DIRECTV Satellite is not currently available for new customers in your area

[b4pjoe]

This is new it seems. Are they no longer allowing new satellite subscriptions anywhere. I tried several zip codes in Illinois and Missouri and got the same message.

 

[KyL416]

It looks to be market by market. I just tried some LA, Philly, Atlanta, Denver, Baltimore, Scranton, Vegas, Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, San Diego, Peoria and Birmingham zips and they worked, while NYC, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, DC, Detroit, Boston, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Cleveland, Hartford and St Louis didn't.

 

[John2021]

we just did a fake order and it let us go through with it!!!!!

https://www.directv.com/shop/dtvs/entertainment-package?isLocals=true

 

[John2021]

 

[b4pjoe]

It looks to be market by market. I just tried some LA, Philly, Atlanta, Denver, Baltimore, Scranton, Vegas, Seattle, Sacramento, Kansas City, San Diego, Peoria and Birmingham zips and they worked, while NYC, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, DC, Detroit, Boston, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Cleveland, Hartford and St Louis didn't.

Seems weird they aren't allowing new installs where I live. It is very rural and 80 miles from the closest city which is St. Louis.

 

[Nominal]

Yep, I noticed that too. Occasionally I browse the DirecTV site in a browser where I'm not logged in to see what new customers are offered. When I put in my zip code here in Houston I assumed that (as per usual) it would be to determine my locals and RSN eligibility, but I got this instead. It appears we're getting the U-Verse treatment.

 

[alnielsen]

I tried my suburban Chicago location and it didn't work for satellite. My mothers rural farm in Michigan (no internet access) did go through.

 

[Tom Speer]

That is interesting. With falling numbers of Satellite customers, they may be cutting the number of installation techs in certain areas, in order to cut costs. Streaming customers need less hands on tech support. They may also know something about the state of their spot beam satellite transponders. With an aging fleet of satellites, and no new sats planned, they are trying to slowly migrate their service to streaming over the coming years. The Gemini client is the bridge to streaming for us satellite customers.

 

[Bruce]

I live in a rural area of Florida, no luck, it is like they know I have gigabit from Charter currently.

 

[b4pjoe]

I live in a rural area of Florida, no luck, it is like they know I have gigabit from Charter currently.

They aren't just checking an individual address though. They are using whole zip codes where that they won't do new installs.

 

[Bruce]

They aren't just checking an individual address though. They are using whole zip codes where that they won't do new installs.

My guess, just not enough new installations for Satellite, probably starting to let people go, end contracts with dealers, etc.

 

[dishdude]

My guess, just not enough new installations for Satellite, probably starting to let people go, end contracts with dealers, etc.

Sure appears like they're starting to wind down satellite service.

 

[Bruce]

Sure appears like they're starting to wind down satellite service.

Considering the Satellite side of the company is down to, roughly, 7 Million, from the high of over 20 Million about 10 years ago, it looks like they are starting to make plans for the end.

 

[Bruce]

DirecTV CMO Vince Torres said that it sees the same problems that others in the media space have felt, primarily involving fragmentation and the increasing cost of content. How the MVPD plans on standing out in that fragmented space includes changing the way folks inherently view the company.

"Our biggest challenge now with breaking through the noise is telling everybody we're a streaming business. That's our focus. We've invested $400 million over the last few years to put forth a solution that we believe hits on what customers are asking for, but we're right smack in the middle of this streaming industry, and consumers need to know that," Torres said during a fireside chat at StreamTV Show.

DirecTV Wants to Be Viewed as a Streaming Company | Distribution | Cablefax

Video distributors have been forced to adapt to a declining subscriber base, and for DirecTV, that evolution involves getting consumers to view it as a different company than it was 5-10 years ago. Video distributors have been forced to adapt to a declining subscriber base, and for DirecTV, that...

www.cablefax.com

 

[Tom Speer]

Considering the Satellite side of the company is down to, roughly, 7 Million, from the high of over 20 Million about 10 years ago, it looks like they are starting to make plans for the end.

They have been making those plans since they announced they would not launch any new satellites. The current satellite fleet is good for another 5 to 10 years, if all goes well. They have been making long term business decisions, and will continue to do so. Personally, my DirecTV satellite package with loyalty discounts is very competitive with streaming. But I don't cost a lot to support. I haven't had a truck roll for my account in 15 years, except when they insisted on sending a tech out to hand me a C61K client, and make sure my system was all set for 4K.

I will stay a DIRECTV satellite customer as long as I can.

 

[cpalmer2k]

I live in what I'd consider a pretty rural part of SC and our zip code is no longer eligible according to the site for DirecTV satellite sign ups. That's surprising- Spectrum has expanded here, but there is no fiber and Wireless 5G is very limited and spotty. I guess they're banking people can sign up for StarLink, but parts of our area is currently sold out with it too due to Helene.

 

[Bruce]

I live in what I'd consider a pretty rural part of SC and our zip code is no longer eligible according to the site for DirecTV satellite sign ups. That's surprising- Spectrum has expanded here, but there is no fiber and Wireless 5G is very limited and spotty. I guess they're banking people can sign up for StarLink, but parts of our area is currently sold out with it too due to Helene.

Obviously, the next steps, will be trying to switch people to the streaming side, for example, if you have a issue that requires a truck roll, they will try and switch you instead, specially since they will have no one to send out.

They will be next, then people who need a replacement box, regular Satellite subscribers last.

But that brings a lot of risks, no guarantees those subscribers will stay with DirecTV.

 

[Tom Speer]

It looks like they have been updating their website. For those of you seeing that satellite service is unavailable in a specific area, you might want to check again tomorrow.