Cable and Satellite TV Blackouts – 2024

What DirecTV is blacking out on ABC and ESPN

US Open Tennis as well as, popular ABC shows like Dancing with the Stars, The Golden Bachelorette, 9-1-1, Grey’s Anatomy and Abbott Elementary will all be blacked out on ABC.

NFL and College Football season has started and the Cable and Satellite TV blackouts follow. Maybe they should call it the blackout season as opposed to football season.Here are some of the major NFL and College Football games blacked out by DirecTV Satellite on ABC and ESPN:

• NY Jets versus San Francisco 49ers
• Atlanta Falcons versus Philadelphia Eagles
• Jacksonville Jaguars versus Buffalo Bills
• South Florida versus Alabama
• Tennessee versus NC State
• LSU versus South Carolina
• Texas A&M versus Florida
• Georgia versus Kentucky

Why do Cable and Satellite have so many blackouts and rate increases?

First, it’s important to understand why these Cable and Satellite TV price increases happen. In short, the Pay TV Service Providers (Comcast Xfinity, DirecTV, Dish, etc.) pay the Content Providers (Disney, Time Warner, Paramount, etc.) for their channels. These major Content Providers keep raising their rates. They also force TV Providers to buy channel bundles as opposed to A La Carte channels, so this is the real problem with TV. 

What are Cable and Satellite Retransmission Fees?

No matter what your Cable and Satellite provider tells you, the reality is, anyone that sticks with Cable and Satellite will actually have more blackouts, higher rate increases and much bigger bills. Pay TV prices and blackouts will only get worse. Why?

Over 7 million people Cut The Cord from Cable & Satellite in 2023, yet TV Content Providers continue to raise prices, so there are a lot less Cable & Satellite customers around to pay for these price increases. Cable & Satellite will not only have higher rate increases but they will be happening more frequently, usually in the form of sneaky fees, bait & switch pricing and locked in contracts.

Live TV Streaming Services also have blackouts and price increases

Although live TV streaming services (YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu Live, Fubo) will always have a lower price point than Cable or Satellite. They too have the same dysfunctional relationship as Cable & Satellite TV providers. Live TV streaming providers will have blackouts and bill price increases as well.

Streaming services with local network channels like YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu Live, Fubo will always be more expensive, have more rate increases and more blackouts. Streaming services wo local networks Frndly, Philo or Sling (with ESPN, Disney, FX, etc) are way less expensive, when paired with an Antenna for free local network TV and no blackouts. That being said, YouTube TV is the best replacement for the ABC/ESPN blackout on DirecTV Stream, if you live in an apartment and cant install an antenna.

Local Networks, Sports and Cable News, in that order, are the most expensive channels. So any TV service that has all the major network channels will always be more expensive and have more blackouts. This is why we highly recommend an antenna, since the FCC guarantees no blackouts and free TV forever!

Cable and Satellite TV NFL Blackout 2024

NFL is the most watched show or sport on TV and has been for years. Right at the start of NFL season DirecTV Satellite and DirecTV Stream is in a black out dispute with Disney. This means ABC and ESPN are blacked out, so no Monday night football for DirecTV customers.

Cable and Satellite TV NCAA Football Blackout 2024

Closely behind the NFL in viewership is NCAA Football. NCAA Football has kicked off. However DirecTV customers are getting kicked in the stomach, since they can’t watch any games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, etc. DirecTV is in a black out dispute with Disney, meaning ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, SEC and ACC Network are all blacked out on DirecTV Satellite and DirecTV Stream. In addition Big 10 Network is also being blacked out on Comcast Xfinity.

Cable and Satellite TV Altitude Sports Blackout 2024

Besides the local network channels Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) are the next most expensive channels. For over 4 years Altitude Sports (Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, etc) continues to be on a black out with both Comcast Xfinity Cable and Dish Satellite. Stay tuned to our Altitude Sports blog for any updates on how to get Altitude Sports.

History of Cable, Satellite and Live TV Streaming Black Outs

2024 has had more Cable and Satellite rate hikes, as well as channel blackouts. The most recent blackout comes from DirecTV Satellite Denver 7 ABC, ESPN, FX and Disney, plus Xfinity is blacking out Big Ten Network as well as Altitude Sports. We recently wrote a blog article that explains “Why Cable & Satellite prices will keep rising“. This is the same reason why Denver 7 ABC, ESPN, Big 10 Network, Altitude Sports and other channels keep getting blacked out on Cable and Satellite TV providers.

DirecTV Satellite has raised rates and blacked out major networks on 2 separate occasions in the last year. Just over a year ago, DirecTV Satellite and FOX 31 Denver argued about dividing up your subscription dollars with a blackout. Ending in January 2024, the DirecTV Satellite vs. Tenga dispute was finally resolved.

If blackouts sound familiar, it’s because it happens to Cable & Satellite hundreds of times a year. Industry experts say that Cable & Satellite blackouts and rate increases will only get worse in the future. An antenna is always your best option, since the FCC guarantees no blackouts and free TV!

Stop Cable & Satellite’s abusive cycle and get the same channels with REAL freedom and savings forever. Contact the experts at StreamWise Solutions to see how you can save $1,500 a year and take control back for good! We have written about this extensively in the past so here is a list of articles about past blackouts:

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Altitude Sports and more have been blacked out by Cable and Satellite

Here are just a few of the major blackouts that have affected local Denver, CO Cable & Satellite customers in the last few years.

• 2024 ABC, ESPN, SEC, ACC, FX, Nat Geo black out on DirecTV and what Disney has to say
• Big 10 Network is also being blacked out on Comcast Xfinity
• Altitude Sports blackout on Comcast Xfinity and Dish – this nasty fight has been raging for over 4 years with no end in sight.
• NBC channel 9 is currently blacked out on DirecTV.
• Viewers Deprived Of Critical Local News, Important Weather Updates, Women’s World Cup Soccer Matches, And MLB All-Star Game, Following DIRECTV’s Removal Of 159 Nexstar Local TV Stations
• Hot Blackout Action! DirecTV and Nexstar Wage Huge Broadcast Retrans Battle … in the Middle of Summer When Fewer People Are Watching
• HBO blackout on Dish 
• CBS blackout with DirecTV
• DirecTV FOX 31 Blackout 2022 – View Alternatives
• Dish Fox 31 Blackout – Get Denver Fox 31 Free!
• Denver 7 ABC and Dish blackout from July 2020.
• CBS Blackout Wars

The Only Way to Avoid Blackouts

The only way to avoid blackouts is to get a whole home HD antenna for FREE HD TV signals with no blackouts ever, as guaranteed by the FCC. To make sure you get all of your local network channels without interference we highly recommend a professionally installed outdoor or attic whole home antenna.

Denver channels CW 2, CBS 4, PBS 6, ABC 7, NBC 9 and FOX 31 and many more will never get blacked out. The national broadcasters and local affiliates must continuously broadcast free signals. Why? So that people can still receive emergency alerts from the Emergency Broadcast System. Because free TV signals are tied into the Emergency Broadcast System, those signals are required per the FCC.

Conclusion: Avoid Cable and Satellite TV blackouts in 2024

2024 has had more Cable and Satellite rate hikes, as well as channel blackouts. The most recent blackout coming from DirecTV is a big one during football season. Denver Channel 7 ABC, ESPN, SEC, ACC, FX, Disney and more are all blacked out on DirecTV Satellite and Direct TV Stream.

No matter what your Cable and Satellite provider tells you. The reality is, anyone that sticks with Cable and Satellite will have more blackouts, higher prices and bigger bills. Even the high end Live Streaming Services that have local network channels will see price increases and blackouts. This will only get worse unless you do something to change.

The only real long term solution to eliminating price increases and blackouts is to pair a TV Antenna (free local networks with no blackouts) with a less expensive Live Streaming service for Cable Channels (ESPN, FX, CNN, FOX News). That being said, if you live in an apartment and cant install an antenna YouTube TV is the best replacement for DirecTV Stream. It will get you ABC/ESPN blackout channels and over 100 total channels.

Stop Cable & Satellite’s abusive cycle and get the same channels with REAL freedom and savings forever. Contact the experts at StreamWise Solutions. See how you can save $1,500 a year, avoid blackouts and take control back for good!