Once again, Disney—owner of ABC, ESPN, Hulu, and more—is in a major carriage dispute with a TV broadcast partner. This time, it's DIRECTV, but in recent years, similar disputes have occurred with Spectrum, DISH, and YouTube TV. Not surprisingly, this is happening during football season. If you are a DIRECTV customer, it is now your turn to find a workaround for this roadblock.
Here is how you can still watch pro and college football. You will need to navigate some fine print but a priority is still a priority. These options might just be worth it.
Fubo carries Disney networks, and right now, you can go to fubotv.com/deal to start a free 7-day trial for either the Pro or Elite with Sports Plus packages. After the free trial, you’ll get $30 off your first month. In addition to this discount, DIRECTV will give you a $30 credit, making it feel like you’re getting a $60 discount—though this is a one-time offer. After the first month, the regular price for Fubo will apply.
Be aware that Fubo isn't transparent about its regional sports fees (RSNs). You must create an account with your contact information before you can see the cost. The RSN fees depend on the number of networks you receive: if you get one RSN, it costs an additional $10.99 per month, but for two or more, it will cost $13.99 per month. Roku users signing up for Fubo via the Roku app pay an additional $14 per month across the board for one or multiple RSNs.
Sling Orange also carries Disney networks. You can sign up at sling.com/directv. Like Fubo, DIRECTV will credit you $30 toward Sling, but this is a one-time offer.
This option does not include a discount off your DIRECTV bill but if you love pro football and don’t already have one of these two apps it might be time to take the field.
The regular NFL+ app is $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year, and includes live local and primetime regular-season games plus the playoffs. You can see current scores, in-game highlights, drive charts; plus get breaking news and analysis.
The NFL+ Premium app is $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year and delivers on value. It includes everything in the regular NFL+ plan plus full game replays, condensed game replays, and access to the NFL Red Zone live coverage plus 24/7 football news and analysis.
Sling Orange and fubo will give you access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Regional Sports Networks, Disney Channel, Freeform, and more. The DIRECTV credits for either option went live September 7 and should appear within two months of signing up for either option. For college games as well as NFL pro games these are good options.
The NFL+ apps are a great idea if you want pro team coverage at your fingertips around the clock.
With any luck, the Disney dispute with DIRECTV will end soon, allowing you to cancel any additional services. However, these disputes are becoming more frequent as content providers like Disney negotiate with broadcasting platforms over the fee the carrier will have to pay Disney to carry its content. Disney and other, meanwhile, have premium content available exclusively through paid subscription their own branded apps. Disney content is a key draw for platforms like DIRECTV, making the fees to carry it and the competition for customers a source of ongoing contention that is not likely to disappear soon.
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