Users Irked by DirecTV Now NFL Blackouts

Users of AT&T's new DirecTV Now streaming service say they didn't realize they wouldn't be able to watch some NFL games on their local broadcast channels. NFL fans watching last week's game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins found this out the hard way, when the local Fox channel bundled with the service failed to air the scheduled game. Users flocked to social media and Reddit to complain about the inability to watch the games.

Users that complain are being directed to this portion of the DirecTV Now website.

"Due to our agreements with sports leagues and associations, we are restricted from showing events near where a game is played or broadcast locally," notes AT&T and DirecTV.

"It's important to understand that sports blackouts and game availability are controlled by the leagues, associations and networks that purchase the rights to broadcast individual games. To protect their rights, DIRECTV Now must enforce the restrictions mandated by them."

The NFL blackouts aren't the only restriction imposed on the service thanks to licensing (though it's worth noting Sling doesn't appear to have this same problem). Users currently also can't get access to CBS content via DirecTV Now, since AT&T and CBS have yet to strike a new deal. Users also need to sign up for AT&T's traditional DirecTV TV service if they want access to services like NFL Sunday Ticket.

DirecTV Now users have also been irked by some technical hiccups in the service's first few weeks, though such headaches are fairly common with early streaming efforts. It's unclear if the restrictions in content and hiccups will hinder AT&T's expected growth for the new platform.