Want to review "Game of Thrones" or "Veep" this weekend with your extra summer time? You may need to plan another service if you have Dish Network's satellite service or broadcast TV on Sling TV.

HBO and Cinemax went unnoticed for the subscribers of both providers in a dispute over programming between Dish Network and AT & T, owner of both premium cable companies as a result of its merger with Time Warner earlier this year. year.

Dish, who owns and operates the Sling TV streaming internet service in addition to its traditional satellite service, claims that AT & T has leveraged its channels to charge for it "at a guaranteed number of times. subscribers, regardless of the number of consumers subscribe to HBO. "

"AT & T is multiplying free offers for wireless customers and cutting prices for streaming services, trying to force DISH to subsidize HBO on AT & T platforms," ​​said Andy LeCuyer, senior vice president. of Dish's programming, in a statement. . "This is the anti-competitive behavior that critics of the AT & T-Time Warner merger warned us about. All pay-TV companies should be concerned. "

HBO, meanwhile, claims that Dish has abandoned them, telling USA TODAY that Dish was responding to "our attempts in good faith with unreasonable terms," ​​adding that Dish "suppressing the services of their customers was becoming a bargaining tactic far too much. current for them. "

In a statement provided to USA TODAY, Keith Cocozza, spokesperson for WarnerMedia, said the company had offered to let Dish continue to carry HBO according to the company's "existing conditions".

Cocozza told USA TODAY on Friday afternoon that HBO was still sending its signal to Dish subscribers but Dish was preventing its customers from accessing the channel on TV or via the HBO Go app.

WarnerMedia is the AT & T division created for its entertainment companies following the merger with Time Warner.

The premium cable channel has since launched a "Keep My HBO" website to encourage Dish or Sling TV users to subscribe to its streaming service at $ 14.99 per month from HBO or to add HBO or Cinemax to another streaming service such as PlayStation Vue, Prime Video, Hulu or DirecTV from AT & T now.

In addition to DirecTV, AT & T holds the competitors of Dish, DirecTV and U-Verse.

The latest in the new trend of negotiations on cable and satellite

Disputes between content providers and cable and satellite providers are not uncommon as companies try to negotiate new offers. Last year, a dispute between CBS and Dish led CBS to remove some of its satellite provider channels and football fans. miss a match between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.

In 2012, two years before AT & T bought them, a dispute between DirecTV and Viacom led to the removal of channels such as MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon from DirecTV systems for nine days, while the two companies were negotiating.

The HBO statement states that it is the first time in more than forty years of business that it is failing to reach an agreement with a distributor.

While this may be true, Dish points out that the withdrawal of HBO and Cinemax comes just months after the judge's approval of the $ 85 billion merger of AT & T with Time Warner. The Justice Department has taken legal action to block the deal, fearing that AT & T will have too much control over how Americans can look at Time Warner's content and on what platforms they could do it.

The department is currently appealing the victory of AT & T, claiming that the decision in favor of AT & T was found only by "the mistaken ignorance of the fundamental principles of the Economy and common sense ".

AT & T, however, accuses Dish and the GM of working together, or even extending it to this latest conflict with HBO.

"The Justice Ministry has been working closely with Dish as part of its unsuccessful lawsuit to block our merger," Cocozza said in a statement sent to USA TODAY. "This collaboration continues to date with Dish's tactical decision to abandon HBO, not the other way around.The Justice Department has failed to prove its claims on HBO during the trial. and then dropped them on appeal. "

Dish is hoping to go to arbitration with AT & T, with the restoration of HBO and Cinemax access as companies settle their disputes. Of course, AT & T recommends that Twitter users access its "Keep My HBO" website to find other ways to get channels.

Dish Network indicates that Dish and Sling TV users who currently subscribe to HBO or Cinemax will receive credits on their bills during the conflict period.

It is not known how long the current dispute will last. In the meantime, consumers lose access to the channels as the two companies argue.

Follow Eli Blumenthal on Twitter @eliblumenthal

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