Sling TV and Dish removed NFL Network and NFL Redzone Thursday night as the league and the distributor have been unable to come to an agreement on distribution terms.
“While NFL Media remains committed to negotiating an agreement and has offered terms consistent with those in place with other distributors, DISH has not agreed.,” the NFL said in a statement.
Without a distribution agreement in place for NFL Network and NFL RedZone, DISH and Sling subscribers will miss out on daily shows Good Morning Football, NFL Total Access and NFL Now and a newly launched Player’s Choice series featuring classic games and long-form storytelling from the NFL Films archive.
For the upcoming season, NFL Network remains the only place to watch all 65 preseason games, including a record 23 live out-of-market games. Regular season action on NFL Network continues with a slate of exclusive games kicking off with a trio of matchups at the start of the NFL Season in addition to two Saturday doubleheaders in Weeks 15 & 16. In addition to games, Sunday coverage on NFL Network features the most comprehensive pregame show on television – the Emmy-nominated NFL GameDay Morning.
Sling shared a message on its website, saying: “Our mission is to democratize TV, advocating for and empowering our customers. That’s why we disrupted the TV industry and focused on putting choice and control back in your hands. The NFL has chosen to remove their channels during these unprecedented times. The NFL is asking for a rate increase that is simply unacceptable especially during this uncertain time in professional sports. We don’t think this is fair for you to have to pay more for the same content you get today and that is why we are fighting hard to keep your TV bill as low as possible.”
The company also reached out with the following statement: “We are working with the NFL to continue carrying their channels. Our goal is to reach a fair agreement, bringing NFL channels back before the season begins so that fans don’t miss any live sports action.”
NFL Network currently has distribution agreements with major cable, satellite, telco, and OTT providers throughout the country, including DirecTV, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, Verizon FiOS, Fubo TV, Altice USA Optimum and Cox .
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