Earlier this week, DIRECTV lost rights to Nexstar-owned locals, including ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, over a contract dispute. DIRECTV has now announced that customers affected by the blackout will receive a one-time $10 credit.
The catch is DIRECTV, U-Verse TV, and DIRECTV STREAM Customers must apply for the credit one time because it will not be automatically included. IF YOU ARE A DIRECTV STREAM CUSTOMER, YOU CAN FIND HOW TO ORDER Get $10 back here. DIRECTV and U-Verse TV customers can receive Cool to go here.
Simply scroll down to where you can enter your zip code and select which service you subscribe to. After you see if you qualify (you must have lost a local), you can follow the steps there to claim your one-time $10 balance.
Here are details on the refund as posted on the DIRECTV STREAM website: “NB: To get a refund online, the email address you provide must be associated with an active DIRECTV STREAM account. You must also have a valid credit or debit card as your payment method. Online refunds are not available for accounts paid with PayPal.”
In total, 159 Nexstar-owned domestic television stations are now dark on DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and U-Verse. NewsNation has also gone dark on DIRECTV.
This comes as Nexstar warned customers late last week that their stations could go dark on DIRECTV and DIRECTV STREAM. Nexstar is the largest US broadcaster of local television programming. Now millions will be without some of their local stations on DIRECTV, U-verse and DIRECTV STREAM.
DIRECTV accused Nexstar of demanding unjustified price increases in a statement sent to Cord Cutters News. “Nexstar has a track record of forcing outages in programming in an attempt to unnecessarily raise prices for everyone at the expense of the licensed and entrusted communities it serves,” said Rob Thune, DIRECTV’s chief content officer. “We will continue to work with Nexstar to reach an agreement and will take all necessary measures to provide our customers access to their favorite programs while protecting them from unjustified price increases.”
In a statement to Cord Cutters News, Nexstar has argued that they are only looking for a fair price. “Nexstar has been negotiating tirelessly and in good faith in an effort to reach a mutually acceptable multi-year contract with DIRECTV since May, offering the same fair market prices it has offered other distribution partners with whom it has completed successful negotiations in the past year. Nexstar routinely reaches amicable agreements to return transmission and transmission with its cable, satellite and telecom partners – in the past three years alone, the company has successfully completed agreements with more than 500 distribution partners.”
Both sides seem to be digging into a drawn out battle. For now, DIRECTV subscribers can at least get credit to help tune in to missing channels.
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