DirecTV And Tegna End Their Standoff
(RTTNews) - Video distributor DirecTV and media company Tegna (TGNA) resolved their six-week impasse on Saturday by signing a multi-year deal, driven by the imminent NFL playoffs.
The standoff, which began on November 30, centered on the fees DirecTV must pay to carry Tegna's 64 TV stations. Upon reaching an agreement, Tegna's TV stations will be reinstated on DirecTV satellite service, DirecTV Stream service, and U-verse cable service.
In a joint statement, the companies expressed gratitude for the patience of their subscribers and viewers. DirecTV added, "We will continue to collaborate with station owners and networks to align the price customers pay with the value they receive."
According to recent analysts' estimates, DirecTV has approximately 12 million subscribers in the U.S., with about 5 million affected by the standoff with Tegna. These subscribers missed many significant TV events, including Sunday Night Football, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting, and the season finales of The Voice and Saturday Night Live.
Earlier, DirecTV and Tegna had a similar standoff in 2020. Last year, DirecTV had a disagreement with Nexstar stations, whereas Tegna also faced the same kind of dispute with Dish Network in 2022.
