Fox and DirecTV Reach Last-Minute Deal to Avoid Blackout
DirecTV and Fox Networks reached a last-minute agreement Monday to avoid a blackout that would have included FX, several regional sports networks and other Fox-owned cable channels, The New York Times reports.
"Fox Networks and DirecTV have reached an agreement for DirecTV to continue carrying all Fox Networks," the two companies said in a joint statement. "We both know the past 10 days have been challenging, but we're pleased that both sides could eventually come together to ensure our viewers continue to enjoy Fox programming."
Kurt Sutter takes on DirecTV over possible blackout with choice words
Fox and DirecTV had been engaged in a public battle since Oct. 21. Fox claimed that DirecTV sent the company a proposal that stipulated that Fox agree to their pricing terms or else DirecTV's 19 million subscribers will lose access to more than two dozen Fox cable. DirecTV claimed that Fox was seeking a 40 percent increase in subscriber fees. They came to an agreement just nine hours before the Nov. 1 deadline.
In the days leading up to the possible blackout, Kurt Sutter — the creator and executive producer behind FX's Sons of Anarchy, took to his blog to share the script of a promo he had written himself, but had not been approved or filmed. "Starting November 1st, DirecTV is pulling FX from your box. That means you'll miss the last five episodes of Sons this season. Perhaps five of the most critical episodes of the series," he said. "I know Fox has a horse in this race, but they're trying to negotiate in good faith. DirecTV is shutting down all conversation and using their customers as leverage. In the process, you're getting f---ed over. They're running ads with their corporate shill telling you how much 'they care about your business,' that dude's got one sincere hand on his heart while the other greases your unsuspecting backside. Because they're about to flip you over and f--- up the a-- till you bleed."
DirecTV has 19 million subscribers.
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