Game Show Network Removed From Dish Network and Sling TV After Failed Renewal Agreement

Dish Network subscribers hoping to get their Match Game or Pyramid fix are going to have to wait. Tuesday, the premium cable provider and its streaming alternative Sling TV yanked the network due to an expired agreement. The network itself broke the news Tuesday, sending a tweet to its followers hoping they’d reach out to Dish and help with the very public negotiations.

“@dish and @Sling cancelled Game Show Network!At Game Show Network we are working hard to make Game Show Network available to you again,” the account tweeted late Tuesday. “Contact DISH to them know how you feel.”

According to a statement obtained by Variety, Dish says its been working with the Game Show Network for “months,” saying it was the network’s choice to do “an about-face” and “force a programming blackout on Dish and Sling customers.” Still, the provider said it was willing to work with GSN on coming to an agreement to get the channel live and the services.

“We have been working with Game Show Network for months to finalize a fair agreement for our customers,” Andy LeCuyer, Dish SVP of programming, said in the statement. “Unfortunately, Game Show Network made the decision to remove its service from Dish and Sling, backpedaling out of a handshake agreement to continue carriage of their service on our platforms. This is a deceitful negotiation tactic aimed at our customers, putting them in the middle.”

Launched in 1994, the Game Show Network is owned by Sony Pictures Television and largely specializes and licensing classic game shows and re-presenting them for a new generation. The network also has a handful of programs it developed originally including Chain Reaction, America Says, and People Puzzler.

Some of the Game Show Network’s programming is now streaming for free on Pluto TV while shows like Family Feud continue to air new episodes on their original network.