2023 Australian Open

CYA…standard corporate blah…blah. in the huge market of TV viewing options…it doesn’t take much for someone to go somewhere else. Loyalty will only go so far. ESPN’s coverage of the Australian Open is a joke. 

@Gatorgirl12 

It may be "blah blah" for you, but no TV provider can guarantee any channel. They don't own that content. So that clause has to be in the Terms of Service (ToS) because of some viewers who would be fast and loose with their belief that if a channel or program is listed once that they are entitled to it forever.

So yes in a manner of speaking it is CYA to combat some people's undeserved sense of entitlement. If you don't like it, well as you said it doesn't take much to go somewhere else.

There are only a couple reasons I still have Directv. One is the TCM channel that is now available on HBO Max. The other is the coverage of  Tennis "opens" that Directv has had in the past, but is now on ESPN+. I am not as disturbed about the lack of coverage of the Australian Open since I did not plan to stay up all night to watch it, but if this is the way it is going to be for Roland Garos, Wimbledon and the US Open, I am thinking it is time to change cable providers...

I understand losing a channel here or there but quite the contrary your statement is over generalizing what has changed - sports experiences going forward are non existent not just the Australian Open.  And again,  Sunday ticket is now with you tube. My point being I did not mind paying a subscription fee to direct tv that was commensurately higher than other cable providers or streaming services because I received content that distinguished it from he others.  if you do the math you are now paying more for what any other provider could provide so.....

NFL Sunday Ticket is a seasonal subscribed charged in addition to your monthly service. If DirecTV doesn't acquire it for the next season, or you just choose not to get it, then you aren't paying for it. It going away would not lower your regular monthly bill as not part of it to begin with.

Some sports may have changed, but there is still a lot of content available. It just depends on which ones you watch if DirecTV is still the right option or not. If what you watch is available through another provider for cheaper, and you don't have issues with the delivery method, then do what you must. Doing the "math" is not the same for everyone as we don't all watch the same things. But all TV providers increase costs, including streaming providers as they are starting to catch up as can no longer sustain their early low rates.

@Juniper wow 😳

Well I will be joining the 500K subscribers in second quarter 22 and 400K subscribers that left in third quarter 22 that have left direct tv.  I am sure 4th quarter will be equally as bad.  You tube TV is where I am heading

@Gatorgirl12 

AT&T doesn’t have a say in DIRECTV anymore (or if nothing not a 100% say as TPG needs to be involved).

Actually, advertisements are still coming out. Although, they definitely aren’t what they used to be in the 2010-2015 mark.

If DISH is better for you, no one is stopping you from cancelling. Why pay for a service that is too expensive for your budget and has the equivalent amount of channels (that you need) 

on a different provider? 

@Gatorgirl12 

Was not AT&T's plan to tank DirecTV. From what I've observed, they bit off more than they could chew. Systems and billing models so different that it was a very rough acquisition. Mistakes made along the way, and then Covid happened before it could truly smooth out.

As such, they have involved a new co-owner. Though AT&T retains 70% ownership, they are letting the new entity take over management and control of DirecTV (and DIRECTV STREAM as well). Hopefully this migration goes a lot better, but still has time to tell either way.

If you need to switch providers for your budget or channel selection, then go ahead and do so. None of us are stopping you. We each make the viewing choices that best suits us. If you want to cancel, then call DirecTV to do so. Threatening or musing to join other subscribers doesn't affect anything as this is a public forum, not official support.

Some on this “customer” forum, have mentioned budget more than once. Budget has nothing to do with it. I have the full package of channels with DIrecTV. I don’t mind paying this price because of the channels I was getting….the biggest one they offer to residents.  I haven’t paid for the NFL package for a couple years or more….yep added for “free”. And no, I didn’t get a huge increase in my monthly bill to hide this freebie. So money has nothing to do with it. As for using Covid as a reason, falling flat again. DirectTV carried these additional channels, that started this whole discussion, DURING the pandemic from a country that had the strictest of lock downs. Don’t know what they had to iron out after the buy out…but still not a valid reason. 

This was a corporate decision plain and simple. Many of us think a bad one, but as some others have so clearly pointed out, it was theirs to make. Still doesn’t stop us from not liking it. 

DTV has no say in what a channel carries and it appear that ESPN decided not provide the feed to the 901 channels.

Some on this “customer” forum, have mentioned budget more than once. Budget has nothing to do with it.

Well budget and channel selection are the two biggest reasons for anyone considering switching TV providers. So that was more of a general statement to cover all.

Yes this is a customer to customer forum. Quotations does not change that, as much as you may be trying to imply otherwise.

As for using Covid as a reason, falling flat again.

Legitimately Covid has affected practically all companies. Only saying it is part of the situation, not the whole of it. So it is valid as much as you seem to want to ignore it.

I respect that you don't like the situation. Be it channels DirecTV may not carry, or the programming you want is not on the channels they do (which TV providers have control over, such as they cannot tell ESPN what to do with their broadcast choices). So either enjoy the channels and programming you do have or just go somewhere else.