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DirecTV Is Offering NFL Sunday Ticket Refunds To People Upset By NFL Protests

The reports suggest a quick reversal in the company’s ironclad “no refunds” policy.

 Penn Collins
09.28.17

In a heel turn from their previously ironclad “no refunds” policy, DirecTV, the sole provider of out-of-market NFL games via its NFL Sunday Ticket package, will now offer refunds to any fans upset by recent national anthem protests.

The flurry of refunds was first reported by the The Wall Street Journal, though it wasn’t clear that they were part of a systematic policy change. DirecTV’s website still states that the deadline to cancel a NFL Sunday Ticket subscription for a full ($280) refund was Sept. 9, the day before the first Sunday of the official NFL football season.

The polarizing issue of the national anthem protests in the wake of President Donald Trump’s remarks last Friday characterizing any demonstrating player as a “son of a bitch” has led to heated debates surrounding the issue and the boycott of the league itself. Nonetheless, DirecTV’s quick, yet publicly quiet, reversal of its “no refunds” policy left many fuming that hurt feelings or offended sensibilities warrant a refund more than practical concerns like subpar service from the content provider.

Per The Wall Street Journal’s initial report and subsequent reporting by Gizmodo, DirecTV is only administering refunds in the event someone cites the protest as their reason for canceling their subscription. At this point, DirecTV has not publicly acknowledged the refund policy.

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