AT&T TV now known as AT&T TV Stream is one of the most popular live TV streaming services available. It provides several channels, many of which are regional sports networks (RSNs). That being said, there is one RSN that is notably missing DirecTV Stream, namely NESN, which is the leading regional sports network for fans of the Boston sporseveralhis article will give more specifics as to whether DirecTV Stream offers NESN and some other methods through which one can watch NESN.
What is NESN?
NESN stands for New England Sports Network which is a regional television network situated in the Boston region. The company is the official broadcaster of Boston Red Sox baseball games and also the Boston Bruins ice hockey games for New England audiences. NESN also includes pregame and post-game programs as well as other regional sports discussion and entertainment shows. This has made it an essential channel for those who are fans of such professional sports teams in the New Enaudiencesgion.
Yes, the DirecTV stream of post-games is part of its programming lineup for users who wish to watch sports channels.
However, it is quite disappointing that DirecTV Stream does not offer NESN as part of its channel package in any of its packages. This has been the case since the service was rebranded from AT&T TV and was launched in early 2020. So, the subscribers of the DirecTV Stream cannot watch this RSN if they are fans of the Red Sox, Bruins, or NESN’s other programming.
Why is DirecTV Stream not streaming NESN?
The reason why DirecTV Stream does not have NESN might be due to rights problems that have not yet been resolved. Namely, DirecTV (and its parent company AT&T) may not have secured a carriage deal with NESN to be added to the DirecTV Stream channel lineup.
However, in the absence of a contract between the streaming provider such as DirecTV, and a network, they are not legally allowed to broadcast content from that network. Contract issues have made some networks unavailable on some of the streaming platforms in the past due to contractual issues.
As for whether and when DirecTV and NESN may agree and bring the RSN back to the DirecTV Stream, it remains unknown. As for now, fans cannot get NESN if it is a necessary channel for them to watch.
Alternatives for Streaming NESN
Since DirecTV Stream has excluded NESN from its lineup, what other options are there for streaming NESN in New England? Here are a few of the top platforms to consider:
1. fuboTV
Unfortunately, there are no streaming services that provide access to NESN without DirecTV, and fuboTV might be the closest match. This sports-centered live TV streaming service offers NESN in combination with thousands of other national and regional sports channels. The Pro plan costs $69. 99 per month and allows you to watch NESN and NESNplus.
2. YouTube TV
YouTube TV is one of the best streaming platforms for cord-nevers around Boston to watch NESN. YouTube TV does provide NESN and NESNplus for $64. 99 a month. It also provides many other popular national cable channels so you do not lose that extra variety of content.
3. Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV costs $69. 99 monthly and offers Hulu users a chance to stream over 75 channels and on-demand content. Hulu’s service allows sports enthusiasts to enjoy live NESN broadcasts of Red Sox and Bruins games throughout the season, and when there isn’t a game on, they can watch Hulu Originals.
Conclusion
To conclude, unfortunately, there is no DirecTV Stream that offers NESN in any of its channel lineups. This puts the fans of Boston pro sports teams in a position where they cannot watch most games of their favorite teams through this streaming TV provider. However, there are other options like fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV that enable cord-cutting from traditional pay TV but still allow for streaming of NESN live. Of them, one of these services will better cater to New England sports lovers than DirecTV Stream.
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