Local ABC on DirecTV satellite but not stream

Hi there. We're sorry you're missing ABC. Can you confirm your ZIP code and when the issue started? Jona, DIRECTV Community Specialist

This issue is affecting all Directv Streaming subscribers and only Sat customers who have an ABC station that is owned by Disney Corp.

Different contracts. For streaming rights DirecTV's contract covers ALL ABC stations. For the satellite channels it's based on the channel's owner. 

My zip code is 31411.  I get the Disney dispute blackout screen when I select ABC or ESPN on DirecTV stream.  All my neighbors who have DirecTV satellite can still access ABC but ESPN is blacked out.  This doesn’t make sense to me.

Appreciate the additional details. We've confirmed that all streaming customers lost access to their ABC local affiliate stations due to different rights and restrictions. 

Thanks for chiming in! @Tiger593 @litzdog91 Jona, DIRECTV Community Specialist

Streaming providers (DirecTV Stream, Hulu, YTTV, Fubo) generally lump OTA channels like ABC and Fox in with their national counterparts like ESPN and FS1.

Older providers like DirecTV, Comcast and Charter generally lump OTA channels in with who owns the affiliate. If Comcast has a dispute with Nexstar or Sinclair, various Fox, CW, CBS, ABC or NBC channels could go out.

Naturally, the older providers don't like the deals the newer providers have made.

I have U-Verse and my ABC is fine. When DirecTV had recent spats with Nexstar and Tegna, I lost my NBC and CBS channels.

DTV uses the feed from the local channels to rebroadcast them to you.  If your local ABC channel is owned by Disney then it is gone, not owned by Disney then it is still on.

“Different contracts. For streaming rights DirecTV's contract covers ALL ABC stations. For the satellite channels it's based on the channel's owner. ”

if that is the case, why does a dispute with an affiliate owner like Tenga or Cox also affect Stream?  Shouldn’t the blanket agreement mean stream is unaffected in a Tenga dispute?

@baseballisback

Stream loses the local when the dispute is at the network AND the affiliate group level.  For instance, we lost ABC during a the Cox and Tenga disputes but also lose it during the Disney dispute.

Nothing said above makes sense as to why Stream loses the local in both scenarios.

Just contact your local broadcaster and inquire. They should be able to give you the exact reason.

@bcbsncjlj 

Clearly people HAVE been contacting stations and they all say that the issue is out of their control or that the negotiations are handled by Disney.  That still doesn’t explain why a Tenga or Cox dispute would affect carriage if a Disney dispute also affects carriage.. It should not be both.

You want the real answer, then contact them.

I think it is ABC and DTVS that are doing it because the locals are claiming not to be.

DirecTV does not restrict any content. They have no reason to hold out content. Voice your concern to the broadcaster.