The station struggled due to problems with local cable providers, as their low-power designation meant KTUD-LP was not bound by the FCC must-carry rules requiring cable coverage. Cox Communications refused to carry the station at first, but by November 2000 began to carry it on channel 14 after customer demand from "Star Trek" fans and ahead of UPN's coverage of the XFL football league featuring the Las Vegas Outlaws locally. DirecTV eventually also picked up the station, though Dish Network never did.