Last month, when DIRECTV NOW launched their PLUS ($50) and MAX ($70) plans, the NFL Network was surprisingly missing from both packages. The channel had been added to their legacy Just Right, Go Big, and Even More last August, just ahead of football season.
Now, it appears due to a contract dispute — NFL Network will no longer be available to customers on those grandfathered plans. While the dispute will also affect AT&T U-Verse customers, those DirecTV satellite customers will still be able to get the channel. The channel is available on Sling TV ($25), PlayStation Vue ($50), and Fubo ($55).
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get $10 Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| NFL Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
In a statement, AT&T shared:
“The NFL Network and RED ZONE CHANNEL® remain available to all fans on DIRECTV. However, as we continue to manage content costs, we could not reach an agreement with the NFL to continue to carry those channels on U-verse and DIRECTV NOW.”
Just last month, AT&T had a contract dispute with Viacom, who threatened to pull the channels from the service. After reaching a new deal, the channels remained on legacy plans and were added to the PLUS and MAX plans. It doesn’t seem as likely that it will be the case this time around.