Big Ten Network Among Fox Channels Now Dark On Dish Network
For millions of Dish Network and Sling subscribers, watching pro and college football got a little tougher. As of Thursday, local Fox channels went dark in 16 markets across 23 states along with select cable networks. And if there's one thing you don't mess with, it's people's ability to watch football.
The blackout comes as the Fox Corporation and Dish failed to reach a new agreement on a contract. The cable networks off the air include FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, Fox Soccer Plus, and Fox Deportes. Fox News is not affected. As you might imagine, both sides are blaming the other in the ongoing dispute.
Dish Network says that Fox is demanding a double-digit rate increase for carrying their local channels and are attempting to 'force bundle' its local channels and unrelated cable networks to gain more money. Meanwhile, Fox says that Dish Network dropped the Fox networks in an effort to coerce them to agree to outrageous demands.
The real loser in this is the viewers, especially if you like NFL and College Football. Many Dish customers weren't able to get last night's NFL game between Green Bay and Philadelphia. And what about future Iowa Hawkeye football games? This week's game against Middle Tennessee State is on ESPN2, but next week's battle against Michigan is on Fox. The good news is, for now, no local Fox stations in Iowa are affected.
[via USA Today]