With the blackout of Walt Disney Co.-owned networks keeping its subscribers from watching important college and NFL football games, DirecTV is telling subscribers to sign up for rival services.

To keep them from simply switching, DirecTV is offering its subscribers a $30 credit that will go into effect after the free trial period ends on Fubo and Sling TV.

“As the leaves turn each fall, you can be sure of two things – football season will be in full swing, and Disney will do everything it can to keep you from watching your favorite team unless they offer it to you exclusively (oh, Disney now owns all of Hulu too),” DirecTV said. “Don’t take our word for it. You can ask Spectrum customers in 2023 or YouTube TV customers in 2021.”

Disney and DirecTV failed to come to a new carriage agreement on September 1 and Disney programming, including ESPN, has been blacked out ever since.

DirecTV applauded when Fubo was able to obtain an injunction against Venu, a joint venture streaming service planned by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery. Fubo was able to convince a federal court judge that Venu violated antitrust laws by being able to offer customers packages with on sports channels–something Disney hasn’t offered to other distributors, including DirecTV

"This is a small way to help you stay connected to your sports and entertainment while we work with Disney to reach a new agreement,” DirecTV said.

Networks owned by The Walt Disney Co. went to black on DirecTV just after 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday as negotiations apparently failed to reach a new carriage agreement. The two sides had extended the deadline of 5 p.m. as conversations continued.

The blackout comes during the first full weekend of college football and days before the start of the NFL season.

DirecTV said that Disney insisted that the satellite TV provider buy other Disney channels and services in order to continue to show sports programming on networks like ESPN.

DirecTV also said any licensing agreement would be contingent on DirecTV waiving future challenges to Disney on antitrust grounds. Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery have been enjoined by a U.S. court from enabling their streaming joint venture Venu from offering only the sports networks to subscribers while preventing other distributors from doing so. 

“The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners, and now the American judicial system,” Rob Thun, chief content officer at DirecTV, said. “Disney is in the business of creating alternate realities, but this is the real world where we believe you earn your way and must answer for your own actions. They want to continue to chase maximum profits and dominant control at the expense of consumers — making it harder for them to select the shows and sports they want at a reasonable price.”

 Disney blamed DirecTV for the breakdown.

“DirecTV chose to deny millions of subscribers access to our content just as we head into the final week of the U.S. Open and gear up for college football and the opening of the NFL season. While we’re open to offering DirecTV flexibility and terms which we’ve extended to other distributors, we will not enter into an agreement that undervalues our portfolio of television channels and programs,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “We invest significantly to deliver the No. 1 brands in entertainment, news and sports because that’s what our viewers expect and deserve. We urge DirecTV to do what’s in the best interest of their customers and finalize a deal that would immediately restore our programming.”

DirecTV noted that Disney's actions mirrored changes in the industry, with the best programming, including sports shifting to streaming.

“Consumer frustration is at an all-time high as Disney shifts its best producers, most innovative shows, top teams, conferences, and entire leagues to their direct-to-consumer services while making customers pay more than once for the same programming on multiple Disney platforms,” Thun added. “Disney’s only magic is forcing prices to go up while simultaneously making its content disappear.”

The dispute went public Saturday as both companies began airing messages warning that a blackout was imminent.

Disney's message warned DirecTV and DirecTV Stream customers they could "lose the ESPN networks" and said they should go to KeepMyESPN.com to learn more.

DirecTV's urged viewers to go to its website TVPromise.com to get more information.

Disney agreed to modify how some of its channels are packaged in the agreement ending last year’s blackout with Charter Communications. Charter customers also got some Disney streaming services for free as part of their pay TV subscriptions.

Cox Media Group and DirecTV said they agreed to a new multiyear carriage agreement, ending two-week blackout just before the Super Bowl began Sunday evening.

Cox owns two CBS affiliates that aired the game, KIRO Seattle and WHIO Toledo, Ohio.

The companies said they were working to restore the stations as soon as possible to DirecTV on satellite, U-verse TV and DirecTV Stream.

Restoring the Seattle and Toledo stations were a priority.

“DirecTV and CMG greatly appreciate the patience of their subscribers and viewers,” the companies said in a statement.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

“We will continue to work with broadcasters like CMG, as well as any other programmers, to align the price our customers pay with the value they can expect to receive,” DirecTV said.

The blackout affected 12 CMG stations. 

Tegna and DirecTV said they ended their six-week blackout by reaching a new long term distribution agreement.

The deal covers Tegna's 64 TV stations, which cover 51 markets. Many are NBC affiliates, and the deal came ahead of NBC's coverage of the Cleveland Browns playing the Houston Texans in an NFL Wild Card Playoff game Saturday. NFL playoff games tend to focus distributors and broadcasters on coming to a deal to end a blackout.

Also: DirecTV-Tegna Blackout, Peacock Exclusive Threaten to Block Viewers Amid the NFL’s Big Wild Card Weekend

The stations' programming will be returning to DirecTV, DirecTV stream and U-verse today, when the NFL playoffs kicked off.

Also: NFL Playoffs Lead What's On This Weekend in TV Sports Jan. 12-15 

Financial terms were not disclosed.

In a statement the two companies said they "greatly appreciate the patience of their subscribers and viewers."

Tegna is back on the rocks with DirecTV, signaling to viewers Saturday that its stations could soon be pulled off the programming grids of the pay TV operator's platforms amid failing broadcast retransmission licensing negotiations. 

The broadcaster, which owns 64 network affiliates in 14 markets, told viewers with DirecTV satellite, DirecTV Stream and U-verse TV subscriptions that they could "lose" Tegna stations starting November 30 without DirecTV agreeing to “fair, market-based” terms on broadcast retransmission licensing.

“Thus far, DirecTV has refused to agree to such terms, which is why we have begun informing DirecTV and AT&T U-Verse customers that they may lose access to their local Tegna station and our valuable programming,” Tegna said in a statement released to Next TV Saturday afternoon. “We hope that DirecTV is willing to negotiate a market-based deal before the November 30 deadline and doesn’t take away DirecTV and AT&T U-Verse customers’ local news, weather, sports and network programs.”

DirecTV sees it differently.

“Tegna has once again made a private negotiation public in the hopes of creating unnecessary and premature concern among some of our customers to extract higher rates for local broadcast stations,” the operator said in its own Saturday statement. “Unfortunately, that’s become the industry norm as the costs for free local stations have soared more than 20% year upon year upon year despite declining popularity and less compelling content. We will continue to meet our customers’ demands for greater choice and value and do our utmost to shield them from unwarranted price hikes as we work with Tegna to renew its stations without any interruption.”

Certainly factoring in negotiations: 21 of Tegna stations are NBC affiliates that are accessible via Peacock, while 16 Tegna outlets are CBS stations that are delivered via Paramount Plus. 

The two companies also threw down three years ago under similar circumstances. That dispute, which occurred before AT&T spun DirecTV off, lasted about three weeks. 

Nexstar Media Group and DirecTV, which temporarily called off their three-month blackout to enable DirecTV subscribers to watch NFL games on Sunday, said on Monday they completed a long-term distribution agreement.

The agreement covers returning the 176 stations owned by Nexstar and its NewsNation cable network to DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse TV.

Terms were not disclosed, as is common in these situations, but DirecTV did not appear totally pleased by the outcome.

For one thing, the deal did not include the 27 stations owned by White Knight and Mission Broadcasting that are run by Nexstar under management agreements. Those stations have been blacked out since October.

The status of those stations is the subject of a federal antitrust suit by DirecTV and a complaint to the FCC. Those stations are also blacked out on Dish Network.

DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow also released a statement lamenting the state of retransmission consent negotiations.

“Unfortunately, over the past decade-plus. access to your programming has become a battleground for networks and stations to try to drive up higher rates,“ Morrow said. “As our customers, we recognize that while you may be able to access some programming over-the-air or on a streaming service during these periods, that is not the experience you expect. 

“We understand you have a choice among your TV providers and appreciate your ongoing loyalty during this renewal,“ he added. “That’s what will enable us to offer you more choice, personalization, and further value in future programming you pay to receive in your home.“

Currently, 37 stations owned by Hearst Television are blacked out on Dish Network.

Nexstar Media Group and DirecTV said they are close to an agreement and are temporarily ending the nearly three-month blackout of Nexstar’s stations and networks in time for Sunday’s National Football League games.

“In recognition and appreciation of the continued patience of DirecTV customers and Nexstar viewers, the companies have agreed to temporarily return the signals of the Nexstar-owned stations and national cable news network NewsNation to DirecTV , DirecTV Stream and U-verse while we both work to complete the terms of an agreement," the companies said in a statement early Sunday morning.

With more than 200 stations affected by the blackout, the companies are prioritizing returning the signals of the stations showing NFL games on Sunday afternoon (Fox and CBS affiliates) and Sunday night (NBC affiliates).

No details about the financial terms of a financial settlement were disclosed and the companies are expected to make a formal announcement when all the details are ironed out.

Since the start of the Nexstar-DirecTV blackout. Disney’s networks, including ESPN, and stations, were blacked out to Charter Communications pay-TV subscribers. The dispute led to a settlement that resulted in more revenue for Disney and more flexibility for Charter to not offer certain Disney networks and to be able to resell Disney streaming services Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.

Currently, 37 stations owned by Hearst Television are blacked out on Dish Network.

Charter Communications, with popular programming from The Walt Disney Co. blacked out from its 14.7 million subscribers, sees its talks with Disney as a chance to fix a broken TV model.

“Disney and Charter have the opportunity to work together on transforming the industry for the long-term benefit of both companies and consumers — but we are either moving forward together, or moving on,” Charter said in a presentation for investors and analysts released Friday.

Part of that plan is an agreement that lets people who don’t like sports buy a bundle of programming that doesn’t force them to pay for expensive networks like Disney’s ESPN.

Without a new type of agreement Charter execs said they could see moving ahead without Disney content, including not paying retransmission fees for Disney's ABC broadcast stations.

Also Read: Charter To Drive Down the Cost of Pay TV With Groundbreaking New Distribution Strategy for Regional Sports Networks

 On a call with analysts and investors Friday morning, Charter CEO Chris Winfrey apologized to Charter subscribers for the blackout.

“I'm sorry that Disney has removed its programming from your lineup and for the majority who don't actively watch Disney content, I'm sorry Disney has made you pay for channels you don't watch,” Winfrey said. 

“We've almost always avoided these kinds of disputes and disruption to your service. We had to draw a line in the sand on your behalf. We haven't been able to stop  programmers from increasing the cost of their channels and your packages, but we think that making sure you get value and flexibility and the programming you pay for well, that's worth fighting for.”

In terms of financial impact, Charter said it is currently paying about $2.2 billion in annual programming costs to Disney, not including the impact of advertising revenue for both parties

It said only about 25% of Charter video subscribers regularly engage with Disney content. 

“Disney pulled its content which will impact our operations and financials,” Charter said.

In the short term, the blackout means a reduction in programming costs, but there will be other costs, including more calls from customers and customer credits. 

Over the longer term, Charter said its concerns include maintaining its long-term relationships with subscribers, finding alternative video solutions for its connectivity customers. 

“Cash flow from video has already declined significantly and video ultimately cash flow neutral without structural changes,” Charter said.

On the other hand, agreeing to what Disney is willing would not turn out well. “Forcing customers to pay for Disney content they opted out of, or don’t view and pay even higher rates, would negatively impact our connectivity relationships,” Chater said.

Charter states that the “multichannel video product is too expensive and packages don’t meet consumer needs” and notes that “customers are leaving the traditional video ecosystem and losses have accelerated.”

According to Charter’s presentation, the cable video ecosystem is broken because of a chain of events that started with the failure of TV Everywhere. 

That led to the proliferation of unauthenticated proliferation. Netflix rose and programmers started to withhold their VOD libraries from multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) like Charter.

Content moved to SVOD and programmers launched unprofitable direct-to-consumer products.  In the pursuit of profitability, the programmers are raising the price of their streaming products, selling ads, and reselling their content to other SVOD services.

“Programmers are caught in a self-imposed dilemma as they have moved content to their DTC products for short-term profit maximization and their management teams are not incentivized to drive business for the long-term,” Charter said, describing the vicious cycle that erodes the value of pay-TV for nonsports viewers and encourages them to leave pay TV for SVOD.

At this point in the cycle, “renewing a traditional distribution agreement with higher costs, limited packaging flexibility and no additional value ignores the realities of the changing marketplace and will simply accelerate the decline of video subscription and advertising revenue,” Charter said.

Charter said it still believes that “a compelling Charter-branded video product offering can be a captivating part of our portfolio of connectivity services and appealing to customers,” and laid out what it called its “vision for the future of video.”

To get to that future, “distributors and programmers need to work together to entice and reward customers to utilize bundled subscription products – most programmers simply will not be able to profit/survive solely on a-la-carte streaming revenue and need a hybrid, customer centric model,” Charter said.

This approach will benefit programmers, MVPDs and customers, Charter said.

Charter said that right now, it and Disney are the right parties to start moving down the road toward this new customer-centric video model.

It notes that both companies are at a “crossroads with their video strategy” with Disney looking at a hybrid approach for ESPN that embraces streaming options.

“A new model creates the pathway for Disney to stabilize its linear losses and grow its DTC business, ultimately preserving cash flows,” Charter said.

But at this point, Disney is sticking to the traditional approach in its negotiations with Charter. 

“Disney offered a traditional long-term deal and has not seriously engaged on Charter’s transformational partnership proposal,” Charter said. Disney is insisting on high penetration payment minimums despite its own a la carte offerings, forcing Disney channels into packages where they are not included today, against consumer will and requiring additional large rate increases by forcing DTC service inclusion and additional payment to existing linear customers. That offers little incentive to sell DTC apps to broadband customers, Charter said.

“Disney’s traditional approach would result in a dramatic increase of cost to consumers — many of whom don’t view, want or even subscribe to Disney/ESPN content,” Charter said.

Charter said offered to accept Disney market rate increases in exchange for bundling ad-supported DTC apps with packaged linear products, and lower penetration payment minimums to provide packaging flexibility to customers. 

Charter has also offered to market the Disney DTC apps to its broadband customers. Disney declined, Charter said.

Charter said it also offered a shorter extension of the current contract to further discuss the benefits of Charter’s proposal, which Disney declined. 

 Responding to the Charter presentation, Disney offered its view of the negotiations, saying that Charter has refused to enter into a new agreement with us that reflects market-based terms” and that “contrary to [Charter’s] claims, we have offered Charter the most favorable terms on rates, distribution, packaging, advertising and more.”

Disney added that it has proposed creative ways to make Disney’s direct-to-consumer service available to Spectrum TV subscribers. But Disney emphasized that its linear and direct-to-consumer services are not the same, meaning that a subscriber to one ought not be entitled to both.

“We value our relationship with Charter and we are ready to get back to the negotiation table to restore access to our unrivaled content to their customers as quickly as possible,” Disney said.

Bottom line: To many seasoned observers this Charter-Disney dispute does not seem to be the typical fee negotiation between a distributor and a programmer. 

 “It's a big deal: a Cable MVPD is pushing to undo norms for linear networks/stations,” said analyst Steven Cahall of Wells Fargo.

“Charter has drawn a line in the sand and is either prepared to drop major content sources to protect earnings, or rewrite the linear script. With some MVPD contagion, none of this is constructive to media. Long term, this could mitigate cord cutting, but the uncertainty for now is incremental,” he said. 

Looking ahead as this situation evolves, most at risk are companies that generate a larger share of revenue from traditional distribution, Cahall said. Those include Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox. Those also have sports rights that have to be parsed between exclusivity with pay-TV and streaming. 

Hawaiian Telcom Services filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission charging Nexstar Media Group with negotiating in bad faith by withholding retransmission consent, blacking out KHON Honolulu and several satellite stations.

The complaint comes as Nexstar is engaged in a massive blackout with DirecTV affecting about 200 stations, if you include an earlier ongoing dispute with Nexstar-managed stations owned by Mission Broadcasting and White Knight Broadcasting. DirecTV is offering impacted viewers a $10 rebate for the programming they’re not receiving because it hasn’t reached a new retransmission agreement with Nexstar. Nexstar, which owns the biggest U.S. station group, is known for aggressively pursuing top retransmission payments from distributors.

In its complaint, Hawaiian Telcom said that it was negotiating with Nexstar as its retransmission agreement neared expiration on June 30. 

Hawaiian Telcom said it asked for a one-week extension while negotiations continued over the July 4 holiday, but Nexstar failed to respond until a few minutes before the agreement expires. 

The timing forced Hawaiian Telcom to take down the signal of KHON, a Fox affiliate that carries The CW programming on a digital subchannel, rather than risk violating the Communications Act and copyright law, the complaint said.

Hawaiian Telcom said many of its cable TV subscribers cannot receive the stations over the air because of topographic considerations.

In a statement, Nexstar said, “We believe this complaint is completely without merit and we will continue to work with HT to restore our services in short order.”

On its website, Hawaiian Telcom claims that Nexstar is asking for a 70% increase over the previous rate.

“They are trying to leverage their market power to force higher rates,” according to the website. “Nexstar has a history of forcing blackouts with TV providers. In fact, we are not alone, Nexstar is also currently engaged in negotiations with DirectTV resulting in a blackout that impacts millions of consumers nationwide. Hawaiian Telecom is fighting for fair rates for you.”

According to the complaint, Nexstar offered a series of one-hour extensions and the two sides have exchanged proposals, indicating that the negotiations are not yet at an impasse. 

Changing the status quo by triggering a blackout before an impasse is reached is a bad faith tactic under government rules, Hawaiian Telecom said.

“Nexstar’s unilateral change in the status quo (by forcing a blackout) is a circumvention of its obligation to negotiate in good faith,” according to the complaint. ”As an act of bad faith, expedited Commission action is critical to avoid harm to many Hawaiian Telecom’s cable subscribers (Nexstar’s viewers) who are unable to receive the Stations’ signals off-air due to topographic considerations.”

Hawaiian Telcom is asking the commission to declare Nexstar’s failure to maintain the status quo a violation of Nexstar’s duty to negotiating in good fath for each day after June 30 that Nexstar continues to refuse to extend the term of the previously existing agreement and provide any other relief the FCC deems appropriate.

Dish Network subscribers have lost satellite access to stations owned by Mission Broadcasting and White Knight Broadcasting because of a fee dispute.

About 850,000 Dish households are affected. Mission has about 30 stations, including WPIX-TV in New York in the Dish footprint. Two White Knight stations are involved. 

“Both programming groups rejected Dish’s contract extension offers to keep programming available for customers while we continue to negotiate,” said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. “We’re disappointed Mission and White Knight have chosen this course of action. The demanded fees are unreasonable given that Mission and White Knight’s viewership on Dish have significantly declined over the past three years, indicating that many viewers have moved to other channels for programming they prefer.”

Speaking for Mission Broadcasting, Mission President Dennis Thatcher said: "We were unable to agree about an extension and our contract has expired."

Mission is currently in a fee dispute with DirecTV that started in October, Mission’s WPIX was also blacked out to Comcast subscribers during December.

Dish is also involved in a blackout of Cox Media Group stations.

“Broadcasters like Mission and White Knight often block customer access as they negotiate for higher rates,” added Neylon. “We will continue to fight on behalf of Dish customers to keep prices as low as possible. We hope Mission and White Knight will continue to negotiate with us in good faith so we can minimize the disruption to our customers.”

The stations are operated by Nexstar Media Group under local management agreements, but Nexstar said it doesn't handle retransmission consent fee negotiations.

“The television stations involved in this carriage dispute are owned by and licensed to Mission Broadcasting, Inc. and White Knight Broadcasting, Inc.  They are not owned by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and Nexstar has no role in the negotiations between Dish and either of these companies," Nexstar said in a statement. 

White Knight stations affected are WVLA-TV in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and KFXK-TV, in the Tyler-Longview-Lufkin, Texas market. ■

Nexstar Media Group and Comcast have reached a new retransmission agreement, avoiding a blackout that could have started December 15 when their previous contract expired.

People familiar with the situation confirmed the deal was reached and pointed out that Nexstar was no longer warning viewers of an impending blackout. Neither company would comment on the agreement.

Nexstar began warning viewers that a blackout was possible last weekend.

The blackout would have affected about 90 Nexstar stations that operate in Comcast markets.

Earlier this year, Nexstar stations were blacked out to Verizon Fios subscribers for two weeks until the companies were able to hammer out an agreement.

At the same time, WPIX-TV in New York was restored to Comcast subscribers. WPIX was bought by Mission Broadcasting, but is operated by Nexstar under a local marketing agreement.

Other Mission stations were blacked out on DirecTV in October. 

Nexstar and Comcast have been feuding over the ownership of WPIX for a year. Comcast filed a petition in 2021 asking the FCC to rule that Nexstar is the owner of the station, calling its management agreement with Mission a sham designed to evade the ownership cap rules.

Because Nexstar doesn’t own another station in the New York market, it is allowed to negotiate retransmission on behalf of the owners.

Nexstar sued Comcast claiming breach of contract and said Comcast had failed to pay millions of dollars in retransmission consent fees. 

“Our recent retransmission consent agreement with Nexstar settles the pending litigation our companies have in the Southern District of New York,” a Comcast spokesperson said. “However, it does not address our proceedings at the FCC, which remain open.” ■

Cox Media Group said it reached a long-term carriage agreement with Verizon Fios, avoiding a blackout both sides had warned viewers about.

"This deal with Verizon, consistent with our long history of carriage agreements, reflects the value of our market-leading stations and commitment to delivering vital and award-winning news and entertainment programming," CMG said in a statement. "We’re pleased to have reached this renewal before our prior deal expired, exemplifying our commitment to reaching timely and fair-market agreements with partners that negotiate in good faith."

CMG said the deal was reached before Thursday night’s deadline.

"We’re pleased to continue offering Cox stations on Fios channels," Verizon said in a statement.

CMG’s stations remain blacked out in a dispute with satellite-TV Dish Network.

Verizon began warning subscribers earlier this week of a blackout that would affect Cox Media Group stations WFXT Boston, a Fox affiliate, and WPXI Pittsburgh, an NBC affiliate. The Pittsburgh Cable News Channel is also covered by the agreement.

Fios has said the station had "proposed an unacceptable rate increase" to continue to carry the stations.

"We have been negotiating productively with Verizon for several weeks and remain optimistic we will come to terms on a fair market deal to keep our award-winning local news, investigative journalism, and popular sports and entertainment programming on Fios TV," CMG had said in a statement. ■

Nexstar Media Group has begun warning viewers in Comcast markets that its stations could soon be blacked out on the No. 1 U.S. cable operator because of a retrans fee dispute.

As first reported by blogger Phillip Swann over the weekend, the blackout could affect around 90 Nexstar stations positioned in the Comcast footprint, including those in Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and New Orleans. 

In its warning to viewers, Nexstar didn't specify when the current agreement expires — and when the station blackout might start. But the current deal between Comcast and Nexstar was signed on December 31, 2019.

“WGN-TV has a contract with Comcast that allows them to deliver our programming to you,” Nexstar-owned Chicago independent WGN told viewers. “If a new agreement is not reached, Comcast might remove WGN-TV from your schedule. WGN-TV has presented a proposal for fair value, based on the importance and value our programming brings our viewers. Despite our tireless efforts, Comcast has refused our fair offer and is making negotiations very difficult. Our offer is fair. And now they may hold you the subscriber hostage. It’s not right.”

The relationship between Comcast and Nexstar is being further strained by a dispute involving Mission Broadcasting-owned The CW affiliate WPIX New York. 

Last year, both Comcast and Charter Communications petitioned the FCC to attribute ownership of WPIX to Nexstar, since the station group has a deal with Mission to negotiate WPIX broadcast retransmission licensing contracts. 

If the FCC were to comply, that would put Nexstar beyond the 39% station ownership threshold, putting it in violation of agency rules. 

As it stands, WPIX isn’t covered under Comcast's current retrans deal with Mission. Nexstar has sued both Comcast (and Charter) for alleged unpaid retrans money, and WPIX was taken down from Comcast back on December 3. 

“This is both a breach of contract and extremely harmful to Comcast’s New York viewers, who have now lost WPIX and the substantial local news and entertainment programming it provides,” Nexstar said of the WPIX blackout. ■

Verizon Fios is warning viewers that stations owned by Cox Media Group in Boston and Pittsburgh could be blacked out when their retransmission-consent agreement expires on December 15.

The blackout would also affect the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel.

Fios said the station group has “proposed an unacceptable rate increase” to continue to carry the stations.

CMG’s stations are already blacked out in a dispute with Dish.

“We have been negotiating productively with Verizon for several weeks and remain optimistic we will come to terms on a fair market deal to keep our award-winning local news, investigative journalism, and popular sports and entertainment programming on Fios TV,” CMG said in a statement.

Also: Unions Cite Dish-Cox Retrans Flap to Argue Against Tegna Deal

A blackout would affect about 340,000 Fios customers. Fios subscribers suffered a two-week blackout of Nexstar stations that ended in October.

“For nearly two decades, broadcasters like Cox have forced cable and satellite providers — and their customers — to pay unreasonably high fees to access local stations. Broadcasters often remove their channels from consumers until TV providers agree to pay more — even though the same channels are available for free over the air,” Verizon said in a statement. “It’s time for our leaders at the FCC and in Congress to protect consumers by holding them — and other broadcasters who frequently use this tactic — accountable. We will continue to work hard to put our customers first and come to a fair agreement on their behalf.” ■

The distribution agreement between Fox and DirecTV expired at midnight Friday Pacific Time, but Fox’s stations and cable networks remained available to the satellite TV company’s subscribers without a blackout.

Since Fox began warning viewers that a black out was possible, the two sides have been exchanging proposals. That process continued into the wee hours on Friday.

The extended carriage appeared to indicate that an agreement was near. On Saturday afternoon, both companies confirmed a deal was reached. Terms were not disclosed.

The expiring agreement covers the Fox-owned TV stations and cable networks FS1, FS2, Big 10 Networks, Fox Deportes and Fox Soccer. Fox News and the Fox Business Network are covered by a separate contract.

Also: Cox Stations Blacked Out to Dish Subs in Retransmission Dispute

A blackout would affect the U.S.-Netherlands World Cup game and college football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday in addition to entertainment and news programming.

In October, Fox warned that its distribution deal with cable operator Altice was about to expire, but the two sides reached a new, extended deal averting a blackout. ■

Dish Network, responding to Cox Media Group demands that it retract false statements about their retransmission-consent dispute, doubled down on blaming CMG for a blackout that continues.

“Cox Media Group’s statements regarding its negotiations with Dish Network and requests for contract extensions are misleading at best,” Dish said in a statement.

The dispute has blacked out stations in nine markets. If it continues into the weekend, viewers will miss high-profile programming including key college football and NFL games.

Another retransmission dispute is also approaching a deadline with the agreement between Fox and DirecTV expiring Friday at midnight Pacific Time. Fox has been warning viewers that a blackout is possible.

Dish maintains that Cox, controlled by Apollo Global Management, has delayed “meaningful discussions” because it wants stations currently owned by Standard General and Tegna to be included because of connections to Apollo.

Standard General has agreed to acquire Tegna in a deal partially financed by Apollo. If the transaction is approved, Cox would wind up with some of the stations involved as part of the deal.

Dish claims that Cox is seeking a 75% fee increase. Dish calls that demand “unreasonable given that Cox’s viewership on Dish TV has significantly declined over the past three years.”

Dish also said Cox has had multiple chances to agree to extensions.

“Cox has failed to mention it opted not to exercise its unilateral right to extend its contract,“ Dish said. “Still, Dish subsequently made additional extension offers to Cox. These offers simply requested Cox sign a letter affirming it would not interfere with the multiyear contract Dish signed with Tegna this past February. To date, Cox has refused these offers.”

Dish said that despite Cox’s practices, it remains open to “reaching an agreement for Cox stations that is fair to our consumers.” ■

Cox Media Group said it sent a cease-and-desist letter to Dish Network demanding the satellite-TV provider retract numerous “false claims” it says are designed to mislead customers about the dispute that resulted in a blackout of Cox’s stations to Dish subscribers this week.

“That fact is, we asked Dish for an extension of our prior contract both in writing and verbally on several different occasions,“ CMG president and CEO Daniel York said. “CMG is now publicly asking Dish yet again to put our market-leading stations back on their satellite platform under the agreement that we both have operated under for years, and we’re again inviting them to finally start engaging in a meaningful good-faith negotiation of a new contract.” 

On Monday, when 12 CMG stations went dark on Dish, Dish sent out a press release that, according to CMG, included “knowingly false statements.”

According to CMG, the claims included that the broadcaster refused to leave the channels up while negotiations continued and that CMG “underinvests in local journalism.”

“Dish’s most egregious lie is that CMG is under-investing in local journalism," said Paul Curran, executive VP of TV for CMG. “The fact is that CMG has increased investment in our news programming and product with transformative investigative journalism and a groundbreaking news and community service initiative that recently received the pinnacle of recognition for local broadcasters, the Service to America award.”

CMG called on Dish to restore the stations and begin to negotiate in good faith. ■

There's nothing in the media business quite like the drama and rhetorical sanctimony of a pay TV carriage war. 

Suddenly, pay TV operators and station groups, owned by publicly traded Wall Street companies and major hedge funds in many cases, become so very, very concerned about ... the poor consumer!

Well, with big conference championships in college football coming up on Friday and Saturday, and the usual full Sunday of pivotal week 13 NFL action set to unfold, there could be a lot of angry TV viewers out there. 

Fox is threatening a pay TV blackout with DirecTV on Friday if a new licensing deal isn't worked out, and Cox Media Group stations were blacked out on Dish Network in nine markets on Monday. 

Here are five upcoming games on the pay TV blackout precipice this weekend:

* No. 4 USC vs. No. 14 Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game -- USC is one win away from a College Football Playoff berth and is looking to avenge its only loss, a 42-41 heartbreaker in Salt Lake City last month. (Next TV is still patching the ol' drywall in our man cave. I mean, can someone cover the tight end this time?) On Friday, TPG-controlled DirecTV, which is the biggest pay TV operator in Southern California, could lose access to the Fox Broadcast Network owned and operated stations, which are set to broadcast the game starting at 8 p.m. EST. The carriage/retrans kerfuffle could also take FS1, FS2 and the Big Ten Network off DirecTV, which has 13.5 million subscribers nationwide. Update: A DirecTV rep told us that should Fox channels be taken down, it wouldn't happen until midnight Saturday on the West Coast, meaning Fox O&O's covering the Pac-12 title game would remain on DirecTV for the duration of the contest. Of greater concern to a broader pool of sports-loving DirecTV subscribers nationally could be Saturday morning's World Cup showdown between the U.S. and The Netherlands, set to kick off on Fox at 10 a.m. EST. 

* No. 3 Michigan vs. Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game -- Next TV can never decide if dental implant surgery is more unpleasant than a good, ol' fashioned root canal. And we couldn't pick between Michigan and The Ohio State last weekend in their Big Ten showdown, either. "The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy if they're just another enemy, too." We think that's the way the saying goes.  Anywho, disregarding our ambivalence about things and people from the Upper Midwest, that matchup between top 5 teams felt like the conference championship to us. And anticlimactic or not, DirecTV viewers will also be shut out from actual Big Ten title game, such as it is, set to air at 8 p.m. EST Saturday, if their satellite TV company doesn't work out some cool rules with Fox ... pronto.

* No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 17 North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game -- Next TV has been down on Clemson all season long, impressing upon anyone who will listen that we weren't surprised at all when Notre Dame took them to the ol' woodshed. We just don't think they're physical enough this year. And we like the Tar Heels' chances of upsetting the Tigers -- a prospect that has to be inspiring to many Charlotte, N.C.-based Dish subscribers who might otherwise enjoy the game on Cox-owned local ABC affiliate WSOC-TV starting at 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Sure, it's not like they're taking down a Final Four game featuring the Tar Heel hoopsters. But this still matters.

* Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tennessee Titans -- Fox Broadcast has six NFL games across its regional grid Sunday, and this is one of two week 13 contests pitting division leaders against each other. DirecTV subscribers might also miss the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins taking on the NFC West topping San Francisco 49ers, also on Fox. That's not to diminish the other games on Fox this weekend: The Seattle Seahawks visiting the Los Angeles Rams will represent two NFC West teams fighting for their playoff lives. (Next TV's 16-year-old jock son still thinks Seattle coach Pete Carroll is his long lost uncle. During a blowout win during the Pete Carroll era at USC back in the aughts, a joyful Next, perhaps caught up in the moment of a Trojans touchdown as we so often were in those days, may have indicated that bogus family connection in an offhand remark to our impressionable young child. Anyhoo, our young meathead offspring, now teenaged and muscle bound, will be at SoFi Stadium to see his 'Hawks play the disappointing Rams on Sunday, thanks to his GF and her rich, connected talent-agent dad.) Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders visiting the New York Giants has even greater NFC East implications, since those two teams actually seem capable of getting to a Super Bowl. Also on the Fox slate, Next TV can't figure out the terrible in-game coaching decisions made by Detroit coach Dan Campbell, but we love how hard his guys play for him and we can't wait to see the Lions play Jacksonville Sunday. Even the fading Green Bay Packers visiting Chicago, another Fox game, will be interesting. (Will Aaron Rodgers sit down and let Jordan Love take over ... which Next TV thinks has been Green Bay management's secret plan all along, evidenced by they're inexplicably letting Rodgers' preferred target, Davante Adams, just walk out the door last spring?) DirecTV subscribers in Fox O&O markets might miss all of this drama Sunday ... unless they go OTA or have a close friend with a rich, connected father who can get them into the stadium. 

* Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans -- Normally, we'd recommend the 4:25 EST game with the other Ohio team, the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals playing the AFC West-topping Kansas City Chiefs. But this marks the Browns debut of controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson, playing his old team in his first NFL game back after serving an 11-game suspension for downright creepy (at best) behavior involving numerous female message therapists. Unfortunately for Dish customers in Dayton, Ohio, unless a deal with Cox Media comes together by Sunday, they won't be able to see either AFC contest on local CBS affiliate WHKO-TV without an over-the-air antenna or a subscription to another pay TV service besides Dish.  ■

Paducah Television Operations, a subsidiary of Standard General, said its four stations have been blacked out to Dish Network subscribers in a dispute over retransmission consent fees.

Paducah Television, based in Providence, operates stations, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Cape Girardeau, Missouri and Providence, Rhode Island and does business as Standard Media, said Dish refused offers from Standard Media and was insisting on significant rate reductions.

Standard General has agreed to buy Tegna, but the deal is in the middle of a lengthy review by the FCC. Among the deal's opponents are cable operators concerned that Standard General will try to raise retransmission fees.

The Walt Disney Co.’s stations and cable networks were briefly backed out by Dish, but the two companies quickly came to a settlement last month. Dish is among the distributors most likely to be involved in a fee dispute when distribution deals expire.

In a statement, Standard Media said it has tried to reach a deal with Dish. 

“Throughout this period, the parties have agreed to multiple extensions to permit negotiations to continue without an impact on viewers. Even though the parties continue to negotiate, Dish has taken the inexplicable position that it will no longer carry the stations during the negotiations. Our stations therefore will no longer be accessible through Dish. This is Dish's choice, and not what we prefer,” the company said.

“With just four local stations, Standard Media is a small station owner. We take seriously our responsibility in providing critical and current news to local communities. While Dish is willing to resell our valuable content that drives their viewership, they do not want to pay for it,” Standard Media said.

Standard Media said it will continue to negotiate in good faith and hopes Dish will enter into a “reasonable” agreement.  ■

In the midst of a retransmission-fee dispute with DirecTV, Mission Broadcasting has prepared letters for its station general managers to send to government officials blaming an intractable satellite company for the blackout impacting their constituents.

"After many extensions, DirecTV's contract to carry [the Mission stations] expired without a new agreement in place," the letter said. "DirecTV and its owners, telecom behemoth AT&T and private-equity firm TPG, believe they can bully a small local broadcaster and ignore the realities of the current marketplace, economic environment, and the entry of cash-flush tech firms such as Apple, Amazon and Netflix who have dramatically driven up the cost of sports and other on-air programming."

Mission wants its station general managers to send the letter to U.S. senators, members of congress, and governors.

The way the letter refers to DirecTV as being owned by AT&T and TPG, mirrors DirecTV's pointing out that Mission's stations are managed by giant broadcaster Nexstar Media Group.

Also: Nexstar, Verizon Fios Reach Deal To End Two-Week Blackout

"DirecTV/AT&T/TPG simply ignore the fact that in addition to unprecedented inflation and cost increases, Mission’s payments to the networks for their programming continue to increase," the letter said. "These network fees allow us to offer viewers programming such as college and NFL football, Major League Baseball, World Cup soccer and other high-profile entertainment and sports. The multimillion-dollar increases in these fees are passed along to us, the station owner. Instead of negotiating in good faith for terms that reflect the current environment, DirecTV/AT&T/TPG became intractable, and [this station and] 24 other full-power television stations were removed from their lineup creating a local news vacuum for our community, impacting thousands of viewers as we approach the midterm elections, high profile sporting events and the winter storm season."

DirecTV responded by saying "the rise in fees between Mission and its broadcast networks is something they need to address directly with Nexstar, who negotiates those rates on Mission’s behalf. We’re focused on helping consumers get more value for their hard-earned dollars rather than passing the buck."

Both broadcasters rejected the offer. Mission insists it regularly reaches amicable retransmission and carriage agreements.

Mission added that DirecTV "benefits from paying out-of-date retransmission consent fees to Mission while consistently instituting rate increases to its subscribers" and accused DirecTV of regularly blacking out viewers before agreeing to pay market rates to broadcasters.

"We are extremely disappointed in the loss of service to our viewers and local businesses," the letter concluded. "We have tried very hard to reach an agreement with DirecTV and remain committed to continuing to negotiate in good faith. We apologize for any inconvenience this situation has presented to you or your constituents."

The Mission stations went dark on October 21. DirecTV also has a blackout going on with stations owned by White Knight Broadcasting that started October 7.

Last week, DirecTV asked Mission and White Knight to restore their signals through Election Day. Both broadcasters rejected the offer. ■

Nexstar Media Group said it reached a new multi-year retransmission consent agreement with Verizon Fios, ending a two-week blackout.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The dispute impacted more than 3 million subscribers in 10 markets, according to Nexstar.

Also: Nexstar Risks $6.7 Million Per Month in Lost Fees During Fios Blackout

Also being restored to Fios subscribers is Nexstar's cable news network NewsNation.

"We're pleased that our customers' programming will be restored and that we can continue delivering content they enjoy," Verizon Fios said in a statement.

The agreement will ensure that Verizon subscribers won't miss a moment of Major League Baseball's World Series, which begins Friday, or any of this weekend's college and NFL football games, Nexstar noted.

Nexstar's stations also add distribution as midterm election races reach an end. Political advertising is generating millions of dollars for local station groups. ■

After its request to have White Knight Broadcasting and Mission Broadcasting restore the signals of their stations through Election Day was rejected, DirecTV accused the broadcasters of “abandoning their journalistic integrity and betraying the public trust.”

Because of a dispute over retransmission-consent payments, the White Knight stations have been blacked out since October 7 to DirecTV subscribers and the Mission Broadcasting stations have been dark since October 21.

DirecTV has directed some of the blame for the blackout on giant Nexstar Media Group. Both White Knight and Mission have agreements under which Nexstar manages ad sales, news production, equipment maintenance and other functions for the stations.

“White Knight Broadcasting and Mission Broadcasting, both actively managed by Nexstar Media Group, have flat-out refused our requests to return their 25 local stations to our customers in 23 media markets through the results of the Nov. 8 midterm elections,” DirecTV said in a statement Friday.

“At the same time, our offer to return the stations and be compensated at a new future higher rate remains completely open, both station groups continue to use their Nexstar-managed news services to propagate the outright lie and misinformation that DirecTV has ‘forced off’ or otherwise ‘removed’ the same stations. Each broadcaster involved has made clear that abandoning journalistic integrity and betraying the public trust are not only acceptable, but readily available, in their shameless pursuit of financial fortunes,” the satellite-TV provider said. 

Mission and White Knight say they negotiate their own retransmission deals.

“We definitely considered the DirecTV offer to reinstate the stations until the midterms, but at this point we don’t feel like that's going to advance the ball,” Dennis Thatcher, president of Mission Broadcasting told Broadcasting+Cable. “All it will do is delay the inevitable and there's always the potential for another takedown.” 

Thatcher said that rather than reinstate the signal and wait to see what happens, he wants both parties to get together and craft a deal that’s good for both sides.

“There’s a new normal in America and our costs have increased,” Thatcher said. “While our cost of programming continues to rise, we’re all adding more and more local programming and we think we’re adding more value. All we want is to be compensated for that value.”

Earlier this week, White Knight president Toby Malara told B+C  that DirecTV shouldn’t pin responsibility for the blackout on the stations.

“DirecTV should not cast blame upon the White Knight stations for DirecTV’s own failure to make a meaningful offer for continued carriage of White Knight stations, especially during this critical time preceding the country’s midterm elections,” Malara said.

“Nevertheless, our stations will continue to offer local political coverage on their websites,” Malara said, pointing to where DirecTV subscribers will be able to get news about the election — and about the carriage dispute.

Nextstar denied any responsibility for the blackout. “Despite DirecTV's allegations, Nexstar is not a party to these negotiations,“ Nexstar said. “These stations are owned by Mission Broadcasting, Inc., and White Knight Broadcasting, Inc. These stations are not owned by Nexstar.” ■

White Knight Broadcasting rejected DirecTV's request that they set aside until after the elections the retransmission-fee dispute that has blacked out the broadcaster's stations to DirecTV subscribers.

DirecTV argued its subscribers need the stations' news programming to be fully informed citizens before casting their critical votes. The satellite-TV company also offered to pay retroactively whatever rate is agreed upon while the stations' signals are returned.

White Knight refused to don the black hat in their standoff.

"DirecTV should not cast blame upon the White Knight stations for DirecTV's own failure to make a meaningful offer for continued carriage of White Knight stations, especially during this critical time preceding the country’s midterm elections," said White Knight president Toby Malara.

White Knight has stations in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Tyler-Longview, Texas.

"Nevertheless, our stations will continue to offer local political coverage on their websites," Malara said, pointing to where DirecTV subscribers will be able to get news about the election — and about the carriage dispute. 

The White Knight stations went dark on DirecTV on October 7.

DirecTV is also in a fee dispute with Mission Broadcasting's stations, which have been blacked out since October 21 when its retransmission agreement with the satellite company expired.

The stations owned by both White Knight and Mission are operated by Nexstar Media Group under management agreements.

Nexstar has its own blackout situation, with its stations not appearing in homes served by Verizon Communications' Fios TV. ■

Mission Broadcasting, which operates 25 network affiliates spanning Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Indiana, New York and a dozen other states, has been pulled from the DirecTV and U-verse TV pay TV platforms. 

The skirmish marks another pay TV blackout that involves Nexstar Media Group, which manages the Mission affiliates. 

This outage will undoubtedly hit hard in regions like Lubbock, Texas, where ABC affiliate KAMC is scheduled on Saturday to air the anticipated college football matchup between Texas and Oklahoma State. 

And of course, DirecTV satellite TV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse customers across Mission’s footprint of CBS, Fox and NBC stations will feel the pain on this coming NFL Sunday. 

Amid this exhausting dance emerges the usual impassioned rhetoric. 

“Unfortunately, Mission Broadcasting and its 25 stations operated by Nexstar Media Group decided to exercise their right to block access to our customers in 23 cities,” DirecTV said in a statement. “By law, Mission can refuse any compromise we offer and has the right to suspend any station from our customers’ local channel lineup — which we had wanted to avoid. We continue to work toward an agreement to deliver the entertainment our customers want at the best possible value. More information is available on TVPromise.com.”

Meanwhile, Mission stations are taking the ol’ “It's not our fault — we’re doing everything we can,” approach. Here's what WNAC Providence, Rhode Island, told its DirecTV/U-verse constituents:

“WNAC and DirecTV have a contract that allows them to carry our programming to you.  That contract has expired and DirecTV removed WNAC from your schedule. WNAC has presented a proposal for fair value, based on the importance and value our programming brings to our viewers. Despite our tireless efforts, DirecTV has refused our fair offer and is making negotiations very difficult.  You might have seen them do this before. They will tell you it’s for your benefit, but don’t believe it. Our offer is fair. And now they hold you the subscriber hostage. It’s not right.”

The American Television Alliance sent out a press release Friday afternoon targeting Nexstar. 

“This is now the third ongoing TV blackout in as many weeks from Nexstar,” said ATVA spokesperson Jessica Kendust. “Nexstar’s behind-the-scenes manipulation of three simultaneous negotiations has resulted in a significant loss of stations across the country, including major college and NFL football and postseason baseball games.”

Within the past two weeks, Nexstar has seen all its local stations and NewsNation taken off Verizon Fios, while White Knight Broadcasting, also controlled by Nexstar, pulled its NBC affiliate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Fox affiliate in Tyler, Texas , from DirecTV and U-verse.

“When massive conglomerate broadcasters like Nexstar use their power and influence to corner the market through sham management agreements with smaller broadcasters, consumers experience more frequent TV blackouts and see their monthly bills increase,” Kendust added. “It’s time for Congress to reform outdated TV laws and put an end to this predatory practice.”

Meanwhile, via TVPromise.com, its online resource for blackout-affected customers, DirecTV reminded its subscribers of a similar kerfuffle Mission had with Dish two years ago. 

DirecTV also suggested, of course, that all of the affected stations are available free over the air via an antenna. ■

Nexstar Media Group stations went dark in homes subscribing to Verizon Fios at midnight on Friday as the two companies’ retransmission-consent agreement expired without the sides being able to agree on an extension.

Nexstar said more than 3 million subscribers and 13 of its TV stations serving 10 markets are impacted. 

In addition to the stations, Verizon Fios subscribers are also losing Nexstar’s NewsNation cable news channel.

Both sides have been warning subscribers that a blackout was possible.

Also: Fox Reaches Agreement With Altice That Averts Blackout

“Verizon Fios is refusing to reach a new distribution agreement allowing the cable company the right to continue airing the highly-rated programming on Nexstar’s local stations,“ Nexstar said in a statement. “As a result, millions of Americans across the country have lost local news, traffic, weather, sports, and entertainment programming as well as critical, up-to-date news regarding the mid-term elections and possible hurricanes in the South and on the East Coast, as well as college and NFL football this weekend. 

“Nexstar has been negotiating tirelessly and in good faith in an attempt to reach a mutually agreeable multiyear contract with Verizon Fios, offering the same fair market rates it offered to other large distribution partners with whom it completed successful negotiations earlier this year,” the broadcaster said. “Nexstar routinely reaches amicable retransmission and carriage agreements with its cable, satellite, and telco partners — in the last three years alone, the company has  successfully completed agreements with more than 500 distribution partners.” 

Nexstar, the nation’s largest broadcaster, said it “remains hopeful” that a resolution can be reached quickly.

Markets affected by the blackout include New York; Philadelphia; Providence, Rhode Island; and Buffalo, New York. 

Tegna stations were blacked out for just under a week in a separate dispute with Verizon Fios in January.

Earlier this week, Verizon claimed that Nexstar was proposing a 64% rate increase and called that “unreasonable.”

Nexstar insisted it was simply seeking “fair-market rates” for the live sports, local news and entertainment programming it provides.

After the blackout, Verizon said that Nexstar declined an extension in order to continue negotiations, resulting in Fios customers losing channels.

“Unfortunately, Nexstar has a reputation for this type of practice with providers, which ultimately results in viewers losing out on their content,” Verizon said.

“We are disappointed that Nexstar was unwilling to enter into a fair agreement, leaving Verizon customers without access to programming that they value. It’s time for our leaders at the FCC and in Congress to protect consumers by holding them — and other broadcasters who frequently use this tactic — accountable. We will continue to work hard to put our customers first and come to a fair agreement with Nexstar on their behalf.”

The Federal Communications Commission requires broadcasters and cable operators to negotiate in good faith, but has been reluctant to step in at the behest of either side of such impasses when they claim the other side is guilty of bad faith.

Verizon said it “will continue to put customers first and is committed to coming to a fair agreement with Nexstar.” ■

Just before Friday’s midnight deadline Altice USA and Fox said they reached a deal, averting a blackout that would have affected Optimum TV viewers mostly in the New York area.

“Optimum and Fox are pleased to announce that a mutually agreed upon deal has been reached that will allow continued carriage of Fox programming for Optimum TV customers,” the companies said in a statement.

Financial terms and other details were not immediately disclosed.

Also: Nexstar Stations Go Dark In Fee Dispute With Verizon Fios

The agreement will enable Altice's Optimum cable subscribers to watch Fox's fall sports programming including college football on Saturday, the NFL on Sunday and Major League Baseball playoff games.

Altice had complained that Fox was demanding “unprecedented and excessive fee increases” and said was seeking a fair deal.

Fox also said it wanted a “fair” deal at “marketplace terms.”

The expiring contract covered local Fox stations including WNYW-WWOR New York, as well as cable channels FS1, FS2, Fox News Channel, Fox Business News and Big Ten Network. ■

With their distribution agreement set to expire Friday, Fox and Altice are warning viewers they could be facing a programming blackout Friday at midnight.

The dispute over retransmission and cable carriage fees could affect local stations including WNYW-TV in New York and cable channels FS1, FS2, Fox News, Fox Business Network and the Big Ten Network, and comes at a time when Fox has a heavy sports lineup, including NFL games, college football and Major League Baseball playoffs.

Also: Verizon, Nexstar Warn of Potential Blackout Friday

As usual each side blames the other for the potential blackout.

"Optimum is committed to keeping our customers connected to the TV content they love, and we are currently in active negotiations with Fox Networks to continue carrying its suite of channels at a reasonable rate that reflects the best interest of our customers," Altice said in a statement. "Unfortunately, Fox Networks is demanding unprecedented and excessive fee increases that would raise TV bills. We are working hard to reach a fair deal for our customers and to avoid any disruption."

In a statement, Fox said it remains committed to reaching a "fair agreement" with Altice for continued carriage to Optimum customers.

"Despite our best efforts for months, we regret that Altice continues to demand special treatment and reject marketplace terms, compelling us to alert our loyal viewers of a potential blackout of all Fox channels by Optimum," Fox said. "This means Optimum subscribers could lose access to the MLB playoffs on Fox and FS1, The World Series, NFL on Fox, College Football on Fox Sports, Fox News, hit shows like The Masked Singer and 9-1-1, local news, and more.  While Fox continues to seek an agreement benefiting all parties, our priority is ensuring viewers' ability to access all Fox News, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment and local Fox station programming. We encourage subscribers to visit www.KEEPFOX.com for more information."

In 2018, when Fox and Altice last negotiated, the Fox channels went dark for few hours on a Monday morning before an agreement was reached. ■

Verizon's Fios TV and Nexstar Media Group are warning viewers that a dispute over retransmission-consent and other distribution fees could result in a programming blackout on Friday.

The dispute involves 10 Nexstar TV stations including WPIX New York, Nexstar’s cable channel NewsNation and the Antenna TV digital broadcast network.

On its website, Verizon Communications said it is working hard to negotiate with Nexstar to reach a new agreement.

“However, Nexstar has proposed charging over 64% more for its programming. Verizon remains committed to making these channels available to our customers, but simply cannot agree to such unreasonable increases,” Verizon said.

Gary Weitman, chief communications officer for Nexstar, said the company “is simply seeking fair market rates for the live sports, local news and high-quality entertainment programming we provide to millions of viewers across the country.”

Weitman added that Nexstar has “a long track record of negotiating fairly and avoiding service interruptions in our markets and we hope to reach agreement with Verizon Fios. We don't want the viewers in our local markets to miss any of this weekend’s college or NFL football games, or any of the other valuable programming we provide.”

On its stations’ websites, Nexstar has posted alerts telling viewers the stations could be “forced off your lineup and important programming you pay for could disappear.”

The website said the stations have “presented a proposal for fair value, based on the importance and value our programming brings to viewers. Despite our tireless efforts, Verizon has refused our fair offer and is making negotiations very difficult. Our offer is fair. And now they may hold you the subscriber hostage. It's not right.”

Nexstar stations are also running ads about the disputes and on-screen crawls under programming.

On WPRI, Nexstar’s CBS affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island, the crawl reads:  “Alert: As of midnight Friday, October 14, Verizon Fios may take away WPRI CBS 12 from your channels. If so you could lose next weekend’s Alabama/Tennessee game and the Pats/Browns game on that Sunday, plus our CBS primetime shows, CBS 12 Local news and much more programming you pay for today. Call 833 Luv WRPI and demand Verizon Fios keep WPRI CBS 12.”

The American Television Alliance (ATVA), which represents cable, satellite and phone companies, said it sent emails to policymakers in Washington alerting them to the potential blackout.

The email, from ATVA executive director Mike Chappell, used the subject line “It’s time to stop Nexstar's blackouts.”

Here's the text of the email: 

“Nexstar, the single largest owner of television stations in the country, is about to black out Verizon Fios subscribers. This means that viewers in DC, New York, Philly, Buffalo, and Norfolk could miss major professional football and baseball games - including the World Series, and local news unless Verizon pays Nexstar higher fees. And if Verizon pays Nexstar higher fees, Fios customers will have to pay higher bills.  

“Maybe you think this is just another tussle between big companies and both sides are to blame. But Nexstar has a history here. In 2020, Nexstar engaged in the ‘largest blackout ever’ on DISH, cutting off service from millions of Americans in more than 100 cities. The year before, Nexstar blacked out millions on DirecTV and AT&T platforms.  

“And that’s not all.  

“Last summer, Comcast accused Nexstar of violating commitments they had made to the FCC, as well as the FCC's ownership rules. According to their complaint, Nexstar was operating more stations than permitted by law so that it could raise prices on consumers. Similarly, the Department of Justice sued Nexstar for unlawfully colluding in the advertising market to raise advertising rates.  

“Nexstar, in other words, has a track record.  

“When Nexstar bought Tribune in 2019, it told the FCC — at great length — that it would improve local service and news, thereby serving the public interest. Since then, it has shown nothing but contempt for the viewers it claims to serve.  

“Enough is enough. It is time for Congress and the FCC to step in."

In addition to WPIX, Nexstar stations carried by Verizon Fios TV include WSYR Syracuse, New York; WTEN Albany, New York; WPRI Providence; WIVB Buffalo; WPHL Philadelphia; WDCW Washington, D.C.; WHTM Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; WRIC Richmond, Virginia; and WAVY and WVBT Norfolk, Virginia. ■

Dish Network said it reached a new carriage agreement with Game Show Network, ending a three-week blackout.

The Sony Pictures Television-owned network is being restored to the Dish satellite-TV and Sling TV virtual MVPD lineups.

“We’re pleased to have reached a multi-year agreement that benefits all parties, especially our customers,” Brian Neylon, executive VP and group president, Dish TV, said. “I want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we worked through the negotiations.”

Dish had accused GSN of backing out of an agreement, resulting in the blackout.

GSN said it couldn't agree to the terms Dish was demanding.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

“We are happy to have entered into a long-term agreement with Dish and that Dish customers can resume watching their favorite shows on Game Show Network for years to come,” Game Show Network executive VP of distribution Tim Carry said. ■

Tegna and Mediacom Communications announced that the reached a new retransmission consent agreement hours before the kickoff of the Super Bowl.

The agreement ends a blackout that began at the end of 2020 and affected stations in 12 markets.

The companies said that all Tegna stations would return to impacted Mediacom homes as soon as possible.

Tegna also reached a retransmission agreement with Dish a little more than a week ago. That agreement ended a four-month blackout.

“We are pleased to announce that we have reached a new agreement,” said Lynn Beall, executive VP and COO, media operation at Tegna, and Italia Commisso-Weinand, executive VP of programming and human resources for Mediacom in a joint statement. “This new agreement provides subscribers with access to valuable and important live local news, live local and national sports and popular network content. We appreciate the patience of our viewers while we worked to reach an agreement.”

Tegna has been involved in takeover reports involving Standard General and Apollo Global Management. 

The stations involved in the Mediacom dispute are:

WQAD (ABC) Davenport, Iowa; Rock Island and Moline, Illinois

WOI, KCWI, WOID4 (ABC, The CW, COZI TV) Des Moines and Ames, Iowa

WZDX (Fox) Huntsville and Decatur, Alabama

WHAS (ABC) Louisville, Kentucky

WMAZ, WMAZ2 (CBS, The CW) Macon, Georgia

KARE (NBC) Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota

WWL (CBS) New Orleans

WVEC (ABC) Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News, Virginia

KPNX (NBC) Prescott, Arizona

KFMB, KFMBDT2 (CBS, The CW) San Diego, California

KSDK (NBC) St. Louis

KMSB (Fox) Tucson, Arizona. ■ 

YouTube TV’s carriage deal with The Walt Disney Co. expires Friday, and YouTube TV said that if a blackout occurs, it will give subscribers a $15 price cut while content such as Grey's Anatomy and SportsCenter is unavailable.

Disney began warning YouTube TV subscribers of a potential blackout Monday. The currency agreement expires Friday at 11:49 p.m. ET and covers ABC’s stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney channels, the FX networks, National Geographic channels and Freeform.

“Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution has a highly successful track record of negotiating such agreements with providers of all types and sizes across the country and is committed to working with Google to reach a fair, market-based agreement,” Disney said in a statement. “We are optimistic that we can reach a deal and continue to provide their YouTube TV customers with our live sporting events and news coverage plus kids, family and general entertainment programming.”

In a blog post, YouTube TV similarly told employees that its deal with Disney was up and that negotiations were taking place. 

“We haven't been able to reach an equitable agreement yet, so we wanted to give you an early heads up so that you can understand your choices,” YouTube TV said.

YouTube TV said it was asking Disney for the same rates that other services of similar size pay.

“If Disney offers us equitable terms, we’ll renew our agreement with them. However, if we are unable to reach a deal by Friday, the Disney-owned channels will no longer be available on YouTube TV and we will decrease our monthly price by $15, from $64.99 to $49.99 (while this content remains off our platform)."

YouTube TV made a similar discount offer in September when its deal with NBCUniversal was about to run out. NBCU and YouTube TV eventually reached an agreement without a blackout occurring.

Worth keeping in mind: Google’s YouTube TV is one of the largest of the virtual multichannel video programming distributors. Disney owns another large vMVPD in Hulu Plus Live TV. If YouTubeTV loses Disney programming, it could drive customers to Hulu. ■

Dish Network responded to Tegna’s cross-complaint — and its response to Dish’s earlier legal action — as “meritless and riddled with mischaracterizations and falsehoods.”

Satellite-TV provider Dish and Tegna are locked in a retransmission consent battle that has left millions of Dish subscribers without access to the programming on Tegna’s stations since Oct. 6.

Dish filed a suit charging that Tegna was violating the Federal Communications Commission’s “good faith” rules on Oct. 18. Tegna responded Friday and filed its own suit.

In a statement, Dish claims that Tegna failed to include key information about its own conduct. It said Tegna chose not to provide a response to Dish’s economic proposal for nearly six weeks.

“When Tegna did respond, it proposed rates that were significantly out of line with competitive marketplace considerations,” Dish said.

“We are disappointed that Tegna continues to turn its back on its public interest obligations and refuses to engage in good faith retransmission consent negotiations with Dish. Tegna’s conduct only serves to harm consumers,” Dish said.

In its statement, Dish said it will respond to Tegna’s answer and cross-complaint at the FCC in the coming weeks.

Tegna, locked in a retransmission-consent battle with Dish Network that has blacked out its stations since Oct. 6, has responded to a suit by the satellite TV provider and filed its own complaint.

Also Read: Dish Is Losing Subs Because Of Tegna Blackout, Charlie Ergen Says 

The broadcast called Dish’s bad-faith charges baseless and alleges that Dish is the one failing to comply with the Federal Communications Commission’s good-faith retrans rules by misrepresenting the negotiations.

Dish responded to the blackout by filing a complaint charging that Tegna was negotiation in bad faith.

“As we speak, millions of Dish customers are being deprived of valued local and national news, weather coverage, NFL and college football and top-rated entertainment shows. Instead of working to restore our programming, Dish is abusing the FCC’s processes and, more importantly, wasting their customers’ time with baseless complaints,” Tegna said in a statement. 

“Our response and cross-complaint show that it is Dish which has acted in bad faith, not only by obstructing negotiations over many months but also through the distortions it has presented to the public and the FCC,” Tegna said. “Unfortunately, Dish’s behavior is consistent with its track record of obstructive tactics. Last year alone, Dish deprived its customers of more than 230 different channels due to disputes like this one. In addition, the company has a long history of abusing the process by bringing business disputes to regulators and courts.

Tegna urged Dish to negotiate seriously and encouraged Dish subscribers to let the satellite provider know they want the programming Tegna’s stations provide.

Dish Network said it filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission charging that Tegna is not negotiating a new retransmission deal in good faith.

Tegna stations have been blacked out to Dish‘s satellite TV subscribers since Oct. 7. 

Tegna called the complaint "utterly baseless and without merit.

Dish claims that Tegna has been stonewalling negotiations and has made unreasonable and inconsistent demands.

“Tegna turned its back on its public-interest obligation and failed to engage in good faith retransmission consent negotiations with Dish,” said Andy LeCuyer, Dish senior VP of programming. “Tegna’s demands were both unreasonable and inconsistent. This behavior negatively impacts Dish subscribers, and we expect Tegna’s bad behavior to only get worse as the programmer looks to sell its stations to the highest bidder. As a result, we have filed a formal complaint with the FCC to address Tegna’s blatant disregard of the Commission’s rules.”

Last month, Tegna said it received bids to buy the company and is reviewing the proposals. 

In its complaint, Dish said that Tegna’s appeared to demand that Dish pay for all subscribers in a local market whether they purchase local programming from Dish or not. It also appeared to demand that Dish pay for viewers who no longer subscribe to the satellite TV platform. 

Tegna’s demands would have totaled nearly $1 billion in fees, the Dish filing said.

In a statement, Tegna said it welcomes a chance for the FCC to review Dish's conduct during the negotiations.

"Perhaps a close examination of DISH’s conduct will cause them to come to the table to negotiate free from their consistently unproductive tactics and public misrepresentations," Tegna said.

Tegna said it made a comprehensive proposal to Dish months ago. It updated the proposal "multiple times," including a "reduction in rates." Tegna said Dish has refused to counter and has not proposed rates in more than three weeks.

Tegna noted that Dish has a history of being blacked out when retransmission contracts come to an end.

"The unfortunate reality is that Dish dropped more than 230 channels last year alone and is now repeating that pattern by refusing to reach an agreement with Tegna, depriving its customers nationwide of some of the most valued programming on TV," Tegna said. "Rather than engage in transparent PR stunts, DISH should return to the negotiating table in a serious fashion and get a deal done before their subscribers are forced to endure yet another week without their favorite shows, valued local news, as well as marquee college football and NFL matchups.”  

Historically complaints citing failure to negotiate in good faith have been nonstarters. Though they were not unusual as negotiating parties jockeyed for leverage, up until this year none had succeeded.

Such complaints have generally been dismissed for failing to show the negotiations were not in good faith, or dropped after the parties involved reach an agreement and publicly bury the hatchet, at least for the time being. But the FCC has injected new life into the tactic by actually taking action.

Back in July, the FCC upheld a $10 million retransmission fine against Sinclair-managed stations for violating the good faith negotiation requirement.  All the groups were represented by consultant Duane Lammers of Max Retrans.

DirecTV had alleged that the broadcaster unreasonably delayed retrans negotiations, including failing to respond to AT&T proposals, and the FCC agreed.

The FCC fined each station individually, saying "the harm to viewers is multiplied with each station that goes dark, regardless of the number of corporate parents involved in a carriage dispute, underscoring the importance of our focus on individual stations."

The American Television Alliance, whose members comprise cable and satellite operators that support retransmission consent reforms including the definition of good faith bargaining, put itself squarely behind DISH and its complaint.

“Mammoth broadcast conglomerates like TEGNA must be held accountable as they weaponize blackouts and harm consumers time and again," said ATVA spokesperson Jessica Kendust. "We hope the FCC will recognize this latest incident and put a stop to these egregious tactics in the future.”

John Eggerton contributed to this story.

Tegna’s stations were blacked out to Dish Network’s 3 million subscribers Wednesday evening after the two companies were unable to reach a new retransmission deal.

The blackout affects Dish customers in 53 markets.

Also Read: AT&T SportsNet and Root Sports Removed From Dish Network

Dish said Tegna was demanding unreasonable increases in its retransmission fees.

Also Read: Sinclair, Dish Agree to Extension Avoiding Massive Blackout for Now

“We made a fair offer to keep Tegna stations available to our customers, but Tegna rejected it, forcing the removal of its channels,” said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. “Tegna is looking to sell its stations to the highest bidder and is simply trying to exploit Dish customers as a way to get the maximum price and further fatten their wallets.”

Last month, Tegna said it had received offers to buy the company.

“Tegna is demanding we pay for 100% of our subscribers in their markets, regardless of whether these subscribers receive or want Tegna’s programming,” added Neylon. “As one of the nation’s largest local station owners, they are more interested in increasing their bottom line by charging our customers more money than providing programming to viewers under fair terms.”

Tegna blamed Dish for the blackout.

“Dish has refused to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us based on the competitive terms we’ve used to reach deals with numerous other providers that reflect the current market,” Tegna said in a statement. “While Dish is one of our smaller distributors, we regret any inconvenience for any of our customers, and hope that Dish will come back to the table to get a deal done to return our valuable programming to their system.”

Tegna began warning viewers that a blackout was possible on Tuesday. 

Blackouts of cable networks have cost programmers a total of $179.5 million in lost affiliate fees since 2013, according to a report by Kagan, a unit of S&P Global market intelligence, with more than $18 million of that hit occurring in 2020 alone.

According to Kagan, ViacomCBS has lost the most in affiliate fees over the past eight years — about $40.1 million — with most of that occurring between Oct. 1, 2014 and Aug. 23, 2017,  the dates the programmers’ channels were dark to Suddenlink Communications systems. That 1,057-day blackout cost ViacomCBS about $38.6 million in lost affiliate fees, according to Kagan. Verizon Communications’ 1,567-day carriage dispute with Comcast’s then-owned The Weather Channel was longer — it lasted from March 10, 2015  to June 24, 2019 — but cost the programmer less (about $31.5 million) according to Kagan. Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios purchased the Weather Channel in 2018. 

In contrast, the shortest dispute was a two-day dark period for Univision Communications channels for Charter Communications customers. That dispute, between Feb. 1 and Feb. 3, 2017, cost the Spanish language programmer about $200,000 in lost affiliate fees, according to Kagan. The least costly dispute was the three-day blackout of CBS broadcast stations for Dish Network customers between Nov. 21 and Nov. 27, 2017, that cost the broadcaster about $100,000 in lost affiliate fees. 

According to Kagan, 2016 was the worst year for blackout losses, with networks missing out on about $37.4 million in carriage fees. Networks lost out on about $31.9 million in fees in 2018, according to Kagan. 

While $180 million seems like a big hit for programmers to take, it is minuscule compared to the amount distributors pay out for content. Kagan later estimated that distributors pay out about $40 billion per year to cable networks for programming. Over an eight-year period, that $180 million represents about 0.06% of the $320 billion distributors have shelled out for content. 

Blackouts have become a common occurrence during carriage negotiations over the past few years, as networks usually time the expiration of their deals around major sporting or entertainment events. Distributors, who run the risk of losing subscribers to other providers the longer the disputes last, have in recent years taken a harder-line stance against carriage-fee increases. With the advent of streaming video, programmers have even more outlets for their programming.  

Even as the number of streaming services have grown with programmers creating direct-to-consumer products like Disney Plus, Discovery Plus, Peacock and the like, Kagan said that traditional distribution continues to be important. 

“Cable-network owners risk affiliate revenue loss in hopes of producing a more favorable deal with traditional multichannel operators, which still serve more than half of the video subscription market in the U.S. and still supply billions of dollars in revenues for the cable network industry,” Kagan wrote. “Although traditional multichannel operators continue to lose subscribers over the years, cable networks will not abandon their cable, satellite and telco customers in the near term, as traditional cable is still a profitable business.”

After a 10-month "blackout" that saw Charter's OTT app disappear from Roku's Channel Store, the Spectrum TV app is once again downloadable by the No. 1 connected TV platform. 

“Charter Communications and Roku have reached a mutually beneficial agreement to renew distribution of the Spectrum TV App (STVA) on the Roku platform," a joint statement reads. "As a result of the renewal, the Spectrum TV App is now available for download from the Roku channel store. We are pleased to renew our partnership and offer this great streaming experience to our shared customers.”

Since mid-December, Roku users had been unable to download Charter Communications’ Spectrum TV app on their devices.

Those Roku-using, Charter-subscribing users who already had the Spectrum TV app downloaded on their Roku smart TV, streaming player or stick as of mid-December were unaffected ... unless they delete their app for some reason. 

Some users appear to have fallen into a bit of a technology-related trap over the July 4th holiday weekend, after Charter tried to issue an update to the cadre of legacy Spectrum TV for Roku downloads, along with Spectrum TV app versions for other OTT device platforms, ranging from iOS to Samsung. 

The attempt appears to have interjected a technology error that resulted in U.S.-based Charter subscribers getting the following error message across myriad types of devices, Roku included: “Spectrum TV is only available in the U.S. and its territories, ref code RLC-1002.”

The outage was soon resolved. But as first reported by TV technology blogger Phillip Swann, frustrated users in the interim turned to social platforms, including Roku's community forum, to discuss the problem. 

Users reported attempts to fix the issue and regain Roku access to their Spectrum TV account by methods including reboot of their modem and streaming device, among other tricks.

As Swann noted, unfortunately, an unknown number of these Roku users unwittingly tried to fix the issue by deleting their Spectrum TV app, only to find out that a fresh download isn't available in the Roku Channel Store. 

"DO NOT DELETE THE APP. IT ISN'T AVAILABLE ANYMORE IF YOU DO," stridently warned one Roku forum poster. 

In June, a Charter rep told us there's nothing new to report in regard to the app support impasse that is keeping the cable operator's OTT users from accessing their service on the biggest connected TV device platform.

Roku execs, concerned with a much larger kerfuffle with Google that involves the tech giant's YouTube and YouTube TV apps, haven't mentioned Charter publicly in months.

The Spectrum TV app, which lets Charter customers tap into their TV subscriptions on select OTT and mobile devices, is often used by Charter cable TV subscribers for secondary TVs within homes, in lieu of additional pricey leased set-tops.  

Those who have already downloaded the Spectrum TV app have been able to continue using Spectrum TV service on Roku. It's unclear if those apps are still receiving updates. 

A message on the landing page for Spectrum TV’s Roku app still reads, “Despite our best efforts to reach an agreement, Roku has not accepted Spectrum's offer to continue our contract that allowed customers to access the Spectrum TV app on Roku devices.”

It's hard to tell just how many of Charter's 16.2 million Spectrum TV customers use the Spectrum TV app. 

Anecdotally, however, angst about the app not being available on the No. 1 OTT platform is surfacing in product review forums.

"Very disappointed! The only reason I chose the tcl smart TV was so I would be able to use my cable provider Spectrum's app on it," wrote one verified Amazon product reviewer in mid-December, posting about her purchase of a 50-inch Roku-powered TCL smart TV.

Notably, in late April, a skirmish broke out between Roku and Google, with Roku removing download access to Google's YouTube TV virtual MVPD app. That conflict -- which has a much higher profile -- remains ongoing, as well. 

A Not So Trivial Dispute?

While many of the typical end-of-year “Blackout Season”-related contract disputes between content companies and pay TV operators that emerged in December have been settled, this somewhat novel iteration of the age-old distribution conflict  has quietly dragged on, and it doesn’t seem to have any end date.

Roku has famously been involved in a series of high-profile app support holdups recently—it didn’t support Comcast’s Peacock or AT&T’s HBO Max for months after those streaming services launched last year. 

Those delays were caused by complex negotiations that involved such factors as ad revenue sharing, and how those services were accessed by consumers—meaning, whether Roku users tapped into, say, HBO Max directly, or through disaggregation via Roku Channels.

Perhaps a more relevant historical precedent was Roku's banishment of the  AT&T TV app from its Channel Store from Jan. 1 through mid-May of last year. That was around the time when AT&T launched its IP-delivered linear pay TV service, AT&T TV. It was also around the time that the telecom's WarnerMedia division put SVOD service HBO Max on the launch pad. 

In the case of the Spectrum TV app, it’s unclear as to what specifically the two sides are haggling about. A source with insight into the negotiations said the impasse has nothing to do with Charter’s cozier relationship with Apple. Notably, two years ago, Charter promoted its Spectrum TV service with Apple TV 4K giveaways, while also launching the Spectrum TV app on the platform. 

It’s also unclear as to how much pressure Charter is under to have its app restored to the No. 1 connected TV device platform. Charter reported that it finished 2020 by adding 56,000 pay TV subscribers—an outlier performance, given the steep erosion of most linear pay TV platforms right now. 

The Spectrum TV app is supported by iOS and Android, meaning it's usable on most mobile devices in the U.S. But outside of Apple TV, its only major connected TV device support comes from Samsung smart TVs and Xbox gaming consoles. So it's unclear as to how motivated at this point Charter is to enable its customers to tap into their pay TV experience through connected TV platforms. 

Leasing secondary WorldBox set-tops generates revenue, of course, and having too many customers pass on the option cuts into average revenue per customer--which has been dropping of late the No. 2 U.S. cable operator. Its ARPU slipped 1.7% in the fourth quarter to $111.85. 

There's also another possible factor to consider: Charter maybe wants to launch its own device platform, and it doesn't want to contribute to Roku taking over the business. 

Charter Chairman and CEO Tom Rutledge said during the company's Q4 earnings call that the operator is considering the deployment of its own streaming device to its broadband-only customers. Notably, Charter had talks last year with Comcast about licensing its Xfinity Flex platform. 

Certainly, for Comcast, there are advantages for having consumers access services like Peacock through Xfinity Flex, where data collection and advanced advertising can be far more controlled vs. a third-party platform like Roku.

More than three months after a business dispute caused Roku to remove the YouTube TV app from it's channel store, and less than five months before Roku users could lose access to the broader YouTube ecosystem, Roku's top managers say there's no new negotiating progress with Google to report. 

"We really don't have new information to provide on the YouTube situation," said Scott Rosenberg, senior VP and general manager of Roku's platform business, during  the streaming company's second-quarter earnings call Wednesday.

But Rosenberg continued to outline Roku's position in what could end up turning into an all-out Silicon Valley tech war to start 2022.

Also read: Roku’s Removal of YouTube TV: What’s Happening and Why?

"Just as a reminder, this is not a carriage dispute," Rosenberg added. "We're not seeking more money or economics in this relationship. We want Google to agree not to try and dictate search behaviors on Roku or access data we don't make available to others or require hardware, software changes to our platform that would harm our competitiveness with other competing platforms, including their own Chromecast. We think these are pretty fair and reasonable asks."

Roku removed the ability of its 55 million active users in April to download the app for YouTube TV, Google's virtual pay TV service. Google responded by enabling access to YouTube TV within its core YouTube app. 

Roku's contract with Google to support the broader YouTube app is up at the end of 2021. At the heart of the dispute is Google’s desire to proliferate AV1, an open video codec that delivers superior 4K videos at lower bitrates. 

Wide-scale hardware support for AV1 is part of Google’s larger plan to migrate the broader YouTube platform to a 4K/HDR future. Google has already begun mandating that third-party makers of devices that run its Android TV operating system build in support for AV1 into future Android TV-based product offerings. 

For his part, Roku CEO Anthony Wood said having to redesign its hardware--as well as the devices of the smart TV manufacturers that license the Roku OS--would undermine a key Roku advantage. Unlike the smart-phone based Android TV OS, the Roku OS is a "purpose built" software that requires cheaper hardware to run on. 

"The cost structure of a TV is really important," Wood told equity analysts during Roku's call Wednesday. "TVs are super price competitive, and how much it costs to build a TV is very important in terms of market share because it affects the price you can sell the TV for. And we put a lot of efforts in making our software platform run with less memory and smaller chips than our competitors."

Dish Network subscribers in Fort Myers, Fla., found themselves blacked out by local CBS affiliate WINK-TV, the day before the Super Bowl because of a retransmission consent dispute.

Also Read: AT&T, Cox Media Group Settle Before Super Bowl

Florida's Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be taking on the Kansas City Chiefs for the NFL championship.

Dish and Fort Myers Broadcasting blamed each other for the disruption before the biggest television event of the year.

Subscribers to AT&T’s DirecTV, U-verse and AT&T TV also faced Super Bowl blackouts in five markets.

Also Read: AT&T Makes Cox Retrans Impasse Pitch to Hill

“We made a fair offer to keep WINK available to our customers, but Fort Myers Broadcasting rejected it,” said Melisa Boddie, programming VP at Dish. “Fort Myers Broadcasting is using our customers as bargaining chips, pulling this station from our lineup just one day before the biggest sporting event of the year. Our customers deserve a fair deal for their local content, not to be played like pawns by greedy station owners.” 

Dish noted that viewers could still watch the big game free on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App. They can also watch if they subscriber to CBS All Access.

“We have been trying to come to a deal that is fair for DISH, Fort Myers Broadcasting, and most importantly, our customers,” said Boddie. “We gave in to WINK’s demands and agreed to their rates, but that wasn’t enough — WINK wanted more. We will continue fighting on behalf of our customers to come to a reasonable deal, and we appreciate our customers’ patience as we work to resolve this matter.”  

The station told its side of the story on the WINK website.

“Unfortunately, WINK-TV and Dish Network have reached an impasse in negotiations for carriage of WINK,” the station said. “Despite granting numerous extensions to Dish, little progress was made in securing a new agreement between WINK and Dish and service was terminated on February 6 at 7:00 p.m. By law, until an agreement is reached, Dish is unable to carry WINK. WINK cannot provide assurance that service to Dish will be restored."

The station noted that "Dish Network is responsible for most of the television service disruptions in the United States. WINK has successfully negotiated carriage agreements with all other satellite and cable company in Southwest Florida and have offered to settle with DISH on similar terms negotiated with other television providers.”

It added that “WINK has never been ‘blacked out’ by any television provider except Dish, and has existing long-term agreements with all major carriers, including Comcast, DirecTV, YouTube TV, and Hulu Live.”

The American Television Alliance, which represents satellite and cable companies, said it is launching an ad campaign criticizing Cox Media Group, whose stations have been blacked out to AT&T pay TV subscribers in a retransmission consent dispute since Tuesday.

The ATVA ad blames Wall Street--CMG is owned by Apollo Global Management--for holding Sunday’s Super Bowl hostage in order to get higher fees from AT&T’s DirecTV, U-verse and AT&T TV. 

Also Read: Top AT&T Exec ‘Demands’ Cox Return Station Signals

“Don’t let Wall Street Black Out Main Street. Call 212 515 3200 now. Tell Apollo to turn the game back on,” reads one of the ads. “You could see fuzz instead of football this weekend,” reads another.

Also Read: AT&T Makes Cox Retrans Impasse Pitch to Hill

The ads are running online in the five markets affected, including Seattle, and in Washington D.C., using social media as well as local sports, local news, politics and on trade and industry publications.

“ATVA’s campaign will help ensure consumers know this blackout is a contrived tactic being used by Wall Street giant Apollo Global Management to hold the Super Bowl hostage in order to boost their bottom line,” said ATVA spokeswoman Jessica Kendust. 

Also Read: Congressman Jared Huffman Calls on Cox to Restore Channels

“Our campaign asks consumers to help stop this egregious service interruption by telling Apollo and their Cox stations not to let Wall Street black out Main Street,” Kendust said. “We also hope policymakers in Washington are taking notice of Apollo and Cox’s behavior and will advance consumer-first television reforms to crack down on this type of egregious price-gouging.”

A top executive at AT&T wrote a letter to Cox Media Group Executive Chairman Steve Pruett demanding that CMG return stations to subscribers of AT&T’s DirecTV, U-verse and AT&T TV pay TV services.

“I am writing to demand that CMG immediately return its local stations to our customers,” said AT&T Communications CEO Jeff McElfresh in the letter, which was made public via Twitter.

Also Read: AT&T Makes Cox Retrans Impasse Pitch to Hill

“As you know, earlier this week, in the midst of a surging pandemic, and just before the Super Bowl, CMG pulled its stations from our DirecTV, U-verse and AT&T TV customers. It did so despite our willingness to pay higher fees and our still-standing offer to pay retroactively at whatever rates we eventually agree on if CMG kept its stations up while we continue to negotiate.”

The CMG stations went off DirecTV on Tuesday.

Also Read: Cox Media Stations Get Blacked Out on AT&T

“I hope you agree with me that our shared customers deserve better,” McElfresh wrote. “I hope you will join me in removing those customers from the middle of a rate dispute and immediately return CMG local stations to our customers. That way, no on e will be left without access to medical, political, and other important information, or just the opportunity to unwind watching the Super Bowl during these trying times.”

In addition to sending a letter to Pruett, AT&T went to Washington to complain about blackout to legislators whose districts are affected by the blackout.

Stations owned by Cox Media Group in 20 markets are no longer available to subscribers of AT&T’s DirecTV because of a retransmission consent dispute.

On the website of WSB-TV, Atlanta, one of the CMG stations, it said the station was removed “after AT&T/DirecTV refused to agree to a fair agreement with our owner, Cox Media Group, to carry our station.”

It noted that WSB can’t force DirecTV to retransmit the station. “We are hopeful that AT&T-DirecTV will abandon its blackout of our station to the detriment of viewers in favor of meaningful negotiations that lead to a mutually beneficial deal for all parties,” the WSB website said. 

In a statement last week, CMG said “We have been working hard to get a fair, market-based deal with AT&T-DirecTV and they have not shown that they are moving that way.”

CMG, controlled by Apollo Global Management, owns stations in 20 markets, that reach 52 million Americans weekly.

CMG's CEO, Dan York, was previously chief content officer at AT&T, which means he negotiated with stations for the satellite company before becoming a broadcast executive.

 “We’re disappointed Cox Media Group and Wall Street financier Apollo Global Management have intentionally put our customers into the middle of a private business matter. We want to get the Cox stations back into their local lineups, but Cox and Apollo alone have exclusive control over which homes are allowed to receive ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in certain cities. And even though broadcasters like Cox keep losing viewers and sponsors, by commanding that exclusivity, they can demand take-it-or-leave-it ultimatums, leaving consumers a more than $12 billion-and-rising bill just to keep their ‘free TV,’” an AT&T spokesman said.

“ Apollo-owned stations have an extremely long and disreputable history of either threatening or pulling the Super Bowl and other important events from Buckland Telephone Co., CableOne, Charter Spectrum, Dish Network, Frontier Communications, Suddenlink, Verizon Fios and our own customers,” the spokesmand added. 

“Broadcasters like Cox gin up these contrived blackouts at the precise time it hurts their viewers the most, extract higher fees, and then use their own news outlets to try to intentionally mislead people and skirt any accountability for their relentless and unwarranted price-gouging. That’s a shameless violation of the public trust – especially from a local news provider during a global pandemic,” the AT&T spokesman said. “Now that there’s a new administration, it’s high time the FCC takes a fresh look at this broken retransmission consent system that encourages blackouts and skyrocketing rate increases at consumers’ expense. We continue to work with Apollo and Cox to get to these stations back and appreciate our customers’ patience while we do.”

Nexstar Media has begun criticizing Dish Network in commercials on its stations as the retransmission dispute that has blacked out channels in 115 markets enters its third week.

Also Read: Nexstar Stations Removed from Dish in 115 Markets

The spot claims that Dish’s CEO has a habit of blacking out stations and networks, and that it makes money when it does. 

Nexstar urges viewers to all Dish and demand credit.

The dispute also has made WGN America unavailable to Dish subscribers.

Nexstar's stations are also running the commercials on their Facebook pages.

"Unfortunately, Dish has made a practice of dropping networks and local television stations from its programming line-up," a Nexstar spokesman said. "There are currently more than 200 channels off its system.  Our negotiations aren’t going as quickly as we would like, due largely to Dish's inability to respond quickly to the multiple proposals we have made during the last two-plus weeks.”  

In the spot, Nexstar shows networks including HBO, Cinemax and NFL Network, along with a number of station logos, and says these are channels Dish has dropped in the past.

“Dropping local stations and networks is Dish’s thing,” an announcer says. “Their CEO says it’s profitable. Doesn’t matter what his customers must endure or for how long. He’s saving Dish money.” 

The spot says that right now, Dish had dropped more than 200 local stations, cable channels and regional sports networks.

“If Dish is treating you this way, call them. Call Dish and demand the credit you deserve,” it says, while flashing Dish’s phone number on the screen.

“Dish successfully reaches hundreds of agreements with programmers every year without disrupting viewers," Dish said in a statement. "We’ve made five separate proposals to Nexstar over the past two weeks, and the ball’s currently in their court. Nexstar has intentionally slowed their responses in order to use viewers as leverage." 

 AT&T's DirecTV and Uverse have sent letters to the general managers of Tegna stations for permission to show subscribers college and NFL football games this weekend that would otherwise be blacked out in the companies’ retransmission fee dispute.

Tegna’s stations in 51 markets have been dark on DirecTV and Uverse since Tuesday night.

AT&T is offering to pay the station a full-day’s retransmission fee in exchange for showing the three-hour game. The fee would be the higher fee agreed to when a new distribution deal is reached, according to the letter.

It is unlikely Tegna or its stations have the right to selectively cherry pick programming from a network feed and let a distributor carry it. AT&T also sent out press releases about the offer, a move aimed at putting pressure on the broadcaster.

One of the letters, obtained by the Houston Chronicle, seeks permission from KHOU-TV in Houston to show Sunday’s Houston Texans game against the Indianapolis Colts broadcast over CBS.

The letter, from Rob Thun, executive VP and chief content officer at AT&T Communications, is addressed to KHOU GM Robert Springer. “While you may be relatively new to the region, you have no doubt witnessed firsthand the deep passion local Texans fans and the team’s many sponsors have invested firsthand, so would hopefully join us in allowing families already hard hit by the pandemic the simple pleasure of watching their favorite team, if only for a few hours.”

The letter also noted that the set top box used by many AT&T subscribers enables them to watch the station via Locast, which streams local station signals. AT&T has made financial contributions to Locast.

“We remain hopeful that we can maintain a productive, professional business relationship with Tegna in common service of the local Houston community and look forward to your immediate and affirmative response,” Thun said in concluding his letter.

In a statement, Tegna said: “We are eager for AT&T U-verse and DirecTV to return our stations to its systems, which is why we have been and remain dedicated to working around-the-clock to reach a fair, market-based agreement. We have made clear that we are prepared to reach a deal at rates that are competitive with the rates that we have agreed to with operators of all sizes over the past fourteen months. We are responding directly to the letter AT&T has sent to our stations, consistent with our efforts to engage throughout this negotiation. If AT&T is now willing to begin good faith discussions, we are confident we can get a deal done quickly.” 

 AT&T said it sent similar letters to the GMs of Tegna’s stations in New Orleans, Indianapolis, Tampa, Columbus, Denver and St. Louis.

The letter to Michael Brouder, president and general manager of WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, AT&T seeks the rights to show Saturday’s game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Syracuse Orange. 

“We believe there is absolutely no public interest served by WTHR and its Virginia-based owner Tegna Inc. deliberately blacking out WTHR and intentionally inconveniencing thousands of Indianapolis homes that are ardent supporters of one of Indiana’s most prestigious universities,” AT&T’s Thun wrote. “As a longtime resident and adjunct faculty member at two competing Indiana universities, you have no doubt witnessed firsthand the deep passion local Irish fans and the team’s many sponsors have invested firsthand, so would hopefully join us in allowing families already hard hit by the pandemic the simple pleasure of watching their favorite team, if only for a few hours.”

In a press release, AT&T said it was offering Tegna a chance to give consumers their channels back and that AT&T stands ready to turn programming back on--Tegna just needs to give permission.

“Fans should not be used as pawns in a business negotiation,” said Celeste Boyd-Spear, VP and General Manager – AT&T Heartland States. “Tegna should set aside their differences for a single afternoon and allow everyone to enjoy this game.”

Nexstar Media Group said its stations are no long available to Dish Network subscribers because the two companies were unable to come to a new retransmission consent fee agreement.

The blackout affects Nexstar TV stations in 115 markets. It also affects Nexstar’s cable network, WGN America.

“Millions of Americans across the country have lost local news, traffic, weather, sports, andentertainment programming as well as critical, up-to-date news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nexstar said. 

Related: Nexstar’s WGN America Gets YouTube TV Carriage

“Viewers across the United States have expressed their outrage at DISH Network for its documented long-term practice of putting its paying subscribers in the middle, rather than reaching agreements with broadcasters and content providers at fair market rates,” Nexstar said noting that in 2020 alone, Dish has dropped network or local community programming offered by E.W. Scripps, Apollo-owned Cox Media Group, Mission Broadcasting, the NFL Network, and 21 regional sports networks.

"We made a fair offer to keep Nexstar stations available to our customers, but Nexstar rejected it," said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. "Earlier today, we offered to extend the current contract and hold subscribers harmless while negotiations continue — once at 11:53am MST and again at 3:11pm MST — but Nexstar never responded. We don't understand why Nexstar insists on prioritizing greed above American viewers, many of whom rely on local programming for their news and entertainment, especially during this global pandemic."

Related: Dish Says Nexstar Could Black Out 164 Stations on Dec. 2

Neylon said Nexstar is demanding $1 billion in fees. "This shocking increase is the largest we have ever seen. While we work to keep subscribers' TV bills as low as possible, Nexstar has no problem passing the buck on to American consumers, he said.

Related: Dish Reports Higher 3rd Quarter Earnings

Nexstar said it  remains hopeful that a resolution can be reached quickly.

Yesterday, Tegna’s TV stations were blacked out to DirecTV customers.

Shortly after Tegna pulled the plug on about 60 TV stations in 51 markets to DirecTV and AT&T U-verse subscribers Tuesday night, the satellite giant challenged the broadcaster to return the stations immediately, pledging to pay the company retroactively at whatever rate is ultimately agreed upon.

The Tegna stations went dark to DirecTV and AT&T U-verse customers at 7 p.m. EST on Dec. 1, after a one-day extension to their existing retransmission consent agreement expired. Usually short-term extensions are a sign that talks are progressing, but in this case, that didn’t happen. AT&T has said that the rate increases Tegna has proposed are the highest it has ever seen.

In a statement, AT&T said in light of the continuing pandemic, where up-to-date local news can be critical, the stations should return to customers while the companies try to work out a deal. 

“In the midst of an ongoing pandemic, Tegna is demanding the largest rate increase we have ever seen, and intentionally blacking out its most loyal viewers,” AT&T said in a statement. “We challenge Tegna to return its local stations immediately while we finalize a new agreement and pledge to pay Tegna retroactively whatever higher rates to which we eventually agree. We share our customers’ frustration, appreciate their patience and intend to do all we can to resolve this matter soon.”

The stations include affiliates of the four major broadcasters (CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox) as well as The CW, MyNetwork TV, and independent stations. The properties  are located in cities as large as Seattle, Washington D.C. and St. Louis, and as small as Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and Ft. Smith, Arkansas. 

On its station websites, Tegna claims its rate increases are market-based and reflect the quality programming it provides, pointing to the “hundreds of deals” it has reached with other distributors. 

“Those providers all felt that they were able to reach a fair deal with us while continuing to offer value to their subscribers,” Tegna said on its websites. “There is no reason why this negotiation with DirecTV and AT&T U-Verse should be different.”

AT&T has said earlier that Tegna usually reaches deals with its distributors, and the few times it has had blackouts, they usually don’t last longer than a few hours or a few days.

“This is exactly why we, along with many others, have called for reform of the broken retransmission consent regime,” AT&T said in its statement.

Tegna said its stations have gone dark in a retransmission consent dispute with AT&T’s DirecTV and U-verse services.

Their original distribution agreement expired at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 30. But it was extended until Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Tegna has 64 TV stations in 51 markets, reaching 41.7 million TV households covering 39% of the country.  It owns Big 4 affiliates in the top 25 markets. 

“Unfortunately, DirecTV AT&T U-Verse have not come to an agreement with Tegna to keep our stations available on their services. Our company has successfully negotiated multi-year deals with hundreds of cable and satellite providers across the country without disruptions to service,” Tegna said in a statement.

An AT&T spokesperson accused Tegna of taking advantage of viewers during a crisis.

“in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, Tegna is demanding the largest rate increase we have ever seen, and intentionally blacking out its most loyal viewers. We challenge Tegna to return its local stations immediately while we finalize a new agreement and pledge to pay Tegna retroactively whatever higher rates to which we eventually agree. We share our customers’ frustration, appreciate their patience and intend to do all we can to resolve this matter soon," the spokesperson said.

Related: AT&T to Tegna: Return Stations Now, We'll Pay You Later

At a time when pay-TV companies are losing subscribers to cord cutting, pricing is a sensitive content. But Tegna said what it broadcast is worth paying for.

“Our content remains the most popular and highly viewed programming available. More importantly, the value of what we offer to our MVPD partners has never been greater. The differentiated, non-substitutable programming we provide including live local news, live local and national sports and first run, highly popular network content is a vital reason why consumers continue to subscribe to MVPD bundles,” Tegna said.

“While we remain hopeful that this will get resolved quickly, our viewers should know that our channels are available on other service providers in their community as well as many streaming services that offer instant access when viewers sign up. As always, our stations are also available for free over-the-air and viewers can watch our newscasts live on our stations’ websites, Roku and mobile apps,” it said.

Another big broadcaster, Nexstar Media Group, could have its stations go off the air this week if it is unable to reach a deal with Dish. That outage could happen today.

As the holiday season approaches, pay TV subscribers can start looking forward to worrying about not being able to see their favorite programming because of year-end carriage disputes.

Over the years, many a Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s have been tainted as cable operators, satellite distributors, programmers and station owners square off, threatening to pull signals and, in some cases, actually blacking out channels, sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for weeks.

At this point, some carriers have warned subscribers of potentially going out of contact and losing the right to retransmit some channels. Some of these warnings are more serious than others.

For example, on Comcast’s Xfiinty Upcoming Contract Renewals site, there’s a warning that as of November, FX, FXX, National Geographic and NatGeo Wild could vanish. (Subs of Hulu--still partly owned by Comcast--will still get FX on Hulu.) While Comcast has a pretty solid record of avoiding blackout, it's worth noting that Comcast’s top execs were not happy when Rupert Murdoch decided not to sell those channels, and the rest of 21st Century Fox to Comcast and instead let The Walt Disney Co., acquire them.

It’s hard to tell how much of a chance there is those Disney channels get blacked out, but odds are much higher that some of the other channels on the Xfinity Contract Renewals site--notably Bravo, CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, Olympic Channel, Oxygen, Syfy, Telemundo, Universo, USA and a bunch of NBC Sports regional sports networks--will be pulled in December.

Those channels are owned by NBCUniversal, which is a division of Comcast. Essentially one side of Brian Roberts’ house is negotiating with the other side. But a deal must be reached, and that deal will be a factor in how much other distributors pay, given the industry’s reliance on Most Favored Nation agreements that say that I get the same price you gave them.

NBCU executives declined to comment and a Comcast spokesman pointed to the statement on the Xfinity site that says: “We expect that we will be able to reach an agreement with the owners of these channels to continue carrying them well into the future. Comcast has successfully renegotiated thousands of expiring contracts over the years and rarely experienced an interruption of service.”

Insiders also pointed to a similar disclosure by AT&T that pay TV services could be prevented from distribution channels that are run by AT&T WarnerMedia unit. 

Those networks include Cartoon Networks, CNN, TBS, TNT, truTV and Turner Classic Movies.

“If reasonable agreements cannot be reached with the programmers these channels will no longer be available,” the AT&T notice said.

We’ll be sitting by the the tube--and the phone--to see who will be reasonable.

YouTube TV has notified its subscribers that the regional sports networks owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group will no longer be carried starting Oct. 1.

The note to subscribers explains that YouTube TV negotiated an extension earlier this year with Sinclair to continue carrying the RSNs, most of which continue to carry the Fox brand. The extension ran through the end of the Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League regular seasons.

“Unfortunately, now the seasons are over and that extension is expiring, YouTube TV said. 

“This was a difficult decision made after months of negotiations. We hope that we can bring Fox RSNs back in the future. Thank you for your membership as we work to make YouTube TV the best streaming experience,” the note said.

Sinclair said that despite a "good faith effort by both parties" to reach a distribution deal, Sinclair and YouTube TV could not come to a mutual agreement.

"While we are disappointed that YouTube will discontinue carriage of the RSNs, we remain in discussions in an effort to find a mutually acceptable path to returning the RSNs to YouTube TV," said arry Faber, Sinclair's President Distribution & Network Relations. "We intend to keep the public informed as to the progress of these discussions so that YouTube TV subscribers can make informed decisions regarding how to view the extremely popular programming carried on these RSNs."

Both companies noted that subscribers will no longer have access to recordings made of programs shown in the Fox RSNs.

The affected networks include Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Carolinas, Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports New Orleans, Fox Sports North, Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports Oklahoma, Fox Sports San Diego, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Southeast, Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports Sun, Fox Sports Tennessee, Fox Sports Wisconsin and SportsTime Ohio.

Sinclair bought the 21 Fox Regional Sports Networks from the Walt Disney Co. for $9.6 billion in a deal that closed in August 2019. Disney acquired them when it bought 21st Century Fox but had to divest them to satisfy government regulators concerned about concentration in the TV sports market because Disney also owns ESPN.

When YouTube TV agreed to an extension with Sinclair, it did not agree to carry some of the biggest RSNs, notable Prime Ticket, Fox Sports West and the YES Network. YouTube also never carried the Marquee Sports Network, Sinclair’s joint venture with the Chicago Cubs.

The National Football League's NFL Media and Dish Network reached a distribution deal on the first Sunday of football season.

The agreement restores both NFL Network and the NFL’s RedZone channel to Dish satellite customers and subscriber to Sling TV’s Blue package.

Related: Mission Broadcasting Stations Go Dark to Dish

“We’re excited to have reached an agreement that benefits all parties, most importantly our customers and NFL fans,” said Andy LeCuyer, Dish’s senior VP of programming. “Thank you for your patience and understanding as we worked through the negotiations.”

Financial terms were not disclosed.

“We join millions of NFL fans who are thrilled to see NFL Network and NFL RedZone back on Dish and Sling TV in time for the 2020 NFL season,” said Hans Schroeder, executive VP and chief operating officer of NFL Media. “Our goal is to provide NFL fans everywhere the opportunity to view award-winning coverage of America’s favorite sport and Dish and Sling TV are important partners in that mission.”