Georgia fans who are Dish Network subscribers were outraged Saturday night because they could not watch the Bulldogs' game at Colorado airing on Fox Sports South.
The blackout stems from Dish's ongoing dispute with Fox over the programmer's rate increases. Fox is blocking Dish's access to 19 Fox Sports channels, FX and the National Geographic Channel. Local affiliate Fox 5 could be gone Nov. 1.
Dish said this week it would make alternative channels available, enabling Bulldogs fans to see the game but not on Fox Sports South. That turned out not to be true. It appears Fox blacked out all Fox-produced games.
Dish spokeswoman Francie Bauer said she could not address what happened with the alternative arrangements, saying only:
"The blackout is a result of the Fox dispute. We're working to come to a fair agreement with Fox as soon as possible -- one that won't force us to raise our customers' bills."
Bulldogs fan Sharon Daniel, 60, said she was "fit to be tied." She had planned to watch the game with her son, who graduated from UGA and played in the band.
"Especially with A.J. Green playing tonight," she said. "I am really mad."
The blackout spoiled a party at Amy Rogers' home in Suwanee.
"We had a whole bunch of our friends get together to watch the game tonight," said Rogers, 26. "We had to go to Wal-Mart to get a radio to listen to it. It pretty much ruined our whole night."
David Huey, 33, of Marietta, said he called Dish Saturday morning to confirm the game would be on, and was told it would be. When he called back after kickoff , he said he was told, "You need to call Fox and complain because they're charging you too much."
Fox said in a press release the proposal it has offered Dish "is fair and in line with the tremendous value we provide." A Fox spokesperson could not be reached Saturday night.
Dish said Fox is asking for a transmission fee increase of more than 50 percent. That increase would have to be passed on to customers, according to Dish.
"Dish Network is not going to allow Fox or any programmer to bully our customers into paying such an unconscionable price increase," the release stated.
Dish believed it had come up with an alternative for the Colorado game. Dish had said it would put the game on channels most Atlanta subscribers don't normally get. But Dish subscribers were greeted with blackout messages instead.
Some fans ended up watching a live streaming broadcast on their computers.
Dish subscribers also will miss the Braves' regular-season finale Sunday on Fox Sports South.
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