More than millions of Dish users will stop getting access to the HBO and Cinemax due to non-agreement over carriage fees.
This will be the first time in the history when the HBO will remain off the air on one of its distributors after telecommunication company has controlled the channel functioning.
HBO, that hosts premium programs like ‘Games of Thrones’, ‘Last week tonight with John Oliver’ and ‘Silicon Valley’ was in good terms with its distribution partners ‘Dish and Sling TV’.
The biggest corporate company AT&T that has also owned DirecTV, a competitor of Dish TV has now gain a control over HBO functioning. The main dispute is for the charges paying by Dish Network for carrying HBO and Cinemax. This standoff will affect more than 2.5 Million users and act like a bad dream for public relations with AT&T.
The phone giant company has acquired Time Warner cable after spending more than a year battling for it in the U.S Justice Department. The channels included in the TWC includes HBO, CNN, Warner Bros, and Cartoon Network.
According to the government, the AT&T merger with TWC will lead to higher prices for consumers and president Trump has also shown his apathy. During the trial, Dish TV officials have asserted against AT&T.
Fracas is the latest in the list of programming blackouts as cable and satellite TV providers are already dealing with the growing interest of users towards streaming service. So far, 99 programs go dark this year. Last year, it was 213 and only 8 in 2010.
Dish, Colo-based Company has a fame in the television industry for its contract negotiations. Thousands of Dish users have lost CBS signal and Univision channels in last three days.
Dish TV claimed that the Blackout by HBO is totally due to the AT&T takeover and Time Warner conditions. HBO, on the other hand, is blaming Dish for offering unjustified proposals that are simply funny in terms of negotiating tactic for satellite TV provider.
They don’t want to occupy oneself in non-serious negotiation said by Sutton, HBO president, and chief revenue officer.
AT&T acquisition of TWC has changed the phone company to world’s largest entertainment arena with a good reputation in the marketplace. There is another alternative available for the rural users who want to step back from Dish TV. They can subscribe to DirecTV by signing up on the page.
DirecTV and Dish TV are struggling to keep the customers hold to their services.
Dish believes that AT&T is going to weaken the competition by bringing Warner Media streaming service that includes HBO. HBO itself has a stand-alone service by the name of HBO Now. AT&T acquisition of Time Warner properties has made it possible to influence and exert pressure on the pay-TV providers.
The dispute has been incited by AT&T by offering the free HBO services on some platforms. At the same time, AT&T is demanding huge fees from the distributors to carry HBO.
According to Andrew LeCuyer, Dish VP of programming, the practice done by AT&T is totally unfair and not according to competition. On one side, it is offering free HBO on certain platforms and on another side, it is demanding an unrealistic fee from other distributors.