Some Detroit Lions Fans In Michigan Won’t See Preseason Games On Television

In what seems like a surge in contract disputes between television providers and networks lately, another one will affect more sports fans in Michigan as preseason football kicks off.

DISH Network and Michigan CBS affiliate WNEM-TV, which covers the Saginaw and Flint regions, as well as much of the Thumb-region, have not reached an agreement yet and DISH is currently not carrying their local programming. WNEM also happens to be the local affiliate for preseason football games for the Detroit Lions. So customers there will not be able to watch the games on television.

This also would affect a couple regular season games in that market too, if the dispute lingers on. Typical Lions games on Sunday afternoons are aired on either FOX or CBS, although the majority of their games are on FOX. Currently, two regular season games are scheduled to be on CBS for the 2019 season.

Meanwhile, Detroit sports fans across the entire state with DISH Network are still without FOX Sports Detroit, due to another dispute between DISH and the FOX Sports Network. Customers in Michigan, and across the nation, have been without regional versions of the channel since July 26th.

Locally, customers haven't been able to watch Detroit Tigers games as well as any other Michigan sports programming that airs on FSD and FSD+. If the dispute continues into the fall, most Red Wings and Pistons games, as well as college hockey games, also will not be broadcast to DISH customers.