So yeah, I was really itching to catch some pro tennis lately, especially after that crazy match the other night. Problem? Couldn’t for the life of me find Tennis Channel anywhere on my Dish setup. Scrolled through the guide, searched the name – nada. Super frustrating!
First, I Figured I Must Be Missing Something
Okay, thought maybe it was buried in some weird channel number. Grabbed the Dish remote and hit the guide button. Typed in “Tennis Channel”… nothing popped up. Just some other sports junk I didn’t want. Then I tried browsing channel by channel, hoping I’d just glance over it. Spent like 20 minutes doing that – total waste of time. Still nothing. Started wondering if Dish even had it!
Decided the quickest way was to just bite the bullet and call ’em up. Dialed Dish customer service. Got the usual automated mess, pushing buttons forever trying to talk to a real person. Finally got someone, explained the situation: “Hey, trying to find the Tennis Channel, can’t see it anywhere.” The guy sounded kind of tired, asked for my account info.
The Customer Service Confusion Dance
The guy on the phone ran a check or something. Told me, “Yeah, Tennis Channel is available, but it ain’t part of the basic stuff you got.” Oh. Figures. Asked him what package it was in. He started listing names: America’s Top something-or-other, Multi-Sport pack, blah blah blah… it was confusing as heck. Sounded like I probably needed a bigger package than what I had (I think mine was just the basic one, “Flex Pack” or something cheap).
Then he mentioned something called the “Sports Pack”. Asked him straight up: “So, if I want just the Tennis Channel, is this Sports Pack the thing?” He confirmed it was included in that. Asked him how much extra that would crank my bill up. He tells me it’s an extra $15 bucks a month. Ouch. Kinda steep just for one channel, but man, I really wanted those matches!
Taking the Plunge & Getting That Button Ready
After humming and hawing for a minute while the guy waited patiently (probably wishing I’d hurry up), I just said screw it. “Alright, add the Sports Pack for me please.” He asked again if I was sure, warning it was a month-to-month add-on, cancel anytime. Said “Yes, go ahead.”
He put me on hold for like, 3 minutes. Came back, told me it was added. Said something about it needing activation and to just wait a bit. Then he said – and this was the key part – “Once it’s added in our system, you might need to reset your receiver to see it. Should happen automatically soon, but if you don’t see it in the next hour or so, unplug the receiver box for 10 seconds.”
The Moment of Truth
Hung up, waited maybe 20 minutes. Channel list still no Tennis Channel. Got impatient. Remembered the reset thing. Went to the receiver box behind my TV, yanked the power cord right out. Watched it die. Counted to 30 in my head, way longer than 10 seconds! Plugged it back in. Waited for the stupid boot-up sequence, lights flashing, taking forever like they always do.
As soon as the guide came back up, I punched in “Tennis Channel”… boom! There it was, channel number 158. Clicked it, and bam! Some match was already live. Felt like a minor victory! So yeah, getting it wasn’t exactly instant, and that extra $15 a month stings a bit. But honestly? Totally worth it for a tennis nut like me. Just remember:
- It’s NOT in the basic or cheap plans. Forget finding it there.
- You gotta call or chat Dish to add the “Sports Pack.” That’s $15 extra monthly.
- Be ready to reset your receiver box (unplug it) after they add it. Seriously, just do this step right away, saves waiting.
It worked for me, anyway. Happy watching!
