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If you're counting on AT & T U-Verse TV or the DirecTV Now Streaming Service to watch the NFL Network Announces the 2019 League Program on Wednesday, you need to develop alternative plans.
"Our rights to provide the NFL network in your range of TVs have expired," said AT & T in a note addressed to customers of U-verse TV and DirecTV Now on its website. "We are sorry for any inconvenience.
"NFL and RedZone remain available to all fans on DirecTV (satellite service), but as we continue to manage content costs, we have not reached an agreement with the NFL to continue broadcasting their channels on U-verse TV and DirecTV now. "
The absence of RedZone should not be perceptible to consumers of U-Verse TV and DirecTV Now until September 8, the first Sunday of the season.
But in addition to the announcement of the NFL Network program, the league's co-owner chain has its non-exclusive coverage of the NFL's planned April 25-27 project.
Even if DirecTV's satellite viewers with NFL Network (available for those with the Choice and higher package) and RedZone (included with NFL Sunday Ticket Max) will not be affected, it is possible that this disruption is a collateral damage to a battle much more potential between AT & T and the NFL.
In an interview with Bloomberg on March 22, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said DirecTV's long-standing rights over the Sunday Ticket bouquet of television broadcasts of games outside the city may well end after this season.
"We have good discussions with DirecTV and AT & T," Goodell told Bloomberg. "We have a partnership of 25 years and we want to continue this partnership, but we are also looking to see how we can change the delivery. … we want it to be delivered on several different platforms. "
This suggested that the NFL would be splitting its Sunday Ticket rights between, for example, a traditional point of sale like DirecTV and an online service.
This could be DirecTV Now, which last year tested online streaming of the Sunday Ticket games in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Boston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Hartford, Connecticut, and Louisville, Kentucky.
But it could also be a point of sale such as Amazon, which has a streaming agreement for Thursday night games, or Verizon, which has a non-exclusive deal for the streaming of games on some mobile devices and computers.
Twitter @phil_rosenthal
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