YouTube TV drops Boston regional sports network NESN
At the end of September, a dispute with Sinclair cut off YouTube TV’s deal for Fox regional sports networks across the country, and as October comes to an end it’s also dropping Boston network NESN. NESN broadcasts games for the Red Sox and Bruins, as well as local college sports.
An first reported by The Streamable, an email just went out to subscribers notifying them of the change, saying “Unfortunately, we were unable to reach a new agreement to continue offering you this network. Starting Saturday, October 31st, 2020, NESN will no longer be available on YouTube TV, and you will no longer have access to any previous recordings from NESN.”
In a statement posted to Twitter, NESN described its side claiming that “Despite offering our most favorable rates and terms for carriage, YouTube TV chose to deny fans our top-rated programming on October 30th.” NESN notes that the options for internet TV access to the network are now limited to AT&T TV Now or Fubo TV, as it also doesn’t have a deal with Sling TV or Hulu.
It’s the latest tough break for subscribers who want those channels, particularly after YouTube TV raised its prices this summer. However, with most of the sports in between their seasons, there’s time for a new agreement to be reached before the leagues figure out when and where they’ll play next.
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