Fox and DIRECTV have announced they have signed a multi-year agreement that will enable the satcaster to continue carrying Fox-owned local affiliates in 18 markets as well as FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, Fox Deportes, and Fox Soccer Plus.
“Fox Corporation and DIRECTV today announced a multi-year renewal of FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, Fox Deportes, Fox Soccer Plus, and retransmission consent for each of the Fox Television Stations across DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and U-verse,” Fox says at the web site, KeepFox.com, which was established to spotlight the carriage dispute.
The two sides had engaged in a public war of words since last Sunday when Fox began posting viewer alerts that DIRECTV, DIRECTV Stream and U-verse could lose the Fox-owned local affiliates in 18 markets as well as FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, Fox Deportes, and Fox Soccer Plus. The network said the deadline for a new deal was Friday, December 2 at midnight.
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However, after the midnight deadline, the channels remained on DIRECTV and the TV Answer Man learned that the two sides had agreed to a short-term extension.
With the new deal, DIRECTV subscribers in the 18 Fox-owned markets can be assured of watching Fox’s continued coverage of the NFL, college football championship season, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, the agreement does not include 12 Mission-owned Fox stations (and 13 other network affiliates) which were removed from DIRECTV on October 21 due to a separate carriage dispute.
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— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
