Dish Network subscribers could find themselves without access to some Nebraska sports coverage for the foreseeable future.
Dish dropped a number of Fox channels Thursday afternoon, including Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2 and Big Ten Network. The move also affects subscribers to the Sling TV streaming service.
BTN said in an email that it could mean Dish subscribers will not be able to watch the Nebraska volleyball team’s match at Illinois on Friday night.
This Saturday’s football game with Ohio State is on ABC and would not be affected. And it appears next week’s game with Northwestern also would not be affected since it’s on the main Fox Network, at least in Lincoln.
Fox Network affiliates are not available on Dish in several large cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Minneapolis and Washington.
In a statement on a website it created called KeepFox.com, Fox said Dish, “elected to drop Fox networks in an effort to coerce us to agree to outrageous demands. While we regret this is Dish’s preferred approach to negotiating, we remind our loyal viewers that the Fox services are widely available through every other major television provider.”
In a news release, Dish Network characterized the situation as Fox blocking access to its channels to Dish subscribers and said Fox rejected a short-term contract extension so negotiations could continue.
Dish said Fox is demanding a double-digit percentage rate increase for carriage of its local channels and also is attempting to “force bundle” its local channels and unrelated cable networks to get more money and gain negotiating leverage.
“Taken together, Fox’s actions are profoundly anti-consumer,” Andy LeCuyer, Dish senior vice president of programming, said in a news release. “Fox is raising prices and turning its back on its public obligation to provide channels to consumers for free. It’s clear that Fox cares more about padding its bottom line than serving its viewers.”
He called the decision to pull channels during college and pro football season adding “insult to injury.”