When SEC football moved from CBS to ABC and ESPN, fans couldn’t have foreseen the issues that it would cause during the 2024 season. DirecTV and Disney are embroiled in a dispute over carrier fees and on Sunday night it caused DirecTV users to miss the SEC/Big Ten matchup between No. 12 LSU and No. 23 USC.
As the dispute continues, Georgia fans will be at risk. The DirecTV blackout includes ABC and all other Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, ESPN+, and the SEC Network where Georgia’s Week 2 matchup against Tennessee Tech will be broadcast.
🚨 Attention @SEC fans:
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) September 2, 2024
If you are a @DirecTV customer, you no longer have access to SEC games and coverage on @espn or @SECNetwork.
As negotiations continue in an effort to restore ESPN programming to DirectTV, be reminded that other major TV and streaming providers like…
In a desperate attempt to resolve the issue, DirecTV has reached out to conference commissioners including the SEC’s Greg Sankey, pleading for Sankey to help resolve the conflict and allow DirecTV to end the blackouts in the heart of college football season and with the NFL season fast approaching.
In their on-going dispute with Disney/ESPN, DIRECTV sent a letter to commissioners of the power conferences seeking their help. Here’s the one that went to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey pic.twitter.com/el4cSajaF2
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 3, 2024
If DirecTV and Disney are not able to sort out their dispute by Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET when the Bulldogs and Golden Eagles are kicking off in Athens, then Georgia fans with DirecTV will either miss the game or be forced to pay for ESPN+, which is likely the goal of Disney in this particular dispute.
Four of Georgia’s remaining 11 regular season games are scheduled to appear on ABC, including the team’s Week 3 trip to Lexington to face former Georgia quarterback Brock Vandagriff and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Georgia’s other ABC games include the Week 5 trip to Tuscaloosa, the November 2 matchup with Florida, and the final game of the regular season against Georgia Tech at Sanford Stadium.