Will DirecTV’s New Deal With WeatherNation Leave The Weather Channel In The Cold?
The Weather Channel doesn’t think so, even though the No. 1 satellite service dropped it on January 14.“We have resumed discussions with DirecTV and hope to resolve our differences,” says Weather Channel rep Shirley Powell. But DirecTV strengthened its bargaining position today by reaching a multi-year agreement to offer WeatherNation. The deal “ensures our customers will have a service that is fully committed to providing all weather related information all the time,” DirecTV Chief Content Officer Dan York says. “The overwhelmingly positive comments we’ve been receiving from customers made the decision to extend our agreement easy and expedient.”
Related: TWC Pushing Public Safety Image After DirecTV Blackout
DirecTV wanted to cut its payments to Weather Channel, saying that the channel too often offers reality programs such as Deadliest Space Weather and Coast Guard Alaska instead of the latest local weather. But TWC – owned by NBCUniversal, Blackstone Group and Bain Capital — wanted a penny increase. Pay TV providers pay an average of 13 cents per subscriber per month for Weather Channel, according to SNL Kagan data. WeatherNation President Michael Norton says his company is “looking forward to being a primary TV destination for instant access to the latest weather news, radar imagery, forecasting and severe weather coverage for years to come.”
Related:
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TCA: Weather Channel Tells Critics DirecTV Is Putting Americans At Risk
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