DirecTV to Credit Some Soccer, Baseball Sub Fees

Los Angeles Dodgers player Justin Turner during a 2019 regular season game.
Los Angeles Dodgers player Justin Turner during a 2019 regular season game. (Image credit: Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)

With most pro sports still in mothballs, including pro baseball and soccer, due to the pandemic, DirecTV said it will be giving its subs a break on the MLB Extra Innings and MLS Direct Kick.

DirecTV owner AT&T posted the news on its COVID-19 update website, adding that rebates it gets from programmers whose sports it paid for will be provided to customers.

"With the professional baseball and soccer seasons postponed or suspended, our customers who subscribed to MLB Extra Innings and MLS Direct Kick will receive credits for any payments already made toward their subscription and we have postponed future charges until we learn more from the leagues," said the company.

And for subs who may not prefer the version of either sport when it resumes under social distancing, it is giving the subs two weeks into those sports' respective returns to decide whether they want to cancel the subscription.

"We continue to monitor the situation closely and are in contact with programmers and sports leagues as they plan their next steps," said AT&T. "Any rebates we receive from programmers and sports leagues will be provided to our customers."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.