DirecTV Now Drops NFL Network

AT&T has informed DirecTV Now and U-Verse TV customers that they no longer have access to NFL Network.

In a website posting, AT&T said both the NFL Network and the Red Zone Channel remain available on DirecTV satellite-TV service. “However, as we continue to manage content costs, we could not reach an agreement with the NFL to continue to carry their channels on U-Verse TV and DirecTV Now,” the posting said.

The announcement follows AT&T’s major revision and pruning of DirecTV Now programming tiers last month.

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AT&T trimmed the number of DirecTV Now bundle options from four to two, upping the price of the base tier from $45 a month to $50 a month, while trimming the channel selection from more than 60 networks to 47.

AT&T subsequently reached a carriage renewal agreement with Viacom and added six of the conglomerate’s channels to the the virtual MVPD’s base bundle.

Bloomberg reported last month that the NFL is seeking a streaming platform for its "NFL Sunday Ticket" out-of-market game package, which it currently distributes exclusively through DirecTV's satellite platform.

“We’re having great discussions with DirecTV and AT&T,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told Bloomberg News. “We’ve had a 25-year partnership and we want to continue that partnership, but we also are looking to see how we can change the delivery.”

Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!