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DirecTV to cancel Houston Dynamo deal, retain Houston Dash

CSN Houston is about to cease to exist and so is the Houston Dynamo's TV deal.

Sebastian Salazar is among the employees who will be laid off if DirecTV deal goes through
Sebastian Salazar is among the employees who will be laid off if DirecTV deal goes through
USA TODAY Sports

The CSN Houston bankruptcy case has put together a plan to sell the network to DirecTV and AT&T. If the sale goes through the network would rebrand as Root Sports Houston. However, the plan has to be approved by Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur on October 2. Tuesday, the network notified 75 of its 110 employees that their jobs would be eliminated if the plan is approved.

AT&T/DirectTV plan to drop the Houston Dynamo contract but have expressed interest in a new contract for 2015. Two years ago the Dynamo signed a three year deal with CSN Houston. As part of the deal CSN Houston provided weekly shows during the season, pre-and post-game coverage in addition to showing Dynamo games. Root Sports has a much more bare bones approach that leans towards lower quality coverage. However, the distribution would be much greater. Most of the homes in Houston did not have access to Comcast and as a result few were actually able to see the coverage that CSN Houston provided.

Among the employees who were notified that they would be laid off is Sebastian Salazar who was the Houston Dynamo sideline reporter and was in the booth for Houston Dash games. Salazar was also a part of a number of the extra programming involving the Dynamo on the network.