Sports Business Journal reports that Bernard's e-mail was sent to 250,000 fans registered in the group's database.

“In my 15 years with PBR, this is the issue we’ve got the most calls and emails on,” said Bernard. “There’s not even a close second.”

DIRECTV is also under fire from the satcaster's hockey fans who are missing Versus' coverage of the National Hockey League.

Bernard says he doesn't think the DIRECTV-Versus dispute will end anytime soon.

“We tried to stay out of this as long as we could,” Bernard said in the e-mail. “We didn’t want to burn any bridges and we thought it would fix itself. But in the end we had to do what was right for the PBR and our fans...I think it (the DIRECTV-Versus argument) will be a long, drawn-out process."

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