to help political campaigns know where to focus, what to say, and ultimately, who to reach. From national messaging to neighborhood insights with geo-targeting by zip, district, and state, the company said that DirecTV Elect offers unprecedented access to the voters.

"Campaigns need to meet voters wherever they are, across linear, streaming, and digital environments," said Drew Groner, senior vice president, head of sales and marketing for DirecTV Advertising. "Political ad buyers want to find new ways to reach undecided voters, voters in the battleground states and those in states with the highest projected spend. What is particularly interesting this year is that they're looking to use live sports programming to break through to those audiences. DirecTV Elect can now give campaigns access to premium live sports inventory on streaming at scale, along with the insights to help them deliver their message where and when it needs to be heard."

DirecTV also stressed that media budgets and ad dollars continue to shift to CTV as more viewers turn to streaming.

Nielsen's monthly report of The Gauge, recently reported that streaming continued to dominate TV usage and owned 45.2% of total watch-time in September.

DirecTV Advertising also conducted a survey in September of over 1000 U.S. adults about their views on political advertising, and three in five (61%) respondents said that they trust political ads on TV – a +56% advantage over social media.

Political ads seen on TV are also viewed as being the most accurate and the most informative, with those surveyed saying that they pay more attention to political ads on TV than in any other medium. More than half of all respondents (52%) also said they find political ads seen within TV or streaming content to be most persuasive (compared to just 35% for sponsored social media posts), which is a key factor that can help move the needle for campaigns looking to influence undecided voters.

NEW ORLEANS, La.—In the run-up to the start of the NBA season, WVUE-TV and Gray Local Media have announced a deal with DirecTV that will greatly expand access to New Orleans Pelicans games during the 2025-26 season.

As a result of the carriage agreement, non-national Pelicans games broadcast on Gray’s Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network (GCSEN) will be available to DirecTV’s streaming, satellite, and U-verse customers across the team’s entire three-state home territory.

"Since this incredible partnership began, we have been working to make the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network available to as many New Orleans Pelicans fans as possible and this is another major step in that process," said Mikel Schaefer, general manager of WVUE-TV and GCSEN. "As the official broadcast partner of the New Orleans Pelicans, we believe this will dramatically increase viewership across the entire network."

Starting with Wednesday night’s road opener against the Memphis Grizzlies. DirecTV customers in all three states can find the upcoming Pelicans games on the following channels:

• DirecTV streaming: Channel 676
• DirecTV satellite: Channel 676-6
• U-Verse: Channels 1759 (High-Def) and 759 (Standard Def)

In addition to their New Orleans home, the deal means that Pelicans games will now be available to local fans in key cities including Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Alexandria, Monroe, and Shreveport in Louisiana; Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Jackson, and Meridian, MS; and Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile, AL, among several other communities.

"DirecTV remains firmly committed to local sports at a time when many providers are either getting out, not getting in, or potentially making them more expensive to keep," said Linda Burakoff, senior vice president of content and programming at DirecTV. "We welcome the opportunity to work with fan-friendly broadcasters like Gray to ensure all the most loyal fans can access their favorite hometown teams."

The Pelicans' regular season begins on Wednesday, October 22, when the Pelicans face the Grizzlies in Memphis. That game will be simulcast on WVUE-FOX 8, with pre-game coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. and tip-off at 7 p.m.

“As we begin a new season, we’re proud to expand the reach of Pelicans basketball through our relationship with DirecTV, making GCSEN more accessible than ever,” said Greg Bensel, Pelicans senior vice president of communications, broadcasting, community and government relations. “This is a meaningful step forward in our ongoing commitment to connect with fans throughout the Gulf South, whether they’re in major cities or small towns across the region.”

Beyond Pelicans basketball, the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network also offers an exclusive lineup of sports and entertainment programming. This includes popular shows such as the "Saints Kick-Off Show" and the "Black & Gold Postgame Show", serving 14 markets across three states in the vibrant Gulf Coast region.

SAN MATEO, Calif.—In what promises to be a major expansion of interactive features and personalized content on the DirecTV platform, the operator and Glance have announced that they will launch Glance AI on DirecTV Gemini devices in early 2026.

The two companies said that the deployment will significantly change how consumers experience idle TV screens and notably expand DirecTV’s personalized consumer experiences. Glance AI offers interactive AI-powered content and commerce screensavers on idle TV screens that provide access to new entertainment, shopping, and creative experiences.

A video of the experience can be found below and on YouTube.

"Glance AI unlocks a new two-way relationship between TV watchers and their idle screens," said Naveen Tewari, CEO and founder, Glance. "Whether its sparking creativity in a family room using Glance's AI looks on TV, or creating an AI feed of your favorite sports leagues on your idle-screens, or helping your kids discover their next dream vacation, or letting your partner instantly select a brand & reimagine themselves in the brand catalog right from their living-room TV itself, Glance AI makes it all come alive."

"With Glance AI, TV screensavers become a smart content discovery, personalization, and AI-commerce experience", said Vikash Sharma, senior vice president product marketing at DirecTV.. "DirecTV audiences who stream TV through our Gemini devices will now get the opportunity to reimagine their interactions with their TV screen, with personalized content, entertainment, news, and shopping recommendations in real time."

Powered by advanced on-device AI developed in collaboration with Google, Glance AI will allow consumers to access a wide variety of interactive experiences, including capabilities that will allow viewers to:

• Engage in interactive screensaver experiences across lifestyle, travel, health, auto, seasonal events, and local trends, directly on the TV screens.
• Stay up to date in real-time with live weather and sports scores tailored to their interests.
• Shop smarter by discovering and engaging with products and brands in an AI-led virtual and visually immersive shopping experience that feels native to TV.
• Seamlessly go beyond the TV with new commerce experiences that extend via mobile devices.

For more, visit glance.com and inmobi.com.

A video of the experience can be found below:

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV has announced that the DirecTV app has launched on on Vizio Smart TVs. Rolling out today, customers will be able to access and enjoy the DirecTV app directly on their Vizio Smart TVs.

“Consumers want control over when, where, and how they watch,” said Vikash Sharma, head of product at DirecTV. “We’re continuing to deliver more choice and flexibility by making DirecTV available on more devices. With DirecTV on Vizio Smart TVs, viewers can quickly and directly access live channels and on-demand favorites—all within a premium app experience.” 

With the app, customers can dive into live sports and news and explore a massive library of over 100,000 on-demand shows and movies. It also features a 'Your TV' carousel that puts their favorite teams, live stats, recent channels, and tailored recommendations front and center.

The app also provides real-time sports scores and updates, plus the newly launched Mix Channels, available to Signature Package and Genre Pack customers based on their lineup. 

More information about the various DirecTV packages and offerings is available at DirecTV. 

DirecTV continues to expand its women’s sports offerings by adding Sports Fanatics’ and Whoopi Goldberg’s Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) All Women’s Sports channel to its MyFree DirecTV streaming service.

In addition to All Women’s Sports, DirecTV also announced that Triple-B Media’s Billiard TV, and Navio Networks’ Wired2fish TV have now joined the MyFree DirecTV streaming service, further broadening out a sports roster that already includes FAST Studios’ Women’s Sports Network, Fox Sports, NBC Sports NOW, ESPN8: The Ocho, and a wide variety of other targeted sports networks.

Launched last November, MyFree DirecTV currently offers the following free-ad-supported sports streaming channels:

• All Women's Sports
• Billiard TV
• Wired 2 Fish TV
• ACC Digital Network
• beIN Sports XTRA
• Big 12
• DraftKings
• ESPN8: The Ocho
• Fight
• Fox Sports
• Fuel TV
• Golf Pass
• Jim Rome
• NBC Sports NOW
• PickleballTV
• Players TV
• Poker Go
• Power Nation
• Racing America
• Speedvision
• SportsGrid
• Stadium
• Surfer
• Swerve
• T2
• TNA Wrestling
• Torque
• WaypointTV
• Willow
• Women’s Sports Network

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV has announced a multi-year sponsorship and marketing agreement with six university athletic departments ahead of the 2025 college football season that will involve 360 marketing, rights to use the schools brands and IP in fan zones, an NIL program, customized branded experiences for fans attending games and other consumer and community engagement activities.

This agreement, which was negotiated with the college sports marketing company Learfield, includes Duke University, Ohio State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Oregon, United States Military Academy (Army), and The University of Texas.

“College sports unite fans like few things can, and collaborating with these six legendary programs allows DirecTV to show up in meaningful, authentic ways,” said Kelly Jo Sands, senior vice president of digital marketing at DirecTV. “From in-venue activations to social media content and NIL partnerships, we’re committed to delivering ‘Game Day, Your Way’ across every touchpoint, for both men’s and women’s teams alike.”

DirecTV reported that the alliance spans multiple athletics programs, including football, both Men’s and Women’s basketball and other collegiate sports. DirecTV will have enterprise-wide IP rights to use official school logos and marks, in-venue and TV-visible signage, and digital media opportunities to deliver DirecTV messaging to college sports fans who are watching games in-venue, at home or on the go.

“This agreement with DirecTV showcases the advantage of leveraging the rights to school logos and student-athlete brand power to tap into fanbases and create authentic connections,” said Bill Hirsh, senior vice president of corporate sales at Learfield. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with DirecTV throughout the upcoming college athletics season to deliver their products and offerings to fans all over the country.”

The first of what DirecTV is calling a “Fan Zone activation” will occur with the Texas Football vs. Ohio State matchup on August 30. “Fans attending the event can look forward to interactive `Best Seat in the House' experiences and live pregame viewing powered by DirecTV’s satellite-free streaming service,” DirecTV explained. “These Fan Zones bring the comfort of the living room into the heart of the action, creating an immersive environment for fans to catch every moment surrounded by the excitement of game day. Visitors can explore DirecTV’s Genre Pack offerings like MySports, ensuring they can watch their favorite teams anytime, anywhere—without a satellite dish.”

As part of the agreement, DirecTV also said there would be community engagement initiatives throughout the school year, as well as new social and influencer content available on DirecTV, creator and school social channels.

The sponsorship agreement also includes an NIL program featuring standout college athletes from the schools.

Fan activations will occur through out the academic year and will include these major college football games:

• August 30: Texas at Ohio State
• September 20: Oregon State at Oregon
• October 4: Clemson at UNC
• October 18: Georgia Tech at Duke
• November 1: Penn State at Ohio State
• November 28: Texas A&M at Texas

WASHINGTON—The pay TV and telco industry-backed American Television Alliance told staffers at the Federal Communications Commission’s Media Bureau that the transition to NextGenTV/ATSC 3.0 would impose “onerous” costs on one of its members, DirecTV.

ATA detailed its concerns about the transition and its conversation with the FCC in an August 12 letter.

One major problem, the group told the FCC, is that DirecTV’s current satellite receivers can only handle the current ATSC 1.0 signals; the other is that the satellite provider does not have the capacity to carry both 1.0 and 3.0 signals.

"First, DirecTV subscribers have millions of set-top boxes that are not designed to receive an ATSC 3.0 signal, and replacing all such equipment would be cost-prohibitive,” the letter noted. “Second, satellite carriers reuse frequencies many times, designing ‘spot beams’ to deliver local broadcast signals to different markets throughout the country. Those spot beams have been allocated sufficient capacity for current carriage requirements in specific local markets and cannot be repointed. Thus, they have no capacity left for carriage of an additional ATSC 3.0 signal from each station.”

The letter acknowledged that the ATSC is developing a standard for MVPD distribution of ATSC 3.0 signals, including over fiber, and that it has developed a “candidate standard” for converting ATSC 3.0 signals, including those delivered over fiber, into formats used by MVPDs.

However, “because of what MVPDs view as the domineering and uncollaborative behavior of the broadcast representatives in the Working Group, there is no longer any MVPD representation in TG3,” the letter complained.

“The development of the A/370 candidate standard, while still in progress, could provide a technical specification under which a `native’ ATSC 3.0 signal could be converted into formats that MVPDs would be able to use (for DirecTV, this is a 1.0 version of the ATSC 3.0 signal),” the letter admitted. “Even if successful, however, this technical capability would not answer the key question for DirecTV—i.e., who bears the costs of the equipment necessary to do this conversion and the delivery of the down converted signal to the MVPD.

“For a nationwide provider like DirecTV, the question of who bears such costs is critical. ATSC 3.0 receivers compatible with DirecTV’s system now cost roughly $8,000 per feed (i.e., primary and multicast feeds). Since DirecTV now carries more than 1,800 feeds nationwide, the total cost to purchase receivers would approach $15 million. Moreover, there is currently very limited supply of such receivers, so if there were a sudden spike in demand the price would only increase,” the letter explained.

“And, again, these costs would bring with them no benefits whatsoever for DirecTV’s subscribers because DirecTV will only be able to provide an ATSC 1.0 feed to customers. Thus, by definition, every dollar DirecTV must spend on the ATSC 3.0 transition is a deadweight loss. Imposing such costs on DirecTV would be onerous, while spreading the cost among the nation’s nearly 1,500 broadcast stations would not only yield a much more manageable financial responsibility for each entity but also place the costs on the parties who stand to reap the benefits of the ATSC 3.0 transition,” the group’s letter explained.

The full letter is available here.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV has announced that millions of streaming, satellite and U-verse customers will gain access to ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer app for free when it launches in the next few weeks.

The operator reported that all DirecTV streaming and MySports customers will receive access to the upcoming ESPN app, which is priced at $29.99 a month separately. ESPN is expected the announce the launch date of the app as soon as next week when Disney reports quarterly earnings. Following its launch DirecTV satellite and U-verse customers are expected gain access later this fall.

The offering is part of a push by DirecTV to rebundle its offerings. As part of that effort it has been launching genre packs like MySports. In addition, DirecTV streaming customers with a Gemini device who subscribe to a Signature Package will receiving the new ESPN app as well as Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic within their fully integrated DirecTV experience at no extra charge, the operator reported.

Later this year, the operator also reported that it plans to make HBO Max and Peacock ad tiers available within select DirecTV packages.

DirecTV introduced the MySports Genre Pack in January, an industry-first sports-centric package, shortly after forging a licensing agreement with Disney. This Genre Pack combines all the best live sports from Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, major professional and college leagues and more.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., and MIAMI—-DirecTV and TelevisaUnivision have signed a deal that will make the ad-supported premium subscription tier of ViX, ViX Premium with Ads, available on DirecTV's MiEspañol Genre Pack.

As a result, MiEspañol customers can now access ViX's full original content slate, including new series such as “Con Esa Misma Mirada,” “Las Hijas de la Señora Garcia,“ “Papá Soltero” and “Profe Infiltrado,” plus hit movies like “Es por su bien,” “¿Quieres ser mi hijo?” and “Radical.” In addition, DirecTV viewers can access over 80,000 hours of content on ViX, including soccer, news, entertainment, music, original series, movies, comedies and novelas.

MiEspañol, which is one of DirecTV's five Genre Packs, includes more than 60 top channels and premium streaming content priced at $34.99 per month + tax, with no annual contract. Designed for viewers who prefer Spanish-language content, MiEspañol also delivers extensive international soccer coverage, with access to over 20 leagues from 16 countries.

“MiEspañol is the premier destination for Spanish-language entertainment,“ DirecTV Chief Marketing Officer Vince Torres said. “The addition of ViX Premium with Ads makes the experience even better by bringing original series, hit movies, and live sports together with the content our customers already love. And with new Genre Packs that offer more choice and control, we're giving our Spanish-speaking viewers a richer, more flexible, and more personalized TV experience.”

Added Mike Angus, executive vice president of global distribution and partnerships at Televisa Univision: “With ViX Premium with Ads now available as part of the MiEspañol Genre Pack, we're delivering even greater value to our partners and audiences by expanding access to the most comprehensive offering of premium Spanish-language content. Our commitment to delivering our industry-leading content to U.S. Hispanics wherever they are continues as we expand the reach and accessibility of Spanish-language offerings for our audience.”

NEW YORK and EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV and Paramount Global have signed a major deal that will launch about 20 of Paramount’s linear networks and all 15 of its major market CBS-owned stations on various DirecTV Genre Packs.

Paramount channels—including CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Nickelodeon—will begin rolling out in the Genre Packs starting immediately across the MySports, MyNews, MyEntertainment, and MiEspañol offerings as well as the new MyKids pack, which launches today.

“DirecTV is a valued partner, and we are pleased to expand our long-standing relationship by featuring our wide array of leading programming in DirecTV’s growing portfolio of Genre Packs,” said Ray Hopkins, president of Paramount U.S. Distribution. “Paramount is committed to exceptional content across broadcast, entertainment, news and sports, and we look forward to continuing to provide additional opportunities for audiences to broadly access and enjoy our fan-favorite programming and brands.”

Rob Thun, chief content officer at DirecTV, added: “Paramount is one of the world’s most influential programmers, and its broad portfolio—including the CBS Network local stations—provides essential channels to many of our different Genre Packs. Together, these combined services create a strong foundation for a more dynamic TV future, one that gives DirecTV subscribers enhanced choice and control through our industry-leading genre-based options.”

As part of its push to expand its Genre Packs, DirecTV also announced the launch of MyKids.

Priced at $19.99 per month, MyKids features a powerhouse lineup of family content, including Paramount’s Nickelodeon suite, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery networks, and several popular independent networks.

DirecTV also announced a broader expansion of DirecTV’s genre-based offerings, including MySports, MyEntertainment, MyNews, and MiEspañol, resulting from DirecTV’s new licensing agreement with Paramount Global.

DirecTV described those expanded lineups as follows:

• The new MyKids offering includes: Paramount’s Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nick Jr., and TeenNick; Disney’s Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, and Disney+; Warner Bros. Discovery networks (Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and Discovery Family); such independent services as BabyFirst TV, LooLooKids TV, and MeTV Toons (launching 6/30). The MyCinema mini pack add-on will also be available to MyKids customers for $9.99/month.
• MySports, $69.99/month: MySports now includes 15 CBS-owned and operated stations (O&Os) and CBS Sports Network, further strengthening an already comprehensive lineup. The genre pack currently features more than 25 major sports channels such as ESPN, ESPN2, ACC Network, FS1, Golf Channel, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, truTV and USA Network, along with a variety of professional league and collegiate conference networks. In addition, ESPN+ is already included, and the new ESPN streaming service will be available upon its launch.
• MyEntertainment, $34.99/month: MyEntertainment now offers a range of new Paramount Global channels: BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV2, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, and VH1. These additions complement an already diverse catalog of more than 40 entertainment networks, including A&E, Bravo, Discovery, E!, Food Network, FX, Freeform, FYI, HGTV, Lifetime, Oxygen, Syfy, The HISTORY Channel, TLC, Vice TV and others. The package also includes Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic and Max Basic With Ads.
• MyNews, $39.99/month: CBS O&Os will join the MyNews pack, enhancing local and national coverage. This addition complements a strong lineup of more than 10 national news channels already included—such as CNN, CNBC, Fox News Channel and MSNBC—plus select local news stations where available.
• MiEspañol, $34.99/month: Tr3s joins MiEspañol, further enriching an already impressive Spanish-language lineup. Subscribers currently enjoy more than 60 channels including CNN En Español, Discovery En Español, Discovery Familia, ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, Hogar de HGTV, Nat Geo Mundo, Telemundo, Univision and others, with plans to incorporate Vix Premium with Ads at no additional cost in the near future.
• MyCinema Mini Pack: The Smithsonian Channel will be added to the MyCinema Mini Pack Add-On, which currently features classic films, romance, and family programming from seven channels, including Great American Family, Sony Movies and TCM. MyCinema is available to MyKids, MyEntertainment, MyNews and MySports customers for $9.99/month.

For additional detail on the channel lineup included in the genre packages, visit https://www.directv.com/genre-packs/.

Lionsgate and DirecTV have announced plans to launch the Lionsgate Collection, a free ad-supported streaming channel that will offer programming from the studio’s massive film and television library.

The channel will be available to all DirecTV customers across its full suite of satellite and streaming offerings, including the company’s MyFree DirecTV free ad-supported television (FAST) platform.

The service will be launching in the coming weeks, the two companies reported.

“Lionsgate is a powerhouse of bold storytelling and unforgettable entertainment, and this is a unique opportunity to work together on an exclusive curated channel that highlights the best titles in their vast collection,” said Amy Leifer, chief advertising sales officer at DirecTV. “Together we have an extraordinary opportunity to connect brands with premium storytelling and passionate viewers in powerful new ways.”

“We’re pleased to join with DirecTV in a first-of-its-kind partnership to launch Lionsgate Collection, a proprietary channel drawing upon our vast film & television library to deliver premium content across DirecTV’s entire suite of platforms,” said Jim Packer, president of Lionsgate’s Worldwide Television Distribution Group. “By combining world-class content with DirecTV’s advertising expertise and market clout, this is an important step forward in executing our strategy of unlocking the full value of our library with bespoke offerings that touch every part of the media ecosystem.”

More specifically, the custom channel will be programmed by Lionsgate for DirecTV viewers, driven by the 20,000-plus title Lionsgate film and television library, one of the largest in the world, including titles such as “Weeds” and “Nurse Jackie”. The channel will also utilize films like “Now You See Me”, “The Expendables” and many others to optimize for DirecTV viewers and brands who want a premium advertising environment.

This collaboration with Lionsgate expands its ongoing relationship with DirecTV that started with launching a number of FAST channels like 50 Cent Action and MovieSphere.

DirecTV’s FAST channel platform MyFree DirecTV has more than 125 FAST channels.

NEW YORK—TripleLift said it is partnering with DirecTV Advertising to launch programmatic Pause Ads. The two companies are billing the offering as an industry first that allows buyers access to DirecTV's Pause Ad product via programmatic through major demand-side platform (DSP) partners.

DirecTV Advertising originally launched the unique Pause Ad format and set the standard for the high-impact unit, winning an Emmy in 2024 for the innovative, non-disruptive format.

The two companies said this new Pause Ad format transforms the moment when viewers pause watching content into a premium advertising opportunity that captures attention and engages viewers during content breaks.

Unlike traditional approaches that require direct sales integration, the new offering uses TripleLift's technology to make the available through major DSPs. TripleLift’s technology also allows it to operate entirely through programmatic channels using standard VAST tags and Deal IDs, making activation as seamless as any other connected TV campaign while also providing additional creative solutioning to buyers.

“We’re witnessing the emergence of advertising moments that didn't exist five years ago,” TripleLift CEO Dave Helmreich said. “Pause ads exemplify our mission to transform standard placements into meaningful brand experiences. In partnership with DirecTV Advertising, we're making their award-winning ad format programmatically accessible, removing every barrier between advertisers and innovation. We are creating a premium x-CTV publisher pause ad offering to delight both advertisers and viewers with a beautiful and efficient advertising experience.”

DirecTV Advertising’s pause ad inventory delivers significant scale, with 200 million monthly available impressions and an audience that averages over three minutes of viewing time. The format has demonstrated strong performance metrics—on average, pause ads drove a 34% higher unaided ad recall compared to traditional addressable advertising and +6% incremental reach when paired with addressable.

“Pause ads represent a natural evolution in how viewers engage with content, and making them programmatically accessible unlocks their true potential,” Rose McGovern, head of programmatic at DirecTV Advertising, said. “TripleLift’s creative technology ensures these exchanges translate into meaningful brand moments that amplify the viewer's experience while delivering results advertisers can measure.”

This launch continues TripleLift’s track record of pioneering creative formats that deliver measurable outcomes, the company said. Following the success of Enhanced Spots—which demonstrated an 8-point increase in likelihood to rewatch content and a 5-point improvement in program enjoyment versus traditional CTV spots—pause ads represent the next evolution in TripleLift’s technologies, the company said.

The solution also includes complete creative development for pause ads, TripleLift said. Advertisers need to only provide a single video asset, and TripleLift's creative technology team can transform it into an optimized slideshow experience within five business days with no creative fees, the company said.

“The traditional model requires advertisers to bring finished creative assets and navigate complex direct sales processes,” said Eliza Davies, vice president of CTV supply at TripleLift. “We’re building toward a one-tag, one-line-item future where advertisers buy pause ads through TripleLift and we handle all the creative heavy lifting—from dynamic publisher template adaptation to ensuring every execution meets CTV specifications across different environments.”

The two companies also reported that TripleLift's pause ad solution is DSP and publisher ad server agnostic, integrating seamlessly with major DSP platforms certified with TripleLift’s CTV High Impact suite. This end-to-end programmatic approach differentiates TripleLift’s offering from alternatives that rely on direct sales channels or require separate activation platforms, the companies reported.

More information is available at TripleLift.com and www.directvadvertising.com.

NEW YORK and EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV has announced a new partnership with the Tribeca Festival to launch the Tribeca Festival Hub, a new destination celebrating independent film.

The collaboration will also see the launch of a FAST channel called Tribeca Festival+ and “Tribeca Studio Presented by DirecTV,” which will offer interviews and content from the event.

The hub, which will be available across all DirecTV streaming and satellite platforms, including MyFree DirecTV, features a curated selection of short and feature-length films, along with Tribeca Talks from the Festival’s 24-year history.

DirecTV and the Tribeca Festival are also launching the “Tribeca Studio Presented by DirecTV” at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. Located at Spring Studios—the festival’s official home in lower Manhattan—from June 5–15, the Studio will capture exclusive interviews with filmmakers and talent premiering their works at this year’s Festival.

These behind-the-scenes conversations and red carpet dispatches will be featured across DirecTV’s social platforms and on the Tribeca Festival Hub on DirecTV, giving audiences nationwide an insider's look at the stories and creators shaping this year’s Festival, the Festival and DirecTV said.

“Tribeca is synonymous with creative expression and entertainment, and we’re thrilled to extend this legendary New York City experience directly to all DirecTV customers while attracting new ones,” DirecTV Chief Advertising Sales Officer Amy Leifer said. “Movies are consistently one of the top entertainment options that consumers seek across all of DirecTV’s platforms, and this is a compelling new way for advertisers to connect with these highly engaged film fans as they tune in to see where culture is headed next.”

“Independent film has never been more vital—or more at risk of being overlooked,” said Tribeca co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal. “Tribeca was founded to champion bold storytellers, and this partnership with DirecTV gives them the platform they deserve “The Tribeca Festival Hub helps audiences discover the daring, original work that defines independent film—and reminds us why these stories matter.”

In addition to the Tribeca Festival Hub, Tribeca Festival+ will join over 110 FAST channels on MyFree DirecTV, a free TV streaming platform.

DirecTV described the channel’s content as follows:

• Tribeca Feature Films: A handpicked selection of bold, independent feature films from emerging voices and acclaimed directors. As part of its exclusive agreement, DirecTV will premiere new films acquired by Tribeca throughout the year, available first on the Tribeca Festival Hub.
• Tribeca Short Films: A showcase of short-form storytelling from emerging, independent filmmakers, featuring standout selections from the Tribeca Festival’s Academy Award-winning Shorts Program.
• Tribeca Talks: A dynamic series of conversations with top creatives and industry leaders, curated by the Tribeca Festival. Previously only available to live audiences at the annual festival, this exclusive content is now accessible to fans nationwide for the first time.

DirecTV will also serve as a Signature Partner of the 2025 Tribeca Festival.

To experience the Tribeca Festival Hub or the Tribeca Festival+ FAST Channel, visit DirecTV.com or download the DirecTV App.

DirecTV’s free streaming service MyFree DirecTV has just added another eight channels from NBCUniversal.

MyFree DirecTV is designed to be a baseline service for consumers to engage with the DirecTV streaming experience and build their own programming lineups more customized to the specific genres of content (MySports, MyEntertainment, MyNews, etc.)

With the addition of the eight NBCU channels today, MyFree offers more than 100 different networks, spanning all the most popular genres. In addition to today’s launches,

MyFree DirecTV will add another four NBCU channels in the next few months.

DirecTV described the eight new channels added on April 15 as follows:

• Bravo Vault: From “Shahs of Sunset” to “Flipping Out,” Bravo Vault immerses you in all the high-sheen content and drama you love with our rotating content library.
• E! Keeping Up: Catch up and “keep up” with the Kardashians, plus popular spin-off series like “Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami.”
• Million Dollar Listing Vault: Bravo's “Million Dollar Listing” vault has the best of luxury real estate, with all the deals and drama! Watch every season now!
• Oxygen True Crime Archives: Oxygen True Crime Archives is your home for deep dives into infamous cases and binge-watching original series. True crime, all day, every day.
• “Real Housewives” Vault: From the OC to NYC and everywhere in between, revisit the glitz, glamour, and drama that launched the popular franchise.
• SNL Vault: See your favorite “Saturday Night Live” characters, sketches, and hosts!
• Top Chef Vault: Bravo’s “Top Chef” Vault has a rotating library to catch up on and learn the latest in sous-vide, gastronomy and more from the ultimate food competition show.
• GolfPass: GolfPass brings together thousands of lessons from the game’s biggest instructors, original entertainment, a library of Golf Channel favorites and much more.

DirecTV described the additional channels coming soon as follows:

• Dateline 24/7: Get true crime mysteries from the True Crime Original. All Dateline, all the time.
• NBC News NOW: Get live breaking news, the latest headlines, and in-depth reporting. Streaming 24/7.
• Today All Day: Enjoy all four hours of “Today” every weekday starting at 11 a.m. ET, plus show exclusives, original food shows, celebrity interviews, health, wellness and more, hosted by your favorite “Today” anchors.
• NBC Sports NOW: Enjoy 24/7 programming including popular sports talk shows with Dan Patrick, Mike Florio, Dan Le Batard and more, plus watch live events and highlights.

DirecTV is continuing to add services to its recently launched Genre Packs. Those additions include the launch of the popular streaming service Max Basic with Ads on its recently created MyEntertainment Genre Pack at no extra cost.

In addition the operator also announced the addition of new regional sports networks, CSPAN and other programming.

MyEntertainment from DirecTV offers more than 40 channels as well as Disney+, Hulu Basic, and Max with Ads all in one place for $34.99 a month.

Following recent additions of seven more local ABC affiliates to MySports, ION and Adult Swim to MyEntertainment, and Bloomberg News to MyNews, DirecTV also reported a number of other new sports and news programming options.

.Just in time for opening weekend of the new MLB season, DirecTV has just obtained streaming rights from Spectrum Sports and Major League Baseball to add Spectrum SportsNet LA (World Series champion LA Dodgers), Spectrum SportsNet (NBA LA Lakers), and the five MLB-owned-and-operated team channels for the Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Diego Padres.

Those deals expand its new MyHome Team local companion offering RSNs to MySports (now featuring ESPN+).

This boosts the number of pro teams represented to 18 MLB, 16 NBA, and 10 NHL franchises. DirecTV is also launching the new Cleveland Guardians and Twins channels to its satellite and U-verse customers in those two teams’ respective five-state home regions. My Home team is available as a Mini-Pack Add-on for $19.99 a month for MySports Genre Pack customers.

DirecTV also announced new agreements with National Cable Satellite Corp. to add CSPAN and CSPAN2 to its MyNews Genre Pack, and with the Hubbard Media Group consortium for fine arts and culture channel Ovation to join MyEntertainment by mid-next week. These three channels will also be added into their respective Genre Packsat no additional cost.

“DirecTV has been a strong and steadfast supporter of C-SPAN, providing our services to their customers since the launch of their satellite service in the 1990s, more recently through satellite-free streaming options, and now through their newly launched MyNews Genre Pack,” said Peter Kiley, vice president at CSPAN. “We appreciate their longstanding commitment to our public service and are pleased to collaborate with them to deliver innovative packaging opportunities that serve consumers of news and information with C-SPAN’s unique brand of unbiased and trusted political coverage.”

DENVER—The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) has announced the addition of DirecTV, a leading video distribution company in the U.S., as its newest member.

While IBCAP remains focused on anti-piracy efforts for the multicultural video market, the addition of DirecTV will permit IBCAP to broaden its scope as it works with DirecTV to identify the sources of piracy of mainstream American content.

“As technology advances, it is becoming easier for pirates to stream hundreds, sometimes thousands, of channels on a single service, with many of these illicit platforms growing bolder by offering American channels and sports,” said Brooke Mallette, senior vice president of legal at DirecTV. “We joined IBCAP to leverage its proven technical expertise in piracy detection and its legal success in curbing copyright infringement. As an initial step, IBCAP will identify pirate services that illegally offer the same channels as DirecTV, while we also increase our collaboration with programmers and channel providers to pressure pirate services and their hosting providers to shut down unauthorized streams.”

In its state-of-the-art lab, IBCAP monitors more than 100 versions of set-top boxes and related services, as well as hundreds of websites and a multitude of social media and mobile apps, to identify pirated content. On platforms monitored for piracy of international content, the IBCAP lab is finding an increase in piracy of mainstream American content, including general entertainment channels, sports and video-on-demand (VOD) — an area where DirecTV would like to see increased enforcement by content owners.

“The addition of DirecTV to IBCAP broadens our ecosystem to strengthen our fight against piracy by taking on pirates who are illegally streaming content that DirecTV also distributes,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP. “With our industry-leading automation for detecting infringement on set-top boxes, as well as our lab’s expertise, we will provide DirecTV with critical intelligence about infringers to curtail unauthorized streams.”

For more information about IBCAP membership, visit https://www.ibcap.org/membership.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV said it is breaking the traditional cable bundle by launching three new Genre Packs and two new Mini-Pack Add-ons.

These new streaming options continue the company’s push towards skinny, less expensive bundles and are designed to complement the launches of MySports in January and MyFree DirecTV in November.

Genre Packs and MyFree DirecTV are available starting Feb. 27 through directvstream.com and will be available through device partners and directv.com in the coming months.

"At DirecTV, we're breaking up with the one-size-fits-all bloated cable bundles of the past by delivering new ways for consumers to enjoy the content they love at the best value. Our new Genre Packs and Mini-Packs provide lower-priced options, allowing customers to pick and choose what they want to watch and when they want to watch it," said Vince Torres, chief marketing officer at DirecTV.

Building on the launch of MyFree DirecTV and MySports, the industry-first sports-centric pack, DirecTV’s new Genre Packs include MyEntertainment, MyNews, and MiEspañol. All three are available to enjoy satellite-free on popular streaming platforms starting at $34.99 a month. Consumers of any Genre Pack will also gain access to 100+ channels available through MyFree DirecTV.

DirecTV described each of the packages as follows:

• "MyEntertainment gives consumers access to more than 40 channels filled with movies and shows from popular networks like A&E Network, Bravo, Discovery, E!, Food Network, FX, Freeform, FYI, HGTV, Lifetime, Oxygen, Syfy, The HISTORY Channel, TLC and Vice TV, as well as the inclusion of the Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic. DirecTV plans to add Max Basic with Ads soon at no additional cost. MyEntertainment is available for $34.99/month.
• MyNews delivers comprehensive coverage of U.S. and global news from more than 10 national channels and select local channels where available, including CNN, CNBC, FOX News Channel and MSNBC. MyNews is available for $39.99/month.
• MiEspañol offers an impressive lineup of more than 60 channels showcasing the best in Spanish-language programming, featuring ESPN Deportes, FOX Deportes, Nat Geo Mundo, Telemundo, and Univision. DirecTV plans to add ViX Premium with Ads soon at no additional cost. MiEspañol is available for $34.99/month."

The new bundles are in addition to MySports, which launched in January. It caters to sports enthusiasts with more than 25 channels including fan favorites like ACC Network, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, Golf Channel, SEC Network, TNT, USA Network, major league and college conference networks, and starting today, now includes ESPN+ at no additional cost. MySports is available for $69.99/month.

DirecTV also reported that Genre Pack customers can add even more content with the lunch of two new Mini-Packs—MyCinema and MySports Extra.

MyCinema features classic films, romance, and family programming from seven channels, including Great American Family, SONY Movies, and Turner Classic Movies. MyCinema is available to MyEntertainment, MyNews, and MySports customers for $9.99/month.

MySports Extra delivers several sports channels, including MotorTrend, NFL Red Zone, and Willow TV. MySports Extra is available to MySports customers for $12.99/month.

DirecTV plans to launch a MyHomeTeam Mini-Pack offering select regional sports networks in time for MLB opening day on March 27. It did not provide pricing for that upcoming offering.

NEW YORK—A New York State court has issued a judgement ordering Nexstar Media Group to pay $26.6 million to DirecTV. The judgement came in a case where DirecTV successfully argued that Nexstar had fraudulently collected retransmission fees for a Maryland station owned by Nexstar.

In the suit, DirecTV said that it had been paying retransmission feeds for WHAG in Hagerstown Maryland based on WHAG’s NBC affiliation. In July 2024 a New York State Court ruled in DirecTV's favor, finding that Nexstar fraudulently collected $10.5 million in retransmission fees from DirecTV.

Nexstar appealed that ruling. In August, 2024, the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division in the First Judicial Department ruled against Nexstar's appeal .

In an order, the appeals court noted that "WHAG lost its NBC affiliation on July 1, 2016, approximately one year into the agreement’s three-year term, and defendant later changed WHAG’s call sign and rebranded the station. However, defendant did not inform plaintiff that WHAG had lost its affiliation and continued to collect more than $10.5 million in Unlaunched Station Fees pertaining to WHAG for the remainder of the agreement’s term. When plaintiff discovered that WHAG had become an independent station, it informed defendant that it would no longer pay the Unlaunched Station Fee and asked defendant to return the Unlaunched Station Fees that it had paid following the loss of WHAG’s NBC affiliation. Defendant refused, and plaintiff stopped paying the Unlaunched Station Fees.”

The Feb. 19 2025 judgment awarded $26.6 million to DirecTV. The award consists of amounts DirecTV overpaid Nexstar for retransmission consent for WHAG between the time DirecTV the then-affiliate in the Washington, D.C., market, in 2015 and Nexstar’s losing that NBC affiliation in February 2016 (plus interest). (NBC is the longtime owner of its Washington affiliate, WRC.)

In the case, DirecTV said Nexstar knew of the pending loss of its NBC affiliation during retransmission consent negotiations but failed to disclose it.

The judgment issued by the Supreme Court of the State of New York, which is a lower court in the state’s court system, said that the parties had agreed on the amount of $26.6 million as covering all damages and costs in the action.

The judgment also noted that Nexstar has the right to appeal.

After being asked to comment on the case, Nexstar told TV Tech it would be further appealing the judgment.

DirecTV said it has significantly expanded its MySports package, which includes 40 national sports and local broadcast channels, to 122 Nielsen designated market areas (DMAs) across the U.S. in the few weeks since the package was launched.

DirecTV is currently promoting MySports for $49.99 a month for the first three months, a $20 monthly savings.

“The recent launch of MySports from DirecTV is delivering consumers more choice and flexibility in how they watch and pay for their favorite programming,” DirecTV chief marketing officer Vince Torres said. “We are excited to expand the availability of MySports today to more than 100 markets and will continue to enhance the package and make additional genre options available in the near future.”

During this rapid expansion, an additional 104 Fox stations have opted into the new service.

In addition to including all Fox-owned and operated stations at launch, the package also includes support from all of America’s largest broadcast station groups— including Cox Media Group, Gray Media, Nexstar Media Group, E.W. Scripps, Sinclair and others. That has positioned DirecTV to make MySports available nationally in time for the Super Bowl on Fox on Feb. 9, the Daytona 500 on Fox on Feb. 16 and the NBA All-Star Weekend on TNT and ESPN on Feb. 14-16.

MySports initially rolled out to 24 Nielsen markets, including 16 of the top 20, on Jan. 14. These additions expand that reach by an additional 100 cities. MySports is now available to sports fans in every top-50 market with more stations and markets added daily, DirecTV said.

Some of the key new cities where MySports is now available include Denver; Cleveland; Sacramento, California; St. Louis; Charlotte, North Carolina; Pittsburgh; Portland, Oregon; Baltimore; Indianapolis; Nashville, Tennessee; San Antonio, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City; Salt Lake City; Cincinnati; Greenville, North Carolina; West Palm Beach. Florida; Las Vegas; Oklahoma City; Norfolk, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Birmingham, Alabama; Greensboro, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Louisville, Kentucky; and New Orleans, among several others.

National sports channels and stations owned by The Walt Disney Co. (ABC) and NBCUniversal (NBC) were already included in MySports, and DirecTV will continue to add additional ABC and NBC affiliates as their respective owners choose to be available through MySports, too.

Sports fans can stream MySports through the DirecTV app on mobile devices or popular platforms like Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV. MySports also offers game-time notifications and the ability to watch now on live TV or later through unlimited cloud DVR.

Sports channels immediately available through MySports include ACC Network, Big Ten Network, DirecTV 4K Live, DirecTV 4K Live 2, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, SEC Network, and USA Network, among many, many others. Channels from each major professional sports league—NFL Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, and MLB Network—are all included at no additional cost. MySports also includes all the Warner Bros. Discovery sports networks, including TNT, TBS, and TruTV that will be televising games in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament coming up in March and April.

In addition, MySports customers also have access to the full lineup of MyFree DirecTV ad-supported sports channels, including sports networks like ACC Digital Network, Big 12, Fight Network, Fuel TV, Origin Sports, Pickleball TV, Players TV, Sports Grid, Stadium Stream, Surfer TV, Swerve Combat, T2, The Jim Rome Show, TNA, Torque by History, Waypoint TV and Women’s Sports Network.

More networks, local stations and ESPN+, will be included in MySports at no extra cost in the near future, the operator said.

In addition, DirecTV plans to offer local sports fans the option to add regional sports networks and team networks, including the recently announced Rangers Sports Network, as an add-on to MySports later this year.

ARLINGTON, Texas, and EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV today announced a multiyear distribution agreement with the MLB 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers to broadcast pregame, postgame and live game telecasts across a five-state footprint, including all of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Eastern New Mexico, in time for opening day on March 27.

This wide-ranging streaming, satellite and IPTV licensing agreement is one of the first for the Rangers Sports Network, according to DirecTV. Fans will be able to find Texas Rangers games on channel 677 and U-verse TV channels 1752 (HD)/752 (SD).

As part of their upcoming television and streaming plans, the Rangers also plan to make 15 games available via over-the-air local broadcast stations, nearly all for home Friday contests. DirecTV has ongoing rights to offer those games to its satellite-free streaming, satellite and U-verse TV homes in the Rangers’ home territory, too. This is the first time the club has included broadcast games in its TV offerings since 2014, DirecTV said.

The Rangers are the 28th (of 29) MLB franchises across the U.S. to join DirecTV to offer local games.

“We continue to believe in the unique power of local teams like the Texas Rangers to unite the communities they call home, and this relationship will continue to distinguish DirecTV as an industry leader for baseball fans,” DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun said. “We want to create opportunities for local fans and businesses to support their hometown teams while also offering consumers more choice, flexibility, and the ability to obtain the programming they feel best meets their own interests at a good value.”

DirecTV says fans can add Rangers telecasts to its new MySports sports-centric streaming package which it announced earlier this month at an additional cost. The package of 40 sports and broadcast channels, includes national sports channels, league and college conference-operated channels, women’s sports, specialty sports, local broadcast stations and upcoming sports streaming services like ESPN+ and ESPN Flagship. Additionally, all DirecTV customers with access to Rangers Sports Network can watch using their credentials for the Victory+ streaming app, which is also home to the region’s NHL Dallas Stars. MySports continues to expand beyond its initial availability in 24 major metro regions, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and Houston, that lie within the Rangers’ home territory.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—DirecTV has acquired the majority ownership in NVIDI Technologies, a provider of addressable television advertising products designed to help brands more accurately target audiences.

INVIDI will continue to operate as an independent company led by its existing managment. It had been jointly owned by DirecTV, Dish and WPP.

DirecTV has been a longtime proponent of addressable advertising and recently added addressable advertising capabilities to its linear satellite inventory.

Terms were not disclosed.

“Our longstanding support of INVIDI has enabled us to connect brands with their audiences effectively,” DirecTV Chief Advertising Sales Officer Amy Leifer said. “The deal underscores our commitment to continue to invest in the future of addressability and leans into INVIDI’s industry-leading solutions to deliver outcomes for brands of all sizes and across all categories.”

INVIDI provides three primary solutions for advertisers: A consolidated campaign management and order distribution platform through INVIDI Conexus; a supply-side solution for distributors and programmers to deliver addressable advertising on linear broadcast, streaming and AVOD through INVIDI Edge; and the ability to manage, serve, and optimize ad delivery across direct and programmatic sales channels for streaming services in a single interface through INVIDI Pulse. 

“INVIDI Technologies has had a longstanding relationship with DirecTV as a client and an investor, and we know this will only strengthen that support,” Bruce Anderson, co-CEO of INVIDI, said. “DirecTV is a strong advocate for addressable advertising, and with their increased involvement, we expect to be able to further grow our business in the U.S. At the same time, we plan to continue to work to build on our successes internationally, expanding our efforts in India, APAC, MENA, Europe and Latin America.”

DirecTV has announced the launch of “MySports,” a new sports streaming service featuring 40 sports and broadcast channels. For $50 per month, it is initially available in 24 metro areas, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and others. MySports will be made available to additional markets as DirecTV adds more local stations to the package.

“The introduction of MySports from DirecTV delivers consumers greater choice, flexibility, and control to select the type of content they want to watch at the right value,” DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said. “This is the first of several genre-based options we plan to launch over the coming months on our path towards a brighter TV future for consumers.”

Sports fans can stream MySports through the DirecTV app on mobile devices or platforms like Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. MySports will also provide game-time notifications and the ability to watch now on live TV or later through unlimited cloud DVR.

The announcement comes a week after the satellite broadcaster threatened to team up with EchoStar to sue The Walt Disney Co., Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery over a settlement the three companies made to settle a lawsuit by virtual MVPD Fubo. The three media companies were preparing to launch Venu, a joint venture focusing on live sports. Three days later, the three studios said Venu—which had been in the works for more than a year—would not launch after all.

It also comes as DirecTV continues to deal with the years-long impact of cord-cutting that has led to subscriber declines, fueled by price increases. Add the fact that it also lost some clout with sports fans after it lost the exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket out-of-market game package to YouTube.

MySports Programming
The streamlined MySports package includes national and local channels in select markets, as well as live news channels.

National sports channels immediately available through MySports include ACC Network, Big Ten Network, DirecTV 4K Live, DirecTV 4K Live 2, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, TruTV and USA Network. Local channels will initially include any stations owned and operated by ABC, Fox and NBC, with additional stations coming online soon.

Additional networks, local stations and ESPN+ will be included in MySports at no extra cost in the near future.

In addition, as with all DirecTV packages, MySports customers will also have access to the MyFree DirecTV ad-supported sports channels, which includes ACC Digital Network, Big 12, Fight Network, Fuel TV, Origin Sports, Pickleball TV, Players TV, Sports Grid, Stadium Stream, Surfer TV, Swerve Combat, T2, The Jim Rome Show, TNA, Torque by History, Waypoint TV and Women’s Sports Network.

MySports is available risk-free through a five-day free trial. Consumers who sign up online for the contract-free package before Feb. 28, 2025, can receive MySports for $49.99 monthly for the first three months, a $20 monthly savings. After the free trial, it auto-renews monthly, and consumers can cancel anytime.

DirecTV plans to add more genre options in 2025 like entertainment, kids & family, and more.

Click here for more information and the list of initial launch markets.

NEW YORK—DirecTV Advertising is bringing programmatic ad sales capabilities to its linear satellite inventory in a move that it said will provide advertisers to increased inventory, scale and untapped audiences across satellite and streaming.

While connected TV and streaming platforms have long offered programmatic ad capabilities, traditional linear TV—which does not generally offer programmatic sales—still dominates ad impressions, generating nearly six times more impressions than streaming, according to Comscore.

By enabling programmatic capabilities for its satellite households, DirecTV plans to change that by allowing for the same real-time bidding, campaign execution via private guarantees (PG) or private marketplaces (PMPs) and enhanced signals that are widely available in streaming environments. This will offer buyers access to premium, brand-safe inventory through their preferred demand-side platform and sell-side platform across all DirecTV endpoints.

“In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, buyers require a new level of flexibility. We’re excited to set TV free,” said Amy Leifer, chief advertising sales officer, DirecTV Advertising, which has been a pioneer in addressable advertising. “By enabling satellite households to be accessed programmatically, we’re creating flexible, seamless solutions for marketers to reach premium TV inventory.”

DirecTV Advertising is currently in market with select partners including, Publicis Media Exchange (PMX), Magnite and Basis Technologies, with plans to make this inventory more widely available in the first quarter this year.

“DirecTV Advertising is meeting marketers where they are by automating and streamlining how customers are engaging with TV,” said Tyler Kelly, president, Basis Technologies. “Having unparalleled, preferred access to DirecTV’s brand-safe premium content via programmatic advertising methods gives Basis Technologies and our clients unique opportunities to reach incremental audiences.”

In addition to expanding its programmatic inventory, DirecTV Advertising said it is leveraging universal IDs and content metadata to boost relevancy and transparency, as well as enhance brand safety for buyers. By enabling more signals, brands can reach and manage their audiences on a granular level and gain a deeper understanding of the content in which ads are running.

“We’re excited to help DirecTV Advertising bridge the gap between linear and streaming, creating a unified workflow for buyers to seamlessly access inventory across their portfolio,” Magnite President, Revenue Sean Buckley said. “At a time when control and transparency are top of mind for programmatic buyers, DirecTV Advertising is meeting the moment by enabling more signals within their content. These advancements have generated new opportunities, such as in live sports, where clients can leverage rich contextual signals to get closer to the content and enhance transparency.”

The effort builds on the launch late last year of MyFree DirecTV, an app-based free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service offering more than 70 channels and on-demand content within the DirecTV app. With this new consumer offering and the connected devices within its linear satellite footprint, DirecTV said its streaming footprint is doubling, bringing more scale to digital buyers.

DirecTV has told the Justice Department that the settlement clearing the way for the launch of the Venu sports streaming service—a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co., Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery—will give the studios an undue competitive advantage in the sports streaming marketplace.

When the launch of Venu was announced last year, Fubo—a virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) that focuses on live sports—filed a lawsuit against the studios over anticompetitive concerns. On Dec. 16, a federal judge ruled against the studio’s attempts to have the lawsuit dismissed. Three weeks later, the studios said they had settled their differences with Fubo, making way for the launch of Venu.

As part of the settlement, announced Monday (Jan. 6), Disney, Fox and WBD will make an aggregate cash payment to Fubo of $220 million. In addition, Disney has committed to provide a $145 million term loan to Fubo in 2026 as part of the transaction. In addition, Disney will acquire a 70% majority stake in Fubo and combine it with Disney’s Hulu + Live TV MVPD service.

In its letter to the DOJ, DirecTV used the department’s own words when it issued a preliminary injunction in favor of FuboTV.

“Defendants have paid Plaintiff to ensure cooperation from an aggrieved competitor, but the settlement does nothing to resolve the underlying antitrust violations at issue,” the letter read. ”Instead, this settlement restores ‘an anticompetitive runway for the JV Defendants to control the future of the live pay TV market.’ ”

DirecTV said it is joining “nonparty EchoStar Corporation’s request that the Court preserve its legal and factual findings given the significant public interests at stake.” DirecTV announced its intention to merge with EchoStar last year but dropped its bid in November, citing its board’s concerns over debt that would have been incurred.

“The Court concluded that the Venu joint venture—and the exclusive right to license unbundled sports networks that it would enjoy—would allow Defendants to ‘drive out competitors’ like DirecTV from the live pay TV market, ‘all to the detriment of consumers and competition,’ ” DirecTV told the DOJ. “The Department of Justice agreed that the launch of Venu would ‘lessen … current competition by giving Defendants a path to collective dominance and foreclosing Venu’s rivals.’ ”

DirecTV added that the settlement “clears the path for Venu to launch unencumbered by removing the injunction the Court imposed to preliminarily prevent the immediate and irreparable harms the JV launch presents,” adding that it is one of “several non-parties that expressed ‘grave concerns’ ” about the impact Venu would have on competition for sports programming, given that Venu would “offer content in a manner that [the Defendants] do not allow DirecTV or other distributors to offer to consumers.”

DirecTV accused the three studios of attempting to buy their way out of the DOJ's injunction.

“The preliminary injunction has protected consumers and distributors alike from the JV Defendant’s scheme to ‘capture demand,’ ‘suppress’ potentially competitive sports bundles, and impose consumer price hikes. By this settlement, Defendants pay off and seek to subsume the very competitor that raised these antitrust violations to the Court. However, Defendants cannot purchase their way out of the antitrust violations.”

DirecTV said it “continues to evaluate its options with respect to the joint venture, the parties’ settlement, Defendants’ tying practices and other anticompetitive harms, and it joins EchoStar in requesting that the Court reject any effort by the Defendants to vacate any prior rulings or findings in this case.”

NEW YORK—DirecTV Advertising has unveiled plans to launch a dedicated out-of-home (OOH) ad network, DirecTV Remote, which will deliver ads to consumers on the go in hotels, airplanes and small businesses.

This effort marks the first time a pay TV provider will offer dynamic ad insertion into in-flight TV programming, the company said.

“DirecTV has always been in the business of delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time,“ DirecTV Advertising Chief Advertising Sales Officer Amy Leifer said. “But as Live TV viewing shifts beyond the traditional household, we have to think differently about how we define the ‘right place.’ DirecTV Remote will give marketers the ability to tell their brand’s story through premium video, embarking on a journey to reach audiences without walls, while driving tangible business results.”

In launching the effort, DirecTV reported that the growth of retail media networks; digital billboards, growing mobility functionality, and digital programmatic buying will help OOH ad spending surpass $9.5 billion in 2025.

DirecTV also cited data showing that 76% of digital out-of-home viewers took an action after seeing an ad, like visiting a website, going to a store or making a purchase.

DirecTV Advertising reported that it is currently in market with media buyer Starcom and Best Buy as the first partner to advertise using the OOH offering beginning this week.

“As the advertising landscape becomes increasingly omnichannel, the line between online and offline continues to blur,” Alyssa Kelly, senior vice president of strategy and planning at Starcom, said. “OOH is no longer just a standalone tactic—it’s a critical component of comprehensive media strategies that drive results. We’re thrilled to collaborate with DirecTV and Best Buy on this innovative initiative, enabling our clients to unlock new opportunities for engagement and impact.”

Following the recent launch of the MyFree DirecTV free-ad supported package of 70-plus streaming channels, DirecTV has launched eight new channels catering to such interests as food, film, crime, travel and more.

The new channels are Drool, Hipstr, GoTraveler, America’s Test Kitchen, MagellanTV Now, True Crime Now, History & Warfare Now and Space Science Now.

When it launched the MyFree DirecTV service, the company said it would be adding new channels shortly. Shortly, DirecTV also plans to offer genre-based paid programming packages that deliver smaller lineups of relevant channels that will complement MyFree DirecTV. This will give consumers the flexibility to access affordable, personalized TV subscriptions at lower price points, the company said.

Those genre-based programming packages were a key part of its recent distribution deal with Disney.

Users can set up a MyFree DirecTV account at MyFree DirecTV and then download the app to a smart TV, phone, laptop or tablet to watch the content.

DirecTV said Wednesday it will drop its bid to merge with EchoStar due to concerns over financing of the deal. The merger would have created the nation’s largest satellite TV service in an industry that launched just 30 years ago.

When the two companies said they would pursue a merger in late September, they struck a deal calling for DirecTV to acquire EchoStar’s video business—comprised of satellite-TV platform Dish TV and streaming pay TV service Sling TV—for $1 (not a typo) plus Dish’s net debt, valued at about $9.75 billion.

In a separate announcement on the same day, TPG, which AT&T has partnered with since 2021 to operate DirecTV’s satellite and streaming services as a joint venture, agreed to acquire the remaining 70% stake in DirecTV that it does not already own for $7.6 billion. The deal was expected to be formalized by the end of 2025. At the time of the original announcement, AT&T and TPG said their separate agreement would "not be affected by the merger."

Bondholders were turned off by the massive debt arrangements in the deal, which had been updated in late October, lowering DirecTV’s minimum loss on $8.9 billion of bonds to $1.5 billion. The deadline to accept the offer was close of business ET on Tuesday. A letter to DirecTV was delivered on Wednesday announcing that “this group has roundly and resolutely rejected the latest proposed exchange offer.”

“The debt holders are saying, ‘You need us to get the deal through, and we’re not going to do it at that much of a discount,’ ” New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin told The Washington Post. "DirecTV is saying, ‘We’re paying full price for the asset and we don’t have any more discount to give.’ And Dish is saying, ‘We’re selling the asset for nothing, for a dollar, so we’ve got no more value to give, either.’ So there’s an impasse.”

A DirecTV spokesperson told the Post: “A successful [debt] exchange was a condition for acquiring the Dish video business. Given the outcome of the EchoStar exchange, DirecTV will have no choice but to terminate the acquisition of Dish by midnight Nov. 22.”

Based on its declining business in recent years, it appeared that EchoStar needed the deal more than DirecTV did. However, an EchoStar representative told the Post it has a “more robust foundation” that would allow the company to survive without a merger, noting that EchoStar secured $2.5 billion in financing to pay its upcoming debt maturity.

A combined DirecTV-Dish would have counted about 17 million subscribers, making it the nation’s largest pay TV service after Comcast, which has just under 13 million as of the end of September. DirecTV currently has about 11.3 million subscribers and Dish roughly 6.7 million subscribers.

Hoping to tap into the fact that one in four U.S. consumers are now viewing free curated video services daily, DirecTV is working with programmers like A&E, Fox, Lionsgate, Scripps and others to distribute an lineup of popular FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels on MyFree DirecTV.

MyFree DirecTV, an app-based free streaming service, will offer more than 70 FAST channels and on-demand content across a wide variety of genres.

Available channels include MovieSphere, Court TV, Fox Weather, El Rebel Rey, Dog Whisperer, Women’s Sports Network, and many more across popular genres including sports, food and travel, news, entertainment and comedy. The full lineup of FAST channels currently available can be found here.

DirecTV also announced that it plans to continue to grow the programming available to MyFree DirecTV customers regularly, with multiple Fremantle channels expected to join the lineup before year-end.

In the near future, DirecTV also plans to offer genre-based paid programming packages that deliver smaller lineups of relevant channels that will complement MyFree DirecTV. This will give consumers the flexibility to access affordable, personalized TV subscriptions with programming they enjoy at lower price points, it said.

Those genre-based programming packages were a key part of its recent distribution deal with Disney.

New customers can set up a MyFree DirecTV account on Roku and will soon be able to sign up and watch across Amazon Fire TV, Android and Apple devices this week, as well as via the DirecTV app.

“DirecTV is excited to bring a successful history of premium content aggregation and an elevated user experience to free TV for the first time,” MyFree DirecTV General Manager Kent Rees said. “The availability of MyFree DirecTV is the building block of the future for us as we tap into an entirely new audience through this new freemium experience going beyond the traditional pay TV customer.”

MyFree DirecTV is built on the same premium experience on the DirecTV app that is available to DirecTV streaming customers today. Introduced earlier this year, that Your TV experience combines a user’s selected favorites with their most watched content to immediately offer personalized programming from the moment the TV is turned on.

The launch will open up new advertising opportunities for DirecTV.

“We are excited about the new audiences that MyFree DirecTV unlocks for our advertising clients,” Amy Leifer, chief advertising sales officer at DirecTV Advertising, said. “Reaching viewers and delivering positive outcomes are what we do best. This launch marks another way that we are delivering innovative solutions that help move the needle for them.”

DirecTV is making another signficant user experience enhancement to its Gemini and Gemini Air streaming devices with the launch of the new DirecTV My Apps Carousel.

The upgrade follows the rollout of the Your TV carousel on Gemini devices earlier this year.

The new DirecTV My Apps Carousel aggregates the most-watched trending on-demand and live content from popular third-party streaming apps and puts them in an easy-to-navigate, user-friendly format, the company said.

In addition to having all their favorite apps in one place, users can order the apps in the carousel based on personal preference, making this ideal for both content-bingers and sports fans alike. It is also designed to eliminate the problem of finding a user’s favorite programming, DirecTV reported.

The DirecTV My Apps carousel is available for a limited amount of existing customers at launch on Nov. 7 but will be available to all Gemini and Gemini Air users in the weeks to come.

DirecTV is planning to launch a new Election HQ hub on Nov. 4 that will streamline access to election coverage and provide users of its Gemini and Gemini Air devices with new multiview capabilities for watching four news sources simultaneously.

Election HQ will feature live feeds of Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, and News Max alongside statistics like Senate and House breakdowns by party and state-by-state presidential projections powered by the Associated Press.

The coverage and statistics will feature the latest presidential election news, as well as other important national and state elections and important ballot initiatives across several states.

DirecTV streaming customers using Gemini or Gemini Air will have access to the same simultaneous news feeds through a preloaded app that will automatically appear in their “Featured Apps” carousel.

The launch of the election app is notable because it marks the beta test for multiview functionality on a DirecTV streaming platform.

DirecTV satellite customers with a Genie device will be able to access “Election HQ” on channels 71 and 200.

Both the app and the mix channel will be available across DirecTV platforms from Nov. 4 until the presidential election results are definitive, DirecTV said.

DirecTV plans to launch its own FAST channel in November, according to a report in USA Today. The free ad-supported streaming service, dubbed “MyFree DirecTV,” is scheduled to launch on Nov. 15 and will feature ad-supported live TV channels and an on-demand library of series, shows and movies, with the promise of more channels in 2025.

Like most FAST services, it will be available on most mobile devices as well as select smart TVs including Google TV, USA Today said. DirecTV also said that it may offer free live programming from A&E, The Walt Disney Co., Fox and others, in addition to on-demand.

“We’re going to have some very high-quality, I would call it the best of the best FAST channels,” a DirecTV spokesperson said.

Viewers of the free service will have the option of upgrading to the paid services within MyFree DirecTV, she added.

The move is part of the satellite company’s efforts to diversify its programming options in “smaller, more tailored packages,” according to the spokeswoman. DirecTV has seen a rapid decline in subscribers, having lost an estimated 1.8 million subscribers in 2023 alone. The move to FAST could also help immunize the company against disruptions to its services, including frequent carriage disputes with major studios.

DirecTV announced Sept. 30 that it is merging with its main competitor, Echostar, which operates the Dish satellite pay TV service, with about 6 million subscribers. Dish offers its own network of FAST channels on its Hopper 3 system and Sling Freestream service.

LOS ANGELES—DirecTV and A+E Networks has announced an agreement that brings many of A+E’s top library franchises to DirecTV streaming and satellite customers via an initial slate of ten new channels. 

These new offerings immediately grow the rich variety of content available to DirecTV customers with a wide range of programming and popular series from A&E, Lifetime, and The History Channel. They are now available to all DirecTV via the Internet and DirecTV Stream customers and any satellite customers who want to access any channel can do so using the DirecTV app. 

A+E Networks is a joint venture of Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst.

“Consumers today want more choice and customization in their video offerings, and we are working across all of our top programming suppliers to ensure they get it,” said Linda Burakoff, senior vice president of content and programming at DirecTV. “A+E Networks has a proven track record and strong portfolio, and we are pleased to enable our customers a wider array of choices among A+E’s most popular franchises and the ability to explore their most avid interests in greater depth.”

"A+E Networks deeply values our long-standing partnership with DirecTV,” said David Zagin, president, distribution, A+E Networks. “As the media landscape evolves and viewer interests shift, so do our offerings. We are excited to deliver these engaging lean-in experiences with some of the most beloved franchises in our extensive library of diverse content."

DirecTV described the A+E channels now available on the DirecTV streaming lineups as follows:  

• Crime 360 – a true crime destination featuring award-winning investigative series and covering all sides of crime, all the time.
• Deal Zone – Go big or go home. Follow the best deals around with unforgettable pawns, antiques, auctions and road trips.
• UnXplained Zone – Join top investigators as they seek to uncover the truth behind some of the world’s greatest mysteries and cover-ups.
• Movie Favorites by Lifetime: Lifetime movies all day, from psychological thrillers to seductive love stories.
• Duck Dynasty – Meet the close-knit family behind a multi-million-dollar sporting empire, as they live life with a mix of downhome practicality and sharp wit.
• Cold Case Files – There are over 100,000 cold cases in America. Only about 1% are solved. Cold Case Files presented by A&E tells the stories of those who never gave up searching for answers - and finally found justice. Get 24/7 access to this iconic series.
• Modern Marvels – Celebrate the ingenuity and imagination found in the world around us. 24/7 episodes of Modern Marvels, television's most innovative series.
• Tiny House Nation – Renovation experts John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin travel across America to show off amazing and ingenious tiny homes and the inventive people who live in them. Watch the hit shows behind the Tiny Home movement all day, every day, and travel the globe in search of unique tiny homes, 500 square feet or less.
• Ice Road Truckers – At the top of the world, there’s a job only a few would dare! 24/7 episodes of the legendary series.
• Ax Men—Deep in the woods, these loggers are risking it all! 24/7 non-stop episodes of the hard-hitting series.

ALLENTOWN, Pa.—DirecTV has announced that its streaming customers, including DirecTV satellite-free and DirecTV Stream, now have access to the Philadelphia metro region’s independent station WFMZ-TV. 

WFMZ-TV, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is an independent television station serving the Lehigh Valley, Berks County and the greater Philadelphia area.  Owned by locally based Maranatha Broadcasting Co., WFMZ has consistently carved out a strong showing among local news viewers against top station competitors owned and operated by ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and Nexstar, among others, DirecTV reported. 

With the deal, DirecTV streaming customers gain immediate access to WFMZ’s comprehensive local news, weather updates, and a wide variety of programming, including community events, sports, and entertainment shows.

“We are very pleased to provide WFMZ-TV to our DirecTV streaming subscribers and expect this station to have the same great level of engagement for our streaming subscribers as it has always proven with our satellite homes,” said Dallia Kim, vice president of content and programming at DirecTV. “This addition reflects our ongoing commitment to providing our customers with more choices and access to the local news and entertainment that matters most to them.”

“We have worked with DirecTV since 2002, when they originally launched local-into-local service via satellite. We are very pleased they continue to recognize the value of our station’s news coverage and decided to make us available to their growing number of DirecTV streaming customers. This addition is especially important when Pennsylvania – a key swing state in the upcoming Nov. 5 election – is at the forefront of national politics and the presidential candidates are frequently visiting our region,” said Barry Fisher, president of WFMZ-TV. 

More information is available at www.directv.com and wfmz.com.

CHICAGO & EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) and DirecTV announced a multiyear distribution agreement to provide the network and its live local game telecasts for the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox across a five-state footprint, including most of Illinois, Iowa and parts of Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. The games will become available starting on Oct. 1, 2024.

The wide-ranging satellite, streaming, and IPTV licensing agreement represents the first for the new exclusive TV home of these three Chicago sports franchises. In the agreement, CHSN will present up to 300 live games, additional Chicago and Midwest-based sports programming, and other feature content in high-definition format. The new network is set to join DirecTV via Satellite and DirecTV Stream and DirecTV satellite-free lineups on channel 665 and U-verse channels 1741(HD)/741(SD) before the new NBA and NHL seasons begin, taking the channel slots of the same three teams’ former home. CHSN will be available to anyone subscribing to DirecTV’s Choice or above packages, just as the prior network had been.

“We have always prided ourselves on being a sports leader and intend to remain at the forefront,” said DirecTV chief content officer Rob Thun. “The most important element in the media landscape today is consumer choice, and that means ensuring the most loyal fans can always connect with their favorite teams, while other homes with equally as avid interests can avoid those extra costs. CHSN and DirecTV both believe in the unique power of local sports teams to unite the communities they call home, and we will continue collaborating with the top leagues, local franchises, and media partners to cultivate future generations of fans.”

“This agreement establishes an immediate foundation for CHSN and aligns us with one of the foremost innovators in sports media,” said Chicago Sports Network president Jason Coyle. “We are excited about DirecTV’s commitment to Chicago and its fervent fans, which is evident in our collaborative efforts to deliver upon our fan-first approach, commitment to quality, and engaging game-day experiences for everyone who loves Chicago sports.”

In the wake of the resolution of its carriage dispute with Disney, DirecTV highlighted how the agreement reflects its longstanding focus on local sports programming, which includes league-operated channels like NFL and MLB Network; conference-specific services like Big Ten Network and SEC Network; stand-alone team channels for MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and San Diego Padres; pay-per-view entry to Ultimate Fighting Championships and other marquee events;  and out-of-market access to NFL or other top league’s otherwise regionalized coverage dating back to DirecTV’s formative days in 1994. 

It also stressed that its recently announced long-term agreement with The Walt Disney Co. for less costly sports and other genre-specific packages will help it further expand its sports programming. 

Additional updates related to CHSN distribution will be announced at a later date. 

NEW YORK—Fox News Media has announced that Fox Weather, a free ad-supported streaming television service (FAST), is now available to DirecTV customers. 

In announcing the Sept. 17 launch, Fox News Media president Sharri Berg said that “as the fastest growing weather service, we are excited to expand our relationship with DirecTV to bring our crucial coverage to their audience.”

Available to all DirecTV customers with the Entertainment package or higher, Fox Weather will now be accessible to millions of satellite subscribers with an internet-connected set top box on channel 363 and by using the DirecTV App. The network continues to be available to customers who stream DirecTV satellite free.

Since launching in October 2021, Fox Weather has added a number of distribution partners including Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, Verizon Fios, The Roku Channel, Fubo, YouTube TV, YouTube.com, Fire TV Channels, Xumo Play, Hulu + Live TV, TCLtv+, DISH Network and Sling TV, among others. The service continues to be available via simulcast each weekday morning on Fox Business Network from 5-6 AM/ET and weekend mornings from 6-9 AM/ET, as well as via Fox Television Station Diginets in top markets including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, among others.

Available at Foxweather.com and through the Fox Weather app for iOS and Android, Fox Weather is on internet-connected TVs via the Fox News app, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Fire TV Channels,  Amazon Freevee, Vizio WatchFree+, Xumo Play, TCLtv+, LG Channels, Plex, Tubi, Pluto TV, YouTube.com, Sling Freestream, DirecTV,  Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV,  YouTube TV, Fubo, Cox Communications, Verizon Fios, Spectrum, Optimum, DISH Network, Audacy and Tune-In. 

Fox Weather is also accessible across Fox Television Stations’ full Diginet footprint, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Washington, Phoenix, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Minneapolis, Detroit, Orlando, Milwaukee, and Austin.  

BURBANK & EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—Over the weekend on Sept. 14, DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company announced that they have reached an agreement in principle for a new distribution deal. The two companies also agreed to restore Disney’s full linear suite of networks, ending a black out that started on Sept. 1, to DirecTV, DirecTV  Stream and U-verse customers while both parties work to finalize a new, multi-year contract.

The new agreement will cover ABC Owned Television Stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks and the  National Geographic channels as well as Disney’s streaming services and the upcoming ESPN DTC service. 

In a joint statement, the two companies commented: “Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration,  DirecTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more  flexible options. DirecTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the  best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognizing both the  tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DirecTV’s customers. We’d  like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are pleased to restore Disney’s entire portfolio  of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend.” 

The two companies said they had agreed on these key points: 

• Continued carriage at market-based terms of Disney’s entertainment, sports and news  programming from its comprehensive linear portfolio, which includes the ABC Owned Television  Stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks and the  National Geographic channels. 
• The opportunity to offer multiple genre-specific options -- sports, entertainment, kids & family -- inclusive of Disney’s linear networks along with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. 
• Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming services (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) to be included in select DirecTV packages under a wholesale agreement, and also to be made available on an a la carte basis.  
• The rights to distribute Disney’s upcoming ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service upon its  launch at no additional cost to DirecTV customers. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The pay TV operator-back American Television Alliance (ATVA) has issued a statement in support of DirecTV’s complaint filed at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against Disney. 

The DirecTV complaint contends that Disney has violated the FCC’s good faith mandates by predicating any licensing agreement on DirecTV waiving legal claims on Disney’s past, current or future anticompetitive actions – including its ongoing packaging and minimum penetration demands. 

“The FCC recently clarified that the one thing you cannot do in retransmission consent negotiations is prevent the other side from filing FCC complaints,” said Michelle Bowling, spokesperson for the American Television Alliance. “This makes sense – without such a rule, broadcasters would never be held accountable for any anticompetitive activity. Yet this is exactly what Disney has done here. And make no mistake: there is anticompetitive activity at the heart of this case. Disney wants MVPDs like DirecTV to carry and pay for all its networks – even the less popular ones – or face financial penalties. MVPD customers are thus forced to pay for the ‘fat bundle’ with no say over what they want or do not want. However, Disney itself will offer its most popular sports programming at cheaper rates, without unwanted networks. That’s wrong – and the courts and regulators should do something about it.” 

In a sign that the blackout of Disney channels on DirecTV isn’t close to being resolved, DirecTV has filed a complaint with the FCC alleging that Disney has failed to negotiate in good faith and that Disney has violated the FCC’s good faith mandates by predicating any licensing agreement on DirecTV’s waiving any legal claims against Disney. 

The complaint also argues that “The negotiations have stalled because Disney insists on bundling and penetration requirements that a federal district court judge in New York recently found in the context of the `Venu’ joint venture to be unlawful, anticompetitive, and `bad for consumers.’ Disney wants to force DirecTV to carry a `fat bundle’ including less desirable Disney programming—while itself offering cheaper, `skinnier’ bundles of programming that consumers want." 

“Along with these anti-competitive demands, Disney has also insisted that DirecTV agree to a `clean slate provision and a covenant not to sue, both of which are intended to prevent DirecTV from taking legal action regarding Disney’s anticompetitive demands, which would include filing good faith complaints at the Commission,” the complaint also noted. “Not three months ago, however, the Media Bureau made clear that such a demand itself constitutes bad faith.”

Earlier this year, the FCC fined Nexstar for seeking to limit the legal options of Hawaiian Telcom Services Company during retransmission consent negotiations. The FCC issued an order proposing fines totaling $720,000 against Nexstar for violations in how it negotiated a 2023 retransmission consent agreement. 

The FCC filing comes as DirecTV subscribers are facing the prospect of missing the first NFL matchup on Monday Night Football on Sept. 9. 

In response to the impasse, DirecTV also took the unusual step on Sept. 6 to offer subscribers a $30 credit that they could use towards signing up with a different provider to watch football games. 

A DirecTV blog post called "Get Your Football Back," noted that subscribers could “visit fubotv.com/deal to start your 7-day free trial from Fubo, either for their Pro or Elite with Sports Plus plans, and $30 off the first month after that. In addition, DirecTV will provide a $30 credit; or Visit sling.com/DirecTV to get the Sling Orange service, offset by a $30 credit from DirecTV. Both alternatives allow you to access Disney networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Disney Channel, Freeform, and others…Learn more about these alternatives and how to redeem your $30 credit from DirecTV at TVPromise.com starting Saturday, Sept. 7. Once redeemed, credit will apply to active DirecTV accounts within two months.”

In what is becoming an annual tradition, another potential blackout at the start of football season is looming, this time involving Disney and DirecTV who have yet to hammer out a new programming distribution deal. If no agreement is concluded Disney-owned ABC stations, ESPN and other Disney channels could go dark in DirecTV homes on Sept. 1. 

In an interview with Variety published on August 28, Justin Connolly, president of Disney Platform Distribution said “[a]t the moment we’re far apart.” 

Such blackouts have become increasingly common as pay TV operators struggle with rapidly declining subscriber numbers and have been responding by pushing for lower programming costs and more flexibility in their programming packages so they can offer more appealing packages.  

In a blog published August 21,  Rob Thun, chief content officer, DirecTV didn’t address the specifics of the Disney negotiation but stressed that pay TV providers need more flexibility in their programming offerings if they want to compete with the direct-to-consumer streaming services that have seen rapid growth in recent years. 

“Unfortunately, while DTC offerings have evolved, pay TV packages have remained largely unchanged,” Thun wrote. “Instead of allowing distributors like DIRECTV to also develop smaller, more tailored packages at prices that reflect the value they get from the content, programmers have continued to impose and enforce strict bundling requirements through exorbitant minimum penetration rates – the minimum proportion of a distributor’s subscribers required to access a channel. These antiquated requirements force pay TV customers to subscribe to many channels they may not watch, which have yielded ‘fat bundles.’ At the same time, programmers have reserved flexible genre-based offerings solely for themselves, eroding the price-value proposition for pay TV customers by shifting the best programming to DTC services while raising programming fees on pay TV.”

In response, Thun said they want, the ability to create: “Flexible Packages. Consumers want the ability to choose from genre-based programming without piecing together and purchasing an extensive lineup of channels that don’t meet their desires.”

Thun also said they needed: “Lower-Priced Alternatives. Consumers want price points closer to the DTC options they are familiar with and the ability to pay for all their programming through one platform” as well the ability to offer an “Aggregated Experience. Consumers want access to their favorite shows and sports and the ability to discover new content in one complete experience – live ‘linear’ TV or on-demand content from DirecTV or a third party – instead of through numerous disjointed entry points while managing multiple individual subscriptions to those products.”