If you're a Comcast Xfinity subscriber hoping to catch NFL Network this weekend, you're likely staring at a blank screen—and it's all because of a high-stakes carriage dispute that's left football fans in the lurch.

The channel went dark late Thursday after its new owner, ESPN, took over negotiations. In August, ESPN acquired NFL Network and RedZone from the league itself, with the NFL receiving a 10 percent equity stake in the sports giant. But the honeymoon phase has been short-lived. The previous cable deal expired, and now ESPN is asking Comcast for more money to keep the channels on the air.

Comcast fired back with a pointed statement: "Disney/ESPN acquired NFL Network and Red Zone just months ago and are already demanding double the fees for the same content. Their distribution demands would also make millions more pay for a channel they don't watch. We remain open to continuing to talk and reach a fair deal for our customers."

ESPN, for its part, says it tried to keep the channels live while negotiations continued—but Comcast reportedly said no. "We understand how disappointing and disruptive this is for football fans who have lost access to NFL Network and RedZone Channel as part of their Xfinity TV lineup," the network said in its own statement. "We proposed keeping these channels available while we continued good-faith negotiations, but unfortunately, Comcast declined and took them down. Despite this, we remain fully committed to reaching a fair agreement and restoring access to our best-in-class NFL programming as quickly as possible."

For now, fans are caught in the middle of a classic cable tug-of-war. Whether you're gearing up for draft coverage or just looking for some offseason highlights, the hope is that both sides can hash out a deal long before training camps kick off in July. Until then, it might be a good time to stock up on your favorite team's gear—at least that's one thing no dispute can take away.