AT&T U-Verse drops NFL Network & RedZone

[stevegrab]

Well this blows, more games by the TV providers. Not sure of their reasoning, but I know it won't lower my bill, even though I lose a channel. 

 

Sucks for those NFL Network exclusive games and the NFL Replay games. Otherwise I didn't watch NFLN that much, the occasional analysis show.

 

I don't think this is a short term dispute, that will work it out eventually like most others. Sounds more like a permanent decision to stop carrying those channels. Some say it is done in spite as the NFL looks to find a streaming partner for their Sunday Ticket package. 

 

link

[Shorttynaz]

Time to drop em.  

[Dcat]

Does this apply to DirecTV?  AT&T owns DirecTV.  

[Dcat]

Apparently this does not apply (yet) to DirecTV Satelite.  Only to DirecTV Now.

 

AT&T has informed DirecTV Now and U-Verse TV customers that they no longer have access to NFL Network.

In a website posting, AT&T said both the NFL Network and the Red Zone Channel remain available on DirecTV satellite-TV service. “However, as we continue to manage content costs, we could not reach an agreement with the NFL to continue to carry their channels on U-Verse TV and DirecTV Now,” the posting said.

[stevegrab]

55 minutes ago, Shorttynaz said:

Time to drop em.  

 

I dropped Dish some time ago because of

- the dish and occasional poor reception

- looking to bundle with new internet carrier

- getting away from all of their stupid disputes

 

Then with U-Verse I had one of my worst disputes, think it was 2017 opening weekend of March Madness CBS was pulled in a carriage dispute (cannot agree on price). That was a hassle, but got an antenna and dealt with short term issue. Now this, losing a channel I watch less frequently but where there are things that may not be easy to get elsewhere (live NFL games). Its only a few games, and not very good ones, and if it involves the Browns I'll have it on OTA.

So for now I'm probably staying. (Also hate the time effort and hassle of searching for new options and getting the change done, plus the many hours on my DVR I need to suddenly binge watch or delete.)

 

[Shorttynaz]

With so many TV options (satellite/cable/streaming) these companies act like we 'need' them.  I have DirecTV (Satellite) and have had them since 2003.  We have 5 TV's in our house, but only the living room has DirecTV.  The others are either smart TV's or have Roku sticks.  Between Netflix, PLEX, and a few other shared accounts (HBO / Hulu), there really is no need for cable/satellite anymore.  If my bill weren't $29.99 a month, I would drop them.  My wife called last August to cancel our service due to a bill that was over $100/month.  They ended up giving us (again) the NFL Ticket - full package, 6 months of HBO, and dropped our bill to $29.99 for 12 months.  If they can't do something similar this August, welp - deuces!! 

[stevegrab]

One TV, one person, I love the simplicity of setting things to record and sitting down to view things on DVR. When I start thinking about trying to do streaming, what channels I need, what I watch, how the DVR fits in, etc. it starts to seem like work, and I hate turning my entertainment into that. Also already starting to see the streaming services raising rates as they get more popular, is Hulu + Netflix + whatever else I need really going to cost me less than my U-Verse?

 

I may reach my tipping point some day, maybe talking more and seeing how the streaming crowd lives will help. Few people I know have gone that route. 

[DMD]

I too have been on DirectTV since around 2001 or so and only because they had NFL Sunday ticket. Where ever that goes, I go.

[boltnlava]

These disputes rarely are forever. Look for them to patch things up. Possibly soon. Since I need to stream any content anyways and my internet is set at premium as well...I get cable from my carrier as well. It is rare you beat the packages you can get and have the same access you used to without them. I fight with them every year and get an OK deal for the most content on their service as possible. I know I'm paying more than the average person for somethings but I do enjoy a wide range of entertainment. My experience is that they will settle sometime in the near future. Until then complain your as s off and watch your bill go down.

Edited April 17, 2019 by boltnlava
missed word

[MTSuper7]

48 minutes ago, stevegrab said:

is Hulu + Netflix + whatever else I need really going to cost me less than my U-Verse?

 

Almost 100% sure the answer will be yes, and it won't even be close. It all depends on what you really need, but Amazon Prime, Hulu and NetFlix are collectively under $50 per month (Prime is a lot more than video streaming too). If you went basic cable + internet vs. a real TV package with any provider, you are probably saving more than that.

[boltnlava]

10 minutes ago, MTSuper7 said:

 

Almost 100% sure the answer will be yes, and it won't even be close. It all depends on what you really need, but Amazon Prime, Hulu and NetFlix are collectively under $50 per month (Prime is a lot more than video streaming too). If you went basic cable + internet vs. a real TV package with any provider, you are probably saving more than that.

Wouldn't that depend on the internet speed you buy? Streaming requires a hefty speed and the more devices you use the more speed you'll need. there is no easy answer to this question imo. There is no doubt you can divide and conquer for cheaper. It is a fact. The catch is your location and your desire to use multiple devices or not. Especially at the same time.  You reach a high tier in the internet spectrum you will get deals that rival some, not all, deals separately. Like I said before: this depends on your entertainment needs. Mine are high. If you want basic service plus a couple of premium channels then streaming is for you. Just get the best high speed internet you can afford.  Unless you like buffering and interruptions. I don't And do pay a little more. Netflix is awesome and I have that service. I've found though they do not cover a lot of things and if it's on a network currently It is spotty at best. 

[Shorttynaz]

45 minutes ago, boltnlava said:

Wouldn't that depend on the internet speed you buy? Streaming requires a hefty speed and the more devices you use the more speed you'll need. there is no easy answer to this question imo. There is no doubt you can divide and conquer for cheaper. It is a fact. The catch is your location and your desire to use multiple devices or not. Especially at the same time.  You reach a high tier in the internet spectrum you will get deals that rival some, not all, deals separately. Like I said before: this depends on your entertainment needs. Mine are high. If you want basic service plus a couple of premium channels then streaming is for you. Just get the best high speed you can afford. 

I forgot about this..  Working from home where my employer pays premium plan for me it's a cost I forget about. 

[League_Champion]

DirectTV absolutely sucks but I can't live without the NFL Sunday Ticket. I'll probably keep it.

[Shorttynaz]

17 minutes ago, League_Champion said:

DirectTV absolutely sucks but I can't live without the NFL Sunday Ticket. I'll probably keep it.

I actually like DirecTV - but maybe that's cause I'm just used to it

[League_Champion]

10 hours ago, Shorttynaz said:

I actually like DirecTV - but maybe that's cause I'm just used to it

 

I do like the content even though they've cut a few channels of late. It's the customer service that's horrendous. 

[Big Country]

I dropped Uverse last year, switched to Spectrum for Internet and now just use Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu (with the live option). I have not missed anything about Uverse. Granted, I don;t care about Sunday Ticket as with my kids schedule I'm never home on Sundays much anyway so I'm fine just watching whatever game happens to be on Sunday or Monday night when I am available.

 

Went from $200+/month for the Uverse everything plan to paying just over $100/month for much faster internet (went from the maybe 20MB max speed we could get from Uverse to 400MB from Spectrum), more content than I can catch up with and overall just been real pleased with it. It took me a long time to take the plunge but now I kick myself for not doing it sooner.

[stevegrab]

Thanks for the feedback guys, maybe I've got too much disposable income, because there isn't enough pain now from the current fees to get me to try and change. 

 

I recall going from gaming on console systems to PC gaming over modem with a friend. Every time we played it was more like work, trouble shooting things, modem settings etc. Decades later we're gaming on XBox and still have some major headaches getting games to work consistently. That all turns me off from the various streaming options which I perceive to have more complexity and pitfalls for headaches than my current TV setup. 

[League_Champion]

22 hours ago, Big Country said:

I dropped Uverse last year, switched to Spectrum for Internet and now just use Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu (with the live option). I have not missed anything about Uverse. Granted, I don;t care about Sunday Ticket as with my kids schedule I'm never home on Sundays much anyway so I'm fine just watching whatever game happens to be on Sunday or Monday night when I am available.

 

Went from $200+/month for the Uverse everything plan to paying just over $100/month for much faster internet (went from the maybe 20MB max speed we could get from Uverse to 400MB from Spectrum), more content than I can catch up with and overall just been real pleased with it. It took me a long time to take the plunge but now I kick myself for not doing it sooner.

 

I'd love to make the switch. How/where do you watch the NFL? Do you have to pay per game? Thanks 

[stevegrab]

1 hour ago, League_Champion said:

 

I'd love to make the switch. How/where do you watch the NFL? Do you have to pay per game? Thanks 

 

You could probably get Fox/CBS/NBC with a simple antenna if close enough. That leaves just ESPN and the NFLN games. And I thought I've seen that some of the streaming providers have local channels. 

 

 

[League_Champion]

4 hours ago, stevegrab said:

 

You could probably get Fox/CBS/NBC with a simple antenna if close enough. That leaves just ESPN and the NFLN games. And I thought I've seen that some of the streaming providers have local channels. 

 

 

 

That stinks. I need to see every game. I live in a small market where we get The Panther games. I HATE the Panthers! I wish we could just pay per view the games we want. 

[Big Country]

6 hours ago, League_Champion said:

 

I'd love to make the switch. How/where do you watch the NFL? Do you have to pay per game? Thanks 

 

Like I said, with my kids schedule, I'm hardly home on Sundays, so I'm fine catching whatever happens to be on NBC/CBS/FOX/ESPN. With Hulu Live, you get all the local channels plus quite a few ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports channels that I really have not missed anything since making the switch,

[CowboysDiehard]

On ‎4‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 10:56 AM, Shorttynaz said:

With so many TV options (satellite/cable/streaming) these companies act like we 'need' them.  I have DirecTV (Satellite) and have had them since 2003.  We have 5 TV's in our house, but only the living room has DirecTV.  The others are either smart TV's or have Roku sticks.  Between Netflix, PLEX, and a few other shared accounts (HBO / Hulu), there really is no need for cable/satellite anymore.  If my bill weren't $29.99 a month, I would drop them.  My wife called last August to cancel our service due to a bill that was over $100/month.  They ended up giving us (again) the NFL Ticket - full package, 6 months of HBO, and dropped our bill to $29.99 for 12 months.  If they can't do something similar this August, welp - deuces!! 

 

No shait?  If I give you our account number would you have her call them for me?

[League_Champion]

1 hour ago, Big Country said:

 

Like I said, with my kids schedule, I'm hardly home on Sundays, so I'm fine catching whatever happens to be on NBC/CBS/FOX/ESPN. With Hulu Live, you get all the local channels plus quite a few ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports channels that I really have not missed anything since making the switch,

 

Thank you. You've given me something to think about. I'm ignorant to the whole "streaming" think. I need to do my home. 

[Shorttynaz]

1 hour ago, CowboysDiehard said:

 

No shait?  If I give you our account number would you have her call them for me?

 

I think the reason she got that was due to the $3 Whole-Home DVR Service that we're getting billed.  She called to complain about getting charged a fee that makes no sense as to why we should have it.  "We canceled service to every TV except one.  Why am I continuously billed a fee for Whole Home DVR when my whole home to Direct TV is one TV.  Seems pointless."  I was in the background and I acted like I was pissed.  Kept telling my wife to stop talking to this guy and just ask for the cancellation department as I'm done with them and just want to cancel our service.  My wife was on the phone apologizing for me being an ass in the background.  She was super nice with the guy on the phone, I was purposely being a dick in the background.  About 15 minutes later, she asked me if I was fine with a $30 bill for the next year - Free NFL Ticket and Free HBO.  Will I please quit yelling then?  haha.  It worked!  

 

I can tell you this.  On July 27th, if they cannot keep my bill around the same $30 it is now, we will no longer have DirectTV. 

 

 

 

EDIT:  Not pictured in that screenshot is another $3 monthly credit to cover that stupid fee I was complaining about.  So I lied to you all.  My bill is $30.99/month, not $29.99/month.  

Edited April 19, 2019 by Shorttynaz

[League_Champion]

1 hour ago, Shorttynaz said:

 

I think the reason she got that was due to the $3 Whole-Home DVR Service that we're getting billed.  She called to complain about getting charged a fee that makes no sense as to why we should have it.  "We canceled service to every TV except one.  Why am I continuously billed a fee for Whole Home DVR when my whole home to Direct TV is one TV.  Seems pointless."  I was in the background and I acted like I was pissed.  Kept telling my wife to stop talking to this guy and just ask for the cancellation department as I'm done with them and just want to cancel our service.  My wife was on the phone apologizing for me being an ass in the background.  She was super nice with the guy on the phone, I was purposely being a dick in the background.  About 15 minutes later, she asked me if I was fine with a $30 bill for the next year - Free NFL Ticket and Free HBO.  Will I please quit yelling then?  haha.  It worked!  

 

I can tell you this.  On July 27th, if they cannot keep my bill around the same $30 it is now, we will no longer have DirectTV. 

 

 

 

EDIT:  Not pictured in that screenshot is another $3 monthly credit to cover that stupid fee I was complaining about.  So I lied to you all.  My bill is $30.99/month, not $29.99/month.  

 

Dam Shortty, I'd pay you to negotiate my next DirectTV contract. Good work out of you!