As a result of an ongoing disagreement between DirecTV and Cox Media Group, there is a possibility that the television broadcasts of Super Bowl LVII will be unavailable in Dayton, Jacksonville, and Seattle-Tacoma.
There have been reports that indicate that the two organizations have not yet reached a consensus on a new transmission arrangement, which is less than two weeks before the game. Regional ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX channels are among the fourteen channels that are offered by Cox. These channels are available in the markets of Boston, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta specifically. It has been reported by the Charlotte Observer that blackouts might start as early as February 2 if they do not reach a consensus.
As Cox and DirecTV attempt to negotiate rate increases, the former company issued a statement in which it accused the latter of assaulting local media. Maria Pittman, who serves as the Executive Vice President of the organization, was the one who delivered the statement.
“We at CMG are extremely proud of our dedication to investing in local news and investigative journalism that is of the highest possible quality. Our dismay stems from the fact that DirecTV is attempting to coerce a contract that would be detrimental to the journalism and broadcasting of local stations. Consumers who rely on our high-quality local news, weather, and entertainment content will suffer as a result of this,” the statement stated.
Back in December, DirecTV was able to resolve a blackout that had occurred with Tegna Inc. A total of seventy FOX, CBS, ABC, and NBC affiliate stations are owned by the media firm. These stations are located in the Austin, Atlanta, and Denver regions. In order to demonstrate that it is committed to being steadfast in its policy, the blackout persisted for a period of two months prior to the agreement being reached.
With the intention of exacting revenge, DirecTV issued a statement of their own. It was written as follows: “We are working with Cox Media Group to reach a new agreement that will align the value and quality that customers receive with the price that they pay.”
“Our request to Cox Media Group is simple: don’t encourage your viewers, who are our customers, to pay an unwarranted rate increase for ‘free’ news, sports, and entertainment that is widely available on local station websites through an over-the-air digital antenna and direct-to-consumer streaming platforms.”
In the event that the blackout takes place and thousands of fans are compelled to miss Super Bowl LVII, DIRECTV has informed Yahoo that they are willing to negotiate with subscribers who are dissatisfied with their monthly fees. The extent to which both companies have progressed in the bargaining process has not yet been demonstrated.
When the US Open was being held the year before, ESPN and Spectrum were involved in a situation that was very similar. Coco Gauff, the winner of the competition, made a comment about how she was unable to watch the match between Iga Swiatek and Jelena Ostapenko in the round of sixteen from her current location.
“I’m not going to get into that, but we can’t watch ESPN at our hotel,” Gauff added in reference to the television broadcast of the event. “I was able to see the stats. I was not able to spot the contest.
They are unable to view the action that is taking place. Following the announcement that “The Walt Disney Company has removed their programming from Spectrum, which creates a hardship for our customers,” a notice appeared on the television screens of viewers who had Spectrum as their cable provider. Disney has demanded an enormous increase despite the fact that we have offered them a fair price.
The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers is scheduled to take place on February 16, which is later than the day that was anticipated to be the blackout date. In the United States, there are around 11.85 million people that subscribe to the Direct TV video service as of the third quarter of 2023.
