Yankees Fans Face Potential Blackout Over YES Network, DirecTV Dispute; Deal Between Network And Provider Expires Friday At 11:59 P.M.

Yankees Fans Face Potential Blackout Over YES, DirecTV Dispute

April 1, 2011 4:20 PM

YES Network’s DirecTV fans may be in the dark as of 11:59 p.m. Friday. (Photo by Michael Heiman/Getty Images)

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NEW YORK (WFAN) – If you were watching the Yankees’ home opener Thursday afternoon, you probably noticed a commercial on YES urging fans to “be heard” in the network’s ongoing contract battle with DirecTV.

An updated video posted to the YES website ominously states, “Attention DirecTV subscribers: The YES Network’s current agreement with DirecTV expires tonight. Starting tomorrow you may lose your entire season of Yankees baseball on YES.

“We’ve been working diligently towards new deal but despite our continued negotiations, DirecTV may cease to carry the YES network. We’re doing everything we can to resolve this situation and ensure a full season of Yankees baseball on YES.”

As of 11:59 p.m. Friday, the TV home of the Yankees and Nets will be without an agreement with DirectTV. Whether YES will actually be pulled off the air is unclear.

“DIRECTV plans to keep the channel up while we conclude these negotiations,” said the satellite provider in a statement. “However, if the channel should go dark for any reason, make no mistake that it was solely the decision of YES Network to take the channel away from DIRECTV customers.”

The statement continues, “If YES Network goes dark, MLB Extra Innings and NBA League Pass customers will continue to see Yankees and Nets games but will not have access to the YES Network feed. In most instances DirecTV will provide the opposing team’s feed for these packages. If you receive YES Network as your local RSN, unfortunately these games will not be available.”

The YES Network responded on Thursday: “We are negotiating in good faith with DirecTV in hopes of resolving this matter quickly.”

DirectTV asserts YES wants fees that are “significantly higher” than what traditional cable providers pay.

“This will get resolved if YES agrees that DIRECTV should pay the same amount as the other three dominant TV providers in the market (Comcast, Time Warner & Cablevision),” the company said. “DIRECTV customers should not be forced to pay a penny more for YES Network.”

Yankees fans with DirecTV, let your voice be heard in the comments below!

Yankees Fans Face Potential Blackout Over YES, DirecTV Dispute

Herbert B manning

l
Fed Up

Thank you again, Yankees, for treating your loyal fans like dirt. Thank you for waiting until Opening Day to let us know so you can use us all like monkeys to do your negotiating for you. Thanks for pricing me out of actually attending games and thenr pulling the games off my directv, which I cant cancel without a penalty, so you can get leverage and get even richer. Why dont I just send my unemployment checks directly to ARod and Jeter and just find a new hobby?

bruce

i will say goodbye to directv if they take the yes network off. i pay to see the yanks network only on mlb package.

Gio

Shane on the guilty party. Instead of bending over backwards to please the fans/consumers who patronize the product they have to sell and without whom they would have nothing, they are holding us hostage!

Shame on two very wealthy corporations who would use such bullying tactics especially at a time when most Americans are struggling and when many don’t even have jobs. What about the military who are stationed around the globe and depend on satellitte to watch their Yankees? Are you going to hold them hostage too??

As for siwtching carriers, that’s a temporary fiix, because when their contract with the Yankee Goliath is up, the same bullying tactic will be used and you will be switching again.

Has no one learned the lesson that GREED DOES NOT PAY in the long run? Just ask Bernie Madoff. Better yet, talk with the Mets’ brass to see what happens to corporations who deal with his type.

How about settling this dispute with integrity, fair play , and concern for the people without whom you would be nothing?
len bass

The first game I loose I call Verizon fios
CHARLES ROBERTS

TRY TO UNDERSTAND BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY BEFORE CHARGING AGAINST THEM.

James Santiago

Money leave my pocket every month..Its real hard for me to hear and side with someone’s stance with someone doing this in my so called best interests when I dont want them to pull a channel AT ALL !

Pauly

I agree it’s unfair that DIRECTV should pay more than cablevision,etc…for the
YES network but it can’t be nearly as expensive as losing all the subscribers
that will walk if YES disappears…Get it Fixed!…
Buddy

If YES goes dark on Directv, then Directv goes dark in my house.
Raymond Scelzi

I agree with all the rest. Not only will you be losing me, you will be losing a lot of sports fans. Yes is the only contact we have with NY sports and our favorite Yankees. I’m sure I am not the only New Yorker residing out of the state. GOOD BYE CHARLIE!
Susan

I changed from cablevision to Directv when they dropped the Yes channel. I have been a Directv viewer eversince and want to remain so. If you drop the Yes channel you will lose me as a customer as well as otherr Yes faithfuls. Compromise!!
Bonnie W.

We subscribe to Directv solely for YES. We have Comcast for cable and internet as well, so will drop Directv if we lose YES.
VICKI

HAVE BEEN A VALUED CUSTOMER FOR OVER 6 YEARS. IF YOU LOOSE THE YES NETWORK YOUR GOING TO LOOSE NOT ONLY ME AS A CUSTOMER BUT HUNDREDS OF OTHERS.

ETR

I’m a Yankees fan and DirecTV won’t lose me.

ron cantiello

no yes good by direct tv
NJGary

I’m a HUGE sports fan which is the primary reason I subscribe to DirecTV; they’re access to all sports in glorious HD is unbeatable. So I’m also an MLB Extra Innings subscriber which means I’ll still see all the games with one added benefit…no more HOMER calls from the Yankee broadcast booth or championship season commercials assaulting my ears every few minutes. Go dark YES; go dark.
Erika

As everyone else has said, if Direct TV loses YES, they lose me and everyone else I got to switch from cable!!!
Joe Mack

Which party is at fault? You know, it really doesn’t matter all that much … and that is an unfortunate reality of this situation. It would appear that the more `guilty’ participant in this dispute is YES, though I have had some issues with directv over the 10+ years I’ve been a subscriber. Nonetheless, for me, the main features of directv are the NFL Package and YES. If I don’t have YES during the baseball season, I’m gone in a heartbeat (to Cablevision). I’ll return for the NFL … if there is an NFL next season. That’s just the way it is.
Mike

Why should I pay a premium just to have YES Network? If YES cared at all about the Yankee fanbase, they wouldn’t be risking most of the season’s games just to put few extra bucks in their fat wallets. This reflects poorly on a franchise already known to be ridiculously greedy. So what is it, YES? You gonna put the Yankee’s season in jeopardy? Thanks.
Paul

I own a bar and grill in ny. If we can’t watch the yes network and Yankees games.business down tubes.if no yes I dump direct TV.
Nate

YES network should charge the same fee to all the companies. It might be good for me to stop watching Yankee baseball for every game like I have for the past 45 years just like I gave up my Yankee tickets when they moved to the new stadium and tried to triple the price I was paying. I love the Yankees but this is too much.
Eva Mytko

I HAVE DIRECT TV BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY TV SYSTEM THAT CARRIED “YES” I JUST MOVED FROM NEW YORK TO SOUTH CAROLINA & I NEED TO SEE MY YANKEES. I’VE BEEN THRU THIS BEFORE W/CABLEVISION IN NY. IT TOOK SO LONG & I HEARD TOO MANY STATEMENTS WHICH JUST WERE NOT TRUE.
PLEASE—PLEASE—PLEASE GET THIS SETTLED SO WE CAN ALL ENJOY THIS SEASON.
THANK YOU
Larry

Hey Directv if I lose YES, I’m firing YOU!!!!

John

I’m with you Larry, I lose YES and Direct TV loses me to Dish.

NIcole

Just so that everyone is aware, Dish network does not carry the Yes network either. They also stopped carrying Msg on October 1st so hopefully this gets resolved quickly.

Ben V

I dumped Dish to get Yes on DirecTV – if they lose Yes, they lose me too

Rich

Is there a cancellation fee for the one or two year commitment you made when you decided to switch to Directv?

Mort

This sucks, they just need to figure out a solution. Sounds like the NFL lockout. Billionaires vs millionaires, with the real losers being the fans that support them both!
barry k

direct tv, is the pits i am from new york and live in florida, the main reason i got directtv, is yes network, if they lose it , they will lose me to
Jay

Once again, greed is ruling the day, and the customers/fans pay the price. Personally, I’d be willing to pay a premium for YES if they could eliminate those ridiculous blackouts.
CHUCK

Not good news for sports bars and restaurants that usually rely on Direct TV for their sports packages.