Versus Receives A Small Blow From DirecTV

Sad news for Hockey fans, that have DirecTV as their cable provider. Versus is available in about 75 million homes, but DirecTV is considering dropping the channel within the week, which could drop that number by almost one-third. From Multichannel via TSB....

"In our contract discussions, Comcast has demanded a deal for Versus that is not comparable to other providers and is pushing for a significant rate hike that does not reflect current market terms or the value of its programming," DirecTV said in a prepared statement. "We will continue to try and negotiate a fair deal, but we intend to hold the line on our programming costs and protect our customers against these unfair demands that are both discriminatory and wholly unrealistic given current market rates. If we do not reach an agreement, the network will come down on Sept. 1 following the expiration of our contract with Versus."

The dispute comes weeks before the college football season is expected to kick-off - Versus is scheduled to air its first game (Texas vs. Wyoming) on Sept. 12. Versus also airs its first NHL contest on Oct. 1.

In a statement, Versus said that it is negotiating in good faith with DirecTV and hopes a deal can be reached soon.

"Since our last deal with DirecTV, Versus has added many marquee properties and has become the fastest growing sports cable network in the country," the network said in a statement. "Despite this tremendous momentum, we are offering DirecTV the ability to carry Versus the same way it does today at the market price for the network. We continue to talk and are hopeful that we will reach an agreement."

Well that's not good news at all. Versus has made a ton of strides with their programming, and with Hockey back in the National spotlight, it seems like they have more to offer than ever. Hopefully they can come to an agreement soon.

DirecTV, Versus Could Split By Next Week (The Sporting Blog)
DirecTV Could Drop Versus (Multichannel)