The Weather Channel, after a nearly three-month hiatus, will return tomorrow (April 9) to DirecTV customers, the satellite giant said Tuesday.
DirecTV dropped the channel on Jan. 13, claiming it had drifted from its weather forecasting roots and focused more on reality programming. DirecTV replaced The Weather Channel with upstart weather network Weather Nation and signed a multi-year deal with that network on on April 2.
Terms of the new deal were not disclosed but in a statement DirecTV said TWC has agreed to “reduce reality programming by half on weekdays; return instant local weather and allow authenticated DirecTV customers to watch The Weather Channel’s video programming on multiple devices inside and outside the home.”
“Our apologies to DirecTV and their customers for the disruption of our service and for initiating a public campaign,” Weather Channel parent Weather Company CEO David Kenny said in a statement. “Our viewers deserve better than a public dispute and we pledge to reward their loyalty with exceptional programming and more weather focused news.”
“It’s a shame these disputes are played out on a public stage, but I’m pleased that we’ve been able to work together with The Weather Channel in a way that will benefit everyone,” said DirecTV chief content officer Dan York said in a statement. “I know this was frustrating for many of our customers, but their patience was ultimately rewarded with a better deal and a better product.”
