What Is The Best Way To Request That A Particular Local Station Be Added To Those In One's Zip Code?

Hi, @SativaGummi. We appreciate your input. DIRECTV is constantly evaluating the channels it carries and values customer feedback. DIRECTV is looking into ways to bring these matches to all Denver streaming and satellite subscribers. Meanwhile, you can catch all the action by subscribing to the Altitude+ app. For game schedules, visit 2024-25 Denver Nuggets TV Schedule | DIRECTV Insider

Arlyn, DIRECTV Community Specialist

@SativaGummi 

I wish to request that it BE included.  What is the best way to proceed? 

There is no set process to request a channel. All you can do is mention interest, as you've done here in their forum or even by calling and the rep notes it on the account. That way it may be caught whenever they might searching trends.

In the meantime a local antenna may be an option to get the free broadcast in the area.

Be aware that carriage negotiations for a new channel are not quick (if they happen at all). Also it depends if by your address the channel is considered in your Designated Market Area (DMA) or not. You cannot just choose what locals you want as that is regulated by the FCC as lobbied by the local affiliate owners.

Per DIRECTVhelp:

"DIRECTV is looking into ways to bring these matches to all Denver streaming and satellite subscribers."

If this is true, that's all I can ask.

Juniper:

"In the meantime, a local antenna may be an option to get the free broadcast in the area."

I can get the channel via an indoor antenna hanging from my living room ceiling.  GETTING the games is not so much the issue as RECORDING the games, as I am typically not available for the games, live, and have the cloud DVR set to record all such games which I routinely watch early the next morning, as I am a VERY early riser. 

If the local channel were included in my lineup, the games would, of course, be automatically recorded, regardless of which channel they were on.  I do not own an OTA DVR and would be reluctant to spend the $100 dollars, just to solve this problem, which Altitude and DTVS really should solve FOR me.

Hopefully they get an agreement to provide the channel eventually. Just understand they have no obligation to solve this for you as it is their choice (both DirecTV and the channel owner), assuming you are located within the channel's DMA of course.

Altitude could also just stop blocking those games on DTVS per their PREEXISTING agreement with DTVS.  This would in no way hurt the viewers who would not, otherwise, be able to access the games and are, now, getting these particular games via free, OTA TV.  It, also, does not significantly hurt KTVD-20 Denver, since DTVS customers would represent only a tiny minority of viewers in the Denver market.

It is not as simple as that. If altitude has decided to deliver some games on a denver local, and you are not in the denver DMA, DirecTV is not allowed to deliver that local to you, it's a federal regulation. I am pretty sure your local NBC station is KUSA and they have excusive rights to NBC programming in your DMA which means you cant have KTVD via satellite because that's an NBC channel.

Streaming services might have KTVD because they don't go by the same rules.

The easiest solution would be for Altitude to simply stop blocking the games to Channel 681, which violates its carriage agreement with DTVS, which stipulates that ALL games be made available to DTVS subscribers, not just SOME of them.  Also, according to one report, IIRC Tenga is working on getting KTVD on DTVS, so it must be possible.

There is no stipulation that all games must be available. They still have their rules on blackouts and what broadcasting rights may be for individual games or teams.

If a local within your DMA gets the rights to the game, then it is blacked out on the Regional Sports Network (RSN) for you.

Games can be sold off, as example MLB sold off games to Apple TV a while back.

Within said rules, nobody in the country is obligated every game.

This matter has, now, been fully handled.  Ultimately, Altitude Sports made it possible to stream the games, otherwise, exclusively broadcast on KTVD-20 Denver, using my DirecTV Stream login credentials on their Altitude Plus streaming app.  This was a fair way to resolve the matter, though it took a little while to occur.

Now, between the Altitude Plus app for streaming games live and the Tablo OTA DVR for recording them, I have covered all angles . . . at the $70 cost of the Tablo and a lot of annoyance.

All in all, it would be nice, if the streaming services, sports leagues, networks, and RSNs did not invest all their imagination in creating problems for their customers.

I suspect a lot of these rules are going through a (very) slow migration from their intention for traditional broadcast TV over-the-air (OTA) and cable/satellite to streaming becoming more common. In the end it is not they want to create problems for customers, but they want to maximize profits. We consumers are just a means to an end.