AMC got very direct in its ongoing carriage dispute with DirecTV, taking the issue directly to the number one show on television. The network ran ads and graphics pointing viewers to its KeepAMC.com website and hotline (855-KEEPAMC).
While DirecTV wasn't mentioned by name on the network, it is the first thing viewers see on the website. "DirecTV customers you risk losing AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, We TV" the site proclaims.
AMC's carriage agreement with AMC is set to expire at year's end, and so far the two sides have not reached an agreement. Targeting "Walking Dead" fans is a particularly savvy move by AMC, as the first half of the red-hot show's fifth season is scheduled to wrap in November. It won't pick up again until 2015.
"DirecTV's agreement to carry AMC expires mid-way through the current season of 'The Walking Dead,'" AMC said in a statement. "We've had a long, successful partnership with DirecTV and have great respect for their management team and the business they've built. Our goal is to continue our partnership, by renewing our agreement and extending our business relationship well into the future.
"Unfortunately, DirecTV has not engaged in meaningful negotiations with us, which leaves us to doubt whether a timely renewal is possible. In addition, DirecTV is in violation of our current agreement, and it has dropped AMC in Latin America. We hope to finalize a new agreement quickly but in the meantime, we think it is important to alert DirecTV customers who care about "The Walking Dead" that their ability to watch the show on DirecTV is at risk."
It's a tactic the network has used before. They took to the airwaves to warn "Breaking Bad" fans on Dish Network that they might not be able to see the fifth season of that show if an agreement can't be reached. In that case, they did not reach an agreement before their contract expired, leading to a three-month blackout.
