Key Points
- Weigel has expanded its distribution agreement with Dish to include multicast networks like MeTV on the satellite platform.
- A few networks will require Internet-connected boxes to view.
- Other channels are available to all satellite customers, even those without Internet-connected devices.
After more than three years, customers of Dish Network’s satellite TV service may be able to watch Weigel Broadcasting’s MeTV once again.
This week, the broadcaster affirmed it had reached an agreement with Dish to begin offering its multicast networks through the satellite service, though some will only be available to customers with Internet-connected set-top boxes.
MeTV joins a number of other Weigel-owned channels, including West, Heroes & Icons, Catchy Comedy and Start TV, on the Dish platform. While all channels will have corresponding numbers and listings in Dish’s electronic program guide, a few will only be available to customers who have Internet-connected set-top boxes — a sign that Dish is starting to prioritize the limited bandwidth it has on its existing satellite fleet in favor of moving niche and smaller channels to its streaming platform.
The channels available to Dish customers are:
- MeTV (Channel 247, Internet-connected boxes only)
- Start TV (Channel 291)
- Dabl (Channel 357)
- West (Channel 372, Internet-connected boxes only)
- Heroes & Icons (Channel 293)
- MeTV Toons (Channel 376)
“The channels available to Dish customers are:”We are very pleased that our diverse suite of Weigel networks are now on Dish and available to subscribers nationwide, bringing unparalleled entertainment value to the service and allowing customers to enjoy cherished classic programs across an incredible array of genres,” Neal Sabin, the Vice Chairman of Weigel Broadcasting, said in a statement.
MeTV was pulled from Dish’s platform in 2022, with the provider citing low viewership coupled with the high cost of providing it to viewers.
While MeTV’s audience is far below that of cornerstone broadcast networks like ABC, CBS and Fox, MeTV is one of the top-rated multicast networks in the country — its programming occasionally breaks into the top 100 Nielsen shows in a given week, based on data viewed by The Desk.
It also commands an older, but loyal, audience of viewers who seek out MeTV’s programming on broadcast and cable TV. Some of those viewers started various online petitions three years ago, urging Dish to restore MeTV and threatening to churn out of the service if they didn’t.
Dish and Weigel formed a new distribution pact earlier this year, when its streaming service Sling TV began offering MeTV in a new package called Sling Select. The channel has since expanded to the core Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages on Sling TV. Other channels, including Heroes & Icons, are also available on the service.
