Earlier this month, DIRECTV lost rights to Nexstar-owned locals, including ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, because of a contract dispute. To help keep customers happy DIRECTV has announced that customers affected by the blackout will receive a one-time $10 credit.
If you have not claimed your credit, you should do it soon, as once the channels come back, you will no longer be able to claim your credit.
The catch is DIRECTV, U-Verse TV, and DIRECTV STREAM customers have to apply for the one-time credit as it will not be automatically included. If you are a DIRECTV STREAM customer, you can find how to request your $10 refund HERE. DIRECTV and U-Verse TV customers can get their refund by going HERE.
Just scroll down to where you can enter your zip code and select which service you subscribe to. After you find out if you qualify (you must have lost a local) you can follow the steps there to claim your $10 one time credit.
Here are the details about the refund as posted on the DIRECTV STREAM website: “Note: To receive your refund online, the email address you provide must be linked to an active DIRECTV STREAM account. You must also have a valid credit card or debit card as your payment method. Online refunds are not available for accounts paid with PayPal.”
In total, 159 Nexstar-owned local TV stations are now dark on DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and U-Verse. NewsNation has also gone dark on DIRECTV.
This comes as Nexstar warned customers late last week that their stations could go dark on DIRECTV and DIRECTV STREAM. Nexstar is the largest broadcaster in the United States of local TV programs. Now Millions will be without some of their local stations on DIRECTV, U-verse, and DIRECTV STREAM.
DIRECTV has accused Nexstar of asking for unwarranted price increases in a statement sent to Cord Cutters News. “Nexstar has a long track record of forcing programming outages in an effort to unnecessarily raise prices for everyone at the expense of the communities they are licensed and entrusted to serve,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer of DIRECTV. “We will continue to work with Nexstar to reach an agreement and will take all necessary actions to provide our customers access to their favorite programming while protecting them from unwarranted price increases.”
In a statement to Cord Cutters News, Nexstar pushed that they are just looking for a fair price. “Nexstar has been negotiating tirelessly and in good faith in an attempt to reach a mutually agreeable multi-year contract with DIRECTV since May, offering the same fair market rates it offered to other distribution partners with whom it completed successful negotiations in the past year. Nexstar routinely reaches amicable retransmission and carriage agreements with its cable, satellite, and telco partners—in the last three years alone, the company has successfully completed agreements with more than 500 distribution partners.”
Both sides seem to be digging in for a long fight. For now, at least DIRECTV subscribers can get a credit to help offset the lost channels.