Dish Announces Replacements for AMC Networks, Beginning This Weekend

AMC will be replaced by HDNet Movies, while WE tv and IFC will be replaced by Style and HDNet, Dish says

Dish Network isn't blinking in its battle with AMC Networks, which airs such popular shows as "Mad Men," "Walking Dead" and "Breaking Bad."

The pay TV service announced Friday that it is sticking to its plan to drop AMC Networks, and will pull AMC and its sister stations, IFC and WE tv, from its service at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday. Dish said that it will replace AMC with HDNet Movies, while WE tv and IFC will be replaced by Style and HDNet.

Also read: Don Draper Joins the AMC-Dish Battle

Dish said that it believes the replacements will make for "stronger movie and entertainment content."

"HDNet Movies and HDNet are exciting offerings for our customers," Dave Shull, senior vice president of programming for DISH. said. "These are networks that will bring great entertainment, including first-run, commercial-free movies in high definition to our customers. DISH is the only pay-TV provider that did not raise its core package prices in 2012. We will continue to fight hard for choice, control, and value in home entertainment."

Also read: Dish-AMC Networks Battle Heats Up: Dish Pushes AMC to the Back of the Dial

Earlier this year, Dish announced that it would stop carrying AMC's networks when AMC's contract ran out at the end of June. Dish claims that it's dropping the networks because the viewership doesn't justify the cost of running the networks.

AMC has countered that Dish is dropping the AMC networks in retaliation for a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed against Dish by Voom HD, an indirect subsidiary of AMC Networks.

"It is unfortunate that in retaliation for an unrelated lawsuit DISH is choosing to punish its customers by dropping AMC Networks," AMC told TheWrap in a statement. "DISH customers can no longer watch popular, critically acclaimed series, including the July 15 season premiere of AMC's 'Breaking Bad,' and upcoming and future seasons of AMC's 'The Walking Dead,'  'Hell on Wheels,' 'Mad Men' and other popular programming."

AMC attempted to rally Dish subscribers into demanding that AMC be kept on the service, including an ad campaign that featured "Mad Men" character Don Draper. The ad, which ran in the New York Times, implored the service's customers to "[t]ell Dish that you're really mad!"

AMC Networks has not yet responded to TheWrap's request for comment.
 

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