Thousands Angry in the Gem State After Weekend Blackout

During Labor Day weekend, many like to kick their feet up, open a cold one, and watch some college football. Perhaps you want to pop some popcorn and enjoy a movie on television. While it is no secret that streaming is taking over when it comes to watching TV, many still prefer old-fashioned cable. Millions in the country and around the world still choose this route to watch their favorite programming, because while streaming is nice, if the internet goes down, so does watching shows and movies. There are still benefits to having cable over streaming, but this past weekend, many Idahoans regretted this decision when their favorite channels blacked out.

DirecTV Blacks Out Disney Channels in Idaho

Sunday evening, in the middle of the US Open, and moments before the kickoff of the highly anticipated USC vs LSU football game, all Disney-affiliated stations went black for DirecTV members in the Gem State. It frustrated many as Sunday primetime had been blacked out on multiple stations. It also knocked out stations such as FX, Freeform, and National Geographic. For parents of little ones, it also knocked out Disney Junior and all Disney Channel stations. Sports fans felt the biggest hit though, as all ESPN stations are dark and any sports stations affiliated with them, such as the SEC Network. With cable bills being so high, many are demanding refunds and discounts, and it could lead to cancellations of DirecTV from many.

Disney and DirecTV at Standstill in Negotiations

DirecTV is the third largest cable provider in the country and has more than 11 million users. That is a lot of people to have upset this past holiday weekend. The reason for the blackout of stations is that Disney and DirecTV were unable to come to terms on new contract negotiations and therefore Disney has pulled all of their stations from the cable provider. If a contract is reached soon, the stations will be turned back on and customers will be happy once more, but when and if that will happen is yet to be seen. DirecTV is unhappy with Disney, claiming they are raising prices and forcing everyone to their streaming services and withholding their programming, while Disney is claiming that DirecTV is seeking discounts and unwilling to pay what other providers have agreed to. For more details on the story, you can click the link in this paragraph. 

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If you are someone who has DirecTV, how long do you wait until you decide to seek other options? The hope is that something will work out in the coming days and soon the channels will be back, but when two companies of this size are working on a contract, someone will have to bend first, and neither will want to be the one that does. As customers contemplate jumping ship, hopefully, DirecTV will play ball and get these valuable channels back, but if not, the consequences could be dire, as many in Idaho and around the country are left upset at the moment.