Coronavirus Refunds: AT&T DirecTV Customers Will Receive Credits For Sports Subscriptions

As the pandemic continues to disrupt everyday life the world over, many consumers want refunds on things they paid for but aren’t able to use. Telecom companies are offering reimbursements for subscriptions for live sports satellite television.

The DirecTV business of AT&T is providing MLS Direct Kick and MLB Extra Innings subscribers with credits for payments they have made for their plans, as professional soccer and baseball seasons have been delayed or halted, according to a page on the AT&T website. It also said it is delaying charges in the future “until we learn more from the leagues.”

AT&T is also lengthening its cancellation policy for the subscriptions to let customers have two weeks from the beginning (or resumption) of the season to choose if they want to cancel a subscription. The company also noted that “any rebates we receive from programmers and sports leagues will be provided to our customers.”

The company said, “We continue to monitor the situation closely and are in contact with programmers and sports leagues as they plan their next steps.”

In April, New York Attorney General Letitia James had asked seven large satellite and cable television providers in the state to offer consumers financial relief during the pandemic by decreasing or taking away charges attributable to live sports programming, according to a press release at the time.

The state attorney general asked AT&T, DISH Network, Altice USA, Comcast Cable, Charter Communications, RCN Corporation, and Verizon Communications to immediately create and offer plans to her office on how they would offer financial relief to customers up to the time that live sports programming starts again.

James said in the release, “These companies must step up and immediately propose plans to cut charges and provide much needed financial relief. This crisis has brought new economic anxiety for all New Yorkers, and I will continue to protect the wallets of working people at every turn.”