Cox Media Group (CMG) pulled its 12 stations from DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and U-verse customers in 9 metro areas after rejecting the latest extension offer on the table while both sides continue to work to reach a new agreement.
This is an unfortunate and all too familiar path for CMG, which pulled its signals from DIRECTV in its last renewal in 2021, agreeing to restore its stations just hours before the 2021 Super Bowl. CMG has also been down on DISH since November 2022, as well as threatened or pulled its signals from Comcast (Jan. 2020), DISH (March-April 2016 and Jan. 2020) DIRECTV (Jan. 2017 and Jan.-Feb. 2021) Frontier (Jan. 2018), FuboTV (Feb. 2023), Suddenlink (Jan. 2021) and others.
CMG is playing chicken with the industry, willfully ignoring the economics that its programming does not warrant a double-digit annual rate increase on top of an already exorbitant fee structure. By pulling its stations, CMG intends to penalize its viewers twice – once when pulling the programming and again when they return it at an unwarranted higher rate – adding insult to injury.
This is another clear example that underscores the need for a new path forward to combat rising retransmission rates, which have increased 270% since 2015 as detailed in the proposal from DIRECTV.
DIRECTV is committed to working towards a new agreement that will align the value and quality customers receive with the price they pay. More information on where to watch the same programming for free over-the-air, through local station websites and via network streaming apps is available at TVPromise.com.
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