The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers are currently playing Thursday Night Football in Charlotte, and the game is televised on NFL Network.
However, many Spectrum subscribers are tweeting that they’re getting alternate programming on NFL Network instead of the game. Rather than Bucs-Panthers, (at least some) Spectrum users are getting an NFL Network “Top 10 Hail Marys” list/show.
@GetSpectrum @nflnetwork don’t know who’s fault it is but whoever it is this has happened to many times now, I’m either going to get rid of spectrum or nfl network, lemme know which one. pic.twitter.com/gVUbqsS1pH
— qrt67+2 (@suckmedrippy) September 13, 2019
What is happening @Ask_Spectrum @NFL @nflnetwork? The network is just some top 10 list and not the game. When I try and watch through the NFL app, spectrum now has some error message. pic.twitter.com/ryNBQTozFh
— Ryan Hasenauer (@RyanH7681) September 13, 2019
@Ask_Spectrum what’s this?? Nfl network shows the game is on the guide but not on it?? pic.twitter.com/5SlITKFC0s
— Spurs Mafia Mac (@MacPenMedia) September 13, 2019
Wait. Why is NFL Network airing some Top 10 BS in Greensboro on Spectrum?
— Cameron (@CABrafford) September 13, 2019
@Ask_Spectrum why is the NFL football game not on NFL network like it says on my guide
— Brandon Todd (@BrandonTodd216) September 13, 2019
@Ask_Spectrum dude why am watching nfl Network but its plays top 10 instead of the game!!!
— Hooch (@QBwinzz) September 13, 2019
@Ask_Spectrum why is the nfl game not on tv? I’ve sent you a DM and haven’t gotten a response. Just switched to spectrum this week to get NFL games. Not a great start
— Jaryd Salazar (@Jaryd251) September 13, 2019
There’s also a subscriber reporting that it even varies on televisions within their own home, and another says they get the game through their cable box, but not the streaming app:
@nflnetwork seriously!!!!
Why is it that in my living room on spectrum cable channel 346 I can watch the game.
But in the bedroom, channel 346 is a top ten TE list on NFL Network????— Neutron Man (@PHBuckeye) September 13, 2019
@Ask_Spectrum got a stupid question for you. How come the NFL network on the spectrum streaming app isn’t showing the game that is currently on but the spectrum channel on my cable box is showing the game?
— Ryan (@RyTweetsSports) September 13, 2019
The Spectrum support Twitter account tweeted that they’re “currently investigating reports of the NFL Network showing alternate broadcasting.”
We are currently investigating reports of the NFL Network showing alternate broadcasting, we apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
— Ask Spectrum (@Ask_Spectrum) September 13, 2019
That same account told one annoyed subscriber that Spectrum “does not have any control over the content that a broadcaster shows,” and “if they changed the programming it would be up to the NFL Network.”
Hello, I apologize but we do not have any control over the content that a broadcaster shows. If they changed the programming it would be up to the NFL Network. I apologize for the inconvenience. -STS
— Ask Spectrum (@Ask_Spectrum) September 13, 2019
So, unless this is just a massive blunder with the NFL Network programming specific to Spectrum, it would seem this is the NFL putting pressure on Spectrum over a contract dispute. Refusing to show the second Thursday Night Football game of the year (and the first one specifically on NFL Network; Week 1 was on NBC) is certainly a way to get the point across.
This comes after ESPN blitzed AT&T viewers with ads, Bottom Line ticker updates, and streaming blackouts for Monday night’s Broncos-Raiders game.
