Millions of NBA, NHL, and Golf Fans Won’t Be Able To Watch High-Stakes Matchups Due to Carriage Dispute
More than 50 Scripps channels go dark on DIRECTV as the two companies stall on carriage talks
If you’re a DIRECTV customer, you might experience some pretty nasty headaches trying to watch some of the most exciting live sporting events in the near future.
DIRECTV and Scripps, which owns dozens of local TV stations across the country, are locked in a dispute right as the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, and U.S. Open Golf Championships are getting underway. As a result, 51 local stations went dark on DIRECTV on May 31, 2026, leaving millions of sports fans following these major events scrambling.
“Scripps is demanding the highest rates DIRECTV has ever received from a station group, which would dramatically raise costs for consumers and businesses already struggling with affordability,” DIRECTV said in a statement provided to CableTV.com. “After DIRECTV declined those demands and sought a more reasonable agreement, Scripps chose to remove its stations from viewers in several major markets nationwide.”
Of course there's a Scripps dispute the minute there's the Stanley Cup Playoffs with DirecTV/DirecTV Stream. And there's a price hike at the same time? Classic. 🚮 #DirecTVStream pic.twitter.com/B1uP700ASS
— Miss Mahlia (@MissMahlia) June 1, 2026
The Stanley Cup Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes began on June 2. The NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks start on June 3. And the U.S. Open tees off on June 18.
The NBA and Stanley Cup finals will air on ABC, while major sections of the U.S. Open air on NBC.
Among the 36 markets that, at least for the time being, no longer have access to their local ABC and NBC stations are Baltimore, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Salt Lake City, and Tampa-St. Petersburg.
@DIRECTV you are effectively screwing with my ability to catch both the hockey and the basketball finals fix this with SCRIPPS
— M (@MLostandFound) June 2, 2026
DIRECTV and Scripps blame each other
As with any disputes like this, both companies are throwing barbs at each other in the media. DIRECTV suggested it’s Scripps’ fault that customers are losing out on channels ahead of a very busy time in live sports, and that it’s only doing so to make more money.
“Broadcasters like Scripps continue to accumulate exclusive control over local sports teams and other civic content, only to then deny viewers access at times of peak demand,” DIRECTV said. The satellite and live TV streaming provider added that these practices are “in hopes of enriching their bottom lines.”
Meanwhile, Scripps CEO Adam Symson went hard at DIRECTV in an interview with Awful Announcing. He claimed that DIRECTV doesn’t care about its customers, but rather its shareholders.
“Rather than rationalize their lineups and end the carriage and payment for a bunch of zombie channels owned by bigger multibillion-dollar conglomerates that have leverage over them, they are screwing with the consumer and what the consumer actually wants to watch, which is broadcast television, local journalism, and local sports,” Symson said.
He also framed DIRECTV’s claims that his company was charging too high of rates as “nonsense.”
“We have never had industry-leading rates … and I would argue that [DIRECTV’s] being very disingenuous in describing what we’re seeking as ‘the largest rate increases they’ve ever been asked for,'” Symson said. “It’s just nonsense.”
@EWScrippsCo I know you want us to think that @DIRECTVhelp is the problem with the dispute just like with @xfinity 2 months ago. No. You Scripps are the issue. You want more $$ and then DirecTV and others can listen to the customer complaints around rising costs. Not buying it.
— JakeC (@JackC405) June 1, 2026
Despite the tough talk, both sides say they’re willing to resolve the dispute.
“Scripps remains committed to reaching a fair resolution that restores our local stations to DirecTV’s paying subscribers,” Scripps said in a statement to CableTV.com.
DIRECTV said it will “continue to fight on behalf of its customers by seeking a reasonable compromise with Scripps.”
CableTV.com verdict: Capitalism hurts sports fans the most
If I were a customer in any of the 36 markets looking forward to watching any of the sporting events mentioned earlier, I’d be incredibly frustrated by this DIRECTV-Scripps dispute.
I’ve written about a few of these disputes now, and it’s always the same: Company A wants more money, Company B doesn’t want to pay that much, channels go away. It’s business, sure, but it’s the customers who are left stranded.
It’s probably impossible to avoid signing up for a TV provider that’s immune to these kinds of disputes. After all, there’s a lot of money in not only live sports, but also other types of local programming. In this case, both Scripps and DIRECTV are giving their customers alternative ways to watch their local ABC, NBC, and other channels. So there’s that, at least.
But should they have to resort to that? I’d argue no. That being said, if you’re an NBA, NHL, or pro golf fan, you can look into a digital antenna to watch the upcoming championship competitions, or give other live TV streaming services a spin while DIRECTV and Scripps work it out.
And, you can always check out DIRECTV’s tool for customers missing channels. It allows you to enter your ZIP code and see whether you qualify for a credit.
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