Game Show Network has been blacked out to Dish Network satellite-TV customers and Sling TV virtual MVPD subscribers in a carriage dispute.

“We have been working with Game Show Network for months to finalize a fair agreement for our customers,” Dish senior VP of programming Andy LeCuyer said. “Unfortunately, Game Show Network made the decision to remove its service from Dish and Sling, backpedaling out of a handshake agreement to continue carriage of their service on our platforms. This is a deceitful negotiation tactic aimed at our customers, putting them in the middle.”

Dish said it remains open to working with GSN to reach a fair agreement and hopes to restore the channel soon.

“We’re deeply disappointed in Game Show Network’s decision to remove its channel at the expense of its viewers,” LeCuyer said. "We will continue fighting on behalf of our customers to come to a fair deal that is beneficial for all."

In a statement, GSN said it tried to get a deal done with Dish, “but after eight months of negotiations we could not agree to their demands.”

GSN noted that Dish has previously removed stations seeking retransmission payments and regional sports networks. "Dish is choosing to do this to Game Show Network, an independent network, that costs virtually nothing compared to local retransmission or sports networks,” it said.

On its website, GSN warned Dish subscribers they could lose the channels and urged them to get in contact with the satellite operator. 

Dish noted that its subscribers could still watch many popular Game Show Network programs via Pluto TV. It added that new episodes of Family Feud can be found on ABC. 

GSN is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which bought out a minority interest held by satellite-TV rival DirecTV in 2019. ■

Mediacom Communications said it has reached a retransmission consent agreement with Paxton Media for the broadcaster’s NBC-affiliate television station serving the Paducah, Kentucky market, ending a seven-month blackout.

Details of the January 1 agreement were not disclosed. 

The station -- WPSD-TV -- also serves Marion-Harrisburg, Illinois and Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Paxton first pulled the station's signal on May 31. 

Also: Kagan: Retrans Fights Could Be Fewer in 2021

The Paxton Media deal was one of the few carriage agreements that were reached as the year drew to a close, although one of the biggest retrans disputes of 2021 -- Tegna's ongoing battle with Dish Network -- shows no current signs that a resolution is near. Tegna stations in about 53 markets went dark to Dish subscribers on Oct 6. ■ 

Charter Communications said it will expand carriage of Black News Channel throughout its service territory, making the country’s only 24/7 African American-focused news network available to all Spectrum TV subscribers in its 41-state footprint by early September.

Charter began providing access to BNC after its launch earlier this year in some of its biggest markets like New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. With the expansion, Spectrum TV customers in all Charter markets, including Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Columbia, will be able to access the channel, providing it with even broader reach.

“Expanding distribution of Black News Channel will give even more Spectrum customers access to the network’s topical news,” said Charter EVP of programming acquisition Tom Montemagno in a press release. “It’s critical that we provide diverse perspectives on our lineups, and that we have programming that truly reflects the issues facing our customers and the communities we serve.”

BNC launched on Feb. 10 dedicated to covering the diverse perspective of African American communities. The channel features coverage of national political, health, business and sports news; stories about Black history and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and original programming, including the “Kelly Wright Show,” “Being a Woman” with hosts Lauren McCoy and Rarione Maniece, and “Doctor for the People” hosted by Dr. Corey Hebert. Earlier this week, the channel named former CNN executive Princell Hair president and CEO. 

“Charter Communications has been a great partner for our Network and has been committed to our success and the information needs of our audience from the start,” said BNC chairman and co-founder J.C. Watts, Jr. in a press release. “Expanding BNC‘s reach to subscribers throughout the Spectrum TV universe further demonstrates that commitment.”

BNC will be available upon launch at no additional charge to Spectrum TV customers who have Spectrum TV Silver, Digital Tier Package 1, or Spectrum Lifestyle TV. 

Anthem Sports & Entertainment networks AXS TV and HDNet Movies have a renewed agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative providing access to more than 750 small to mid-sized cable and broadband operators around the country.

AXS TV programming includes coverage of concert events, Dan Rather's Big Interview show and, more recently, Daryl Hall's Live From Daryl's House. 

Related: Anthem Buys Majority Stake In AXS TV

“This important agreement with the NCTC presents us with a valuable opportunity to bring AXS TV and HDNET MOVIES’ exclusive premium content to even more viewers across the country,” Randy Brown, Senior Vice President of Distribution for Anthem, said in a statement. “AXS TV is perfectly suited to music and pop culture fans, providing an unprecedented lineup of classic concerts, exclusive live performances, celebrity interviews and professional wrestling from the industry’s top talent, while HDNET MOVIES has something for film buffs of all ages to enjoy with a catalog of beloved blockbusters and cinematic classics. We look forward to continuing our partnership with NCTC members and delivering high quality content they cannot find anywhere else, for many years to come.”

“We are pleased to have extended our agreement with AXS TV and HDNET MOVIES,” said Judy Meyka, Executive Vice President, of Programming, NCTC. “We are excited to build on this successful partnership with Anthem as we move forward.”

Game Show Network said it has offered distributors a free preview of the service through April, charging no additional license fees for incremental customers gained in that period. 

“Game Show Network is offering its family friendly programming in free preview in an effort to support our clients at a time when more of their customers are at home and need entertainment,” said Tim Carry, executive VP of distribution at the network, which is in about 64 million homes and is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

A network representative said affiliates had responded positively to the offer, and the network expected to gain about 10 million homes during the preview. 

Related: Hallmark Channel Offers Christmas Fare March 20-22

Networks in the family friendly space have been either doing scheduling changes or just trying to draw attention to their programming during a period when many schools are closing amid coronavirus fears and kids are being educated at home, including by parents forced to telecommute. NewsNet, which operates as a digital subchannel on TV stations' bandwidth, said Thursday it was offering short-term affiliations to stations wanting to add more news programming temporarily.  

Pictured: John Michael Higgins and America Says on Game Show Network.

Insight TV, which produces 4K UHD HDR content, said it signed an agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative to offer its 4K/UHD network to NCTC member providers. MTC, which serves the Central Catskill region of New York, is the first to launch Insight TV under the pact, according to Mark Romano, VP, Americas, Insight TV.

NCTC represents more than 750 small and mid-sized independent cable and broadband operators. MTC added Insight TV to its 4K tier of channels.

“Working with NCTC, we are offering member companies some compelling incentives to launch Insight TV and are delighted that to have MTC on board as the first NCTC member to add our channel,” Romano said in a release. “It’s a great opportunity for systems to get on board with a network that is defining a new standard in quality linear and digital video experiences for consumers. In today’s crowded market, Insight TV provides a competitive advantage for operators looking to differentiate themselves by providing their customers with content and a viewing experience they can’t get elsewhere."

“At MTC, we are always looking to offer our subscribers the highest quality content and that includes programming in 4K,” MTC general manager Glen Faulkner said in the release. “Insight TV’s original, native 4K UHD content is as beautiful as it is fascinating entertainment. We’re delighted to be able to offer this new service to our viewers.”

Sample programming via Insight TV includes Travel With a Goat, Road to Gymkhana GRiD, King of the Hammers, THRU and Breaking Limits. Insight TV is based in the Netherlands.

Adding another distribution channel to the mix, Cheddar has launched daily business news programming on Snapchat.

Cheddar, the business and technology news service that caters to younger audiences, said new editions of Cheddar’s Publisher Story will offered worldwide at 6 a.m. ET every weekday on Snapchat’s Discover page.

RELATED: Cheddar Raises $22M, Eyes International Expansion, New Network

Cheddar’s Publisher Stories on Snapchat will center on four core themes: Personal finance, career, “innovative” business news, and cryptocurrency.

Snapchat adds to a growing list of digital distribution channels for Cheddar. Others include Altice USA (via its internet-connected Altice One gateway); Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Layer3 TV (now part of T-Mobile), Comcast (on X1), Amazon, Facebook, Spotify, Twitch and Twitter.

RELATED: Altice USA Adds Cheddar to Its New Platform

Cheddar, the business and tech news service focused on younger audiences, said it has locked in a deal with Hulu, the OTT service that launched a live TV offering last May.

Under the deal, Cheddar’s primary live network will join Hulu’s TV lineup and feature custom daily news previews and recaps (including exclusive morning and afternoon news briefs), with other Cheddar content coming to Hulu’s SVOD service in the “coming weeks.”

Cheddar, which recently landed a $22 million Series D round, will launch on Hulu later this month.

Hulu ended 2017 with more than 17 million subscribers, a number that includes subs of its SVOD and new live TV service.

Tim Connolly, SVP and head of partnerships and distribution at Hulu, noted in the release that the company’s live TV viewers watched more than 24 million hours of news in Q1 2018.

“We’re happy to partner with a post-cable millennial-focused network like Cheddar to pack even more value into our live offering and give our younger viewers access to a greater, more diverse selection of live news options,” he said, in a statement.

The Hulu deal adds to Cheddar’s growing distribution network that also includes YouTube TV (for Cheddar and a new network called Cheddar Big News), Sling TV, Layer3 TV, Comcast, Amazon, Facebook, Spotify, Twitter and Twitch, among others.

RELATED: Cheddar Launches on YouTube TV, Debuts New Channel

“Both Hulu and Cheddar are reinventing TV. We are thrilled to partner with Hulu and to bring our news to its 17 million subscribers," Jon Steinberg, founder and CEO of Cheddar, said. "It’s amazing that anyone planning to watch season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale, catching up on Atlanta, watching some Rick and Morty, or enjoying the NBA playoffs can tune to Cheddar for tech and business news, live or on demand, and on any Hulu-supported devices."

fuboTV, the sports-first OTT TV provider, is adding more sports-focused programming to the menu via an add-on package.

That package, called Adventure Plus, costs an additional $4.99 per month and includes MAVTV Motorsports Network, Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks – Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and Outside TV.

RELATED: fuboTV Updates Roku App

fuboTV subs can add that package to Fubo Premier, its primary package with 65-plus channels that starts at $19.99 per month for the first month, then $44.99 per month thereafter.

Other fuboTV add-on packs include International Sports Plus ($5.99 per month); Sports Plus ($8.99 per month); Portuguese Plus ($14.99 per month); Mundo Plus ($5.99 per month); fubo Latino ($12.99 per month); Cycling Plus (8.99 per month); and Kids Plus ($2.99 per month). fuboTV also sells Showtime, a package with nine channels, for $10.99 per month.

RELATED: fuboTV Offers a Third Stream

fuboTV announced last fall that it had crossed 100,000 subscribers.

YouTube TV confirmed Wednesday that it’s adding several channels from the Turner stable of networks and will raise the price of its baseline service by $5 per month for new customers starting March 13.

YouTube TV, an OTT TV service that debuted last April in a handful of markets, has added TNT, Adult Swim, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, truTV, and Turner Classic Movies. With those additions, YouTube TV expands its programming slate while also giving sports fans access to several nationally televised NBA games, MLB postseason games, and coverage of the coming March Madness men’s college basketball tournament.

YouTube TV will also “soon” add NBA TV and MLB Network, and will also, in the coming months, enable subs to purchase two out-of-market packages – NBA League Pass and MLB.TV – via the OTT TV service, Heather Moosnick, director of content partnerships at YouTube TV, noted in this blog post.

She also confirmed that, along with the expanded lineup, YouTube TV will also be raising the price of its contract-free baseline package to $40 per month for new subs, starting March 13. Existing YouTube TV customers and those who sign up before March 13 will be able to keep the original price of $35 per month.

RELATED: Watch MCN: vMVPDs by the Numbers

YouTube TV hasn’t disclosed subscriber numbers (CNBC recently put it at about 300,000), but the service continues to expand its geographic reach.

The service, Moosnick said, will be available in the nation’s top 100 markets (about 85% of all U.S. homes) in the coming weeks, following additions that include Lexington, Dayton, Honolulu, Richmond, Mobile and Syracuse.

In addition to traditional pay TV providers, YouTube TV tangles with a mix of other OTT TV services that include Sling TV, DirecTV Now, fuboTV, Hulu, Philo and CenturyLink Stream. The Diffusion Group estimates that the current array of virtual MVPDs ended 2017 with about 5.3 million subscribers.

RELATED: Virtual MVPDs Ended 2017 with 5.3M Subs: Study

Univision Communications said it renewed a distribution agreement with Frontier Communications covering Univision's full portfolio of local stations in the telco's Fios and Vantage markets and UCI cable networks.

The pact includes Univision Network, UniMás and Galavisión; Univision Deportes Network; El Rey Network and cable networks FOROtv, TLNovelas, Telehit, Bandamax, De Pelicula and De Pelicula Clasico. 

UCI EVP of content distribution Eric Ratchman said in a release: “We greatly appreciate the opportunity to extend our partnership with Frontier Communications. The company has long understood the value of the Hispanic viewer and the importance of providing content that attracts and retains customers in the key markets they serve in states ranging from California and Texas to Florida.”

Steve Ward, Frontier senior vice president, video technology and content, added: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Univision Communications to continue to include their portfolio of programming in the wide variety of Spanish-language entertainment options we offer our customers.” 

Fuse Media said it reached an agreement with Dish Network for continued carriage of FM, the music-centred network. FM is available on channel 180 in Dish programming packages including America’s Top 120, America’s Top 200, America’s Top 250 and America’s Everything Pack.

"With music at its core, FM is the ultimate music destination on every platform,” Judi Lopez, Fuse Media SVP Distribution and Affiliate Marketing, said in a release. "We are pleased to continue our partnership with Dish Network to bring FM to young multicultural fans who want a deeper dive into the world of music."

FM is in about 40 million homes, according to Nielsen figures. Sister channel Fuse is in about 61 million homes, again per Nielsen.

Ride TV, the equestrian-focused independent TV network, said it executed an affiliation agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative, making it easier for the small to midsized multichannel providers that belong to the coop to add the channel. This is the Fort Worth, Texas-based programmer's first NCTC deal. It previously signed distribution deals with the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative and with the TV regulatory authority in Canada.

“As a truly Independent television network, we are happy to partner with NCTC and its independent member operators to deliver content to the millions of subscribers who enjoy the equestrian lifestyle and culture,” Peter Clifford, Ride TV’s senior VP of domestic distribution, said in a release.

As earnings season for content providers rapidly approaches — most are scheduled to release their quarterly financial results in the first two weeks of November — investors are increasingly wondering if programmers, who have for years exerted their dominance over distributors, are beginning to lose their grip.

Already, two high-profile carriage renewals are in the books — The Walt Disney Co.’s renewal with Altice USA in the New York market and Viacom’s carriage pact with the second largest cable operator in the country, Charter Communications.

Related: Viacom’s Schireson Says Charter Deal Could Be Blueprint

While most analysts had seen those two programmers as prime examples of how quickly the fortunes of once-dominant content providers could change — each were facing shrinking subscriber bases due to cord-cutting and skinny bundles — both were able to hammer out deals without going dark. That seemed especially surprising for Viacom, which already had seen its channels go dark on systems owned by Cable One and Suddenlink (since renewed). Viacom has struggled with ratings declines and was said to be ripe for getting dropped by Charter.

But instead of testing those waters, Charter, according to reports, agreed to carry eight Viacom channels on its most popular tiers, relegating the rest to pricier packages. And perhaps more importantly, Charter extracted a reduction in affiliate-fee pricing some analysts estimated could be between 10% and 15%. That could have been sweetener enough to discourage Charter from experimenting with dropping the channels.

Related: The Pendulum Swings Back

With the Charter deal, Viacom has basically completed the latest round of renewals — MoffettNathanson media analyst Michael Nathanson estimated that Verizon Communications, the National Cable Television Cooperative and one smaller operator are likely next on the renewal calendar for the programmer over the coming three years.

Distributors Gaining Ground
Pivotal Research Group senior research analyst- advertising Brian Wieser said that while it depends on the network, programmers are increasingly getting pushback on carriage of their least popular channels. And unlike in past years, the distributors appear to be gaining ground.

“The writing is on the wall,” Wieser said. “ ‘VH1 Classics for Women, Jazz Version’ as a digital network does not have a future.”

Wieser was joking, but the gist of what he said rings true. The current cast of cable networks was created during a period when distributors wanted more inventory to fill up their 150-plus channel lineups. Also at that time, consumers saw real value in larger channel offerings and were willing to pay for it. Today, less is more as consumers are seeking out smaller bundles of programming.

“I think the future is worse now than what everyone thought it would be a few years ago,” Wieser said.

That shift will likely translate into lower affiliate fee increases and carriage for fewer networks, he said.

“The Discoverys and Viacoms of the world will end up negotiating lower price increases and end up with lower carriage,” Wieser said. He added that fewer channels also means lower costs for the programmer, so they should “end up in the same place.”

Wieser is not alone. Credit Suisse media analyst Omar Sheikh estimated annual subscriber declines for major domestic cable networks of about 2%, while affiliate fee growth would fall from 9% in 2018 to 7% in 2019 and 5% by 2020.

The affiliate-fee erosion comes as the years-long ad market decline continues. In a note earlier this month, Nathanson estimated national TV ad growth will be -10%, with cable down 4% and broadcast down 19% (+1% ex-Olympics).

Wieser predicted a 2% decline in national television advertising, while Sheikh estimated that ad growth would shrink from 4.3% in 2018 to between 2.4% and 2.5% by 2019-20.

Some analysts have predicted that distributors could use this newfound clout to finally break the bundle, or at least cease carrying networks they no longer feel are worth the trouble, but Wieser doesn’t see that happening on a wide-scale basis yet. He pointed to the recent Charter-Viacom and Disney-Altice deals, which allowed the distributors some carriage flexibility.

No Wholesale Exodus
Sources familiar with the Altice-Disney deal have confirmed reports that Altice won’t carry ESPN Classic as part of its Disney deal, in return for raising the minimum carriage bar for its other networks.

Other analysts such as Sanford Bernstein’s Todd Juenger have worked out the math to justify dropping channels. But even Juenger, who has believed the content business has been in structural decline for years, doesn’t predict a wholesale exodus from ESPN, whether the math works or not.

The economics look better as the fees increase. In a recent note Juenger estimated that dropping ESPN and its $11.44 per month per customer in affiliate fees would make sense even if Charter lost 42.5% of its customers. But he didn’t think any distributor was likely to drop bigger content owners.

“The problem, of course, is no [multichannel video programming distributor] wants to risk (yet) touching Disney (or Fox, Turner, CBS),” Juenger wrote. “Rightly or wrongly, the fear is that too many subscribers care too passionately about certain networks in those families.”

DirecTV Now, AT&T’s OTT TV service, said it has notched carriage deals with broadcasters that enable it to offer 100 live local channels across the U.S. in individual markets, more than tripling the number it offered when it launched last November.

DirecTV Now said it now offers local ABC, NBC and Fox stations in the seven largest DMAs -- Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

Still missing from the lineup is CBS, which also offers a stand-alone subscription service called CBS All Access.

DirecTV now said it now offers a lineup of more than 120 channels, plus a library of 25,000 VOD titles.

DirecTV Now added 152,000 subs in Q2, expanding its total to about 500,000.

Fox Networks Group is moving toward a deal with Charter Communications, according to FNG president and COO Randy Freer.

Fox began warning Charter subscribers two weeks ago that they could lose the Fox broadcast network, FX, National Geographic and Fox regional sports networks because their distribution deal was expiring.

Since the original deadline the companies have agreed to a series of extensions, and in the past few days Fox has stopped running ads urging viewers to seek alternatives to Charter.

"We're working out the issues," Freer said. As in most negotiations between programmers and distributors, the issues include money and terms.

One of those issues involved Fox News Channel, which sued Charter because the MSO, after acquiring Time Warner Cable, began paying TWC's lower affiliate fees in Charter markets.

Settling that suit may be part of the agreement.

Fox News Channel is on a separate contract from Fox Networks Group, even though both are part of 21st Century Fox.

"We go to market as one company," Freer said ahead of National Geographic's "Further Front" event at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Fox News's affiliate relations were consolidated into FNG's distribution team last year.

Freer did not say when an agreement would be finalized, noting that big, long-term agreements are extremely complex.

CBS said it has reached a multi-year carriage agreement with Verizon Communications' Fios TV, a deal that includes retransmission consent of its CBS and The CW broadcast stations and the right in the future to stream authenticated content from the broadcaster.

The pact also includes carriage of CBS pay TV properties Showtime, The Smithsonian Channel and CBS Sports Network.

In the near future, Verizon will also provide access to live authenticated streaming on CBS.com, the CBS App and Verizon’s authenticated platform, giving Verizon Fios’ TV customers the ability to stream CBS live online and on mobile devices. CBS and Verizon have agreed to expand the partnership to future digital platforms, with specifics to be released at a later date. Financial terms were not disclosed.

RELATED: CBS strikes retrans deal with Verizon Fios

“We are very pleased to expand our terrific partnership with Verizon,” CBS President, Television Networks Distribution, Ray Hopkins said in a release. “The renewal of our Fios content carriage agreement for various CBS networks and our expanded rights for future digital platforms is in line with our Company’s strategy to deliver industry-leading content to viewers across multiple platforms and screens, while also achieving both our short and long-term economic goals.”

CBS-owned stations in Verizon Fios markets, including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and CBS-owned The CW affiliates in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, will continue to be distributed to Fios TV subscribers. This includes more than 3 million subscribers served in markets where CBS owns television stations and almost one million subscribers in markets where CBS owns The CW affiliates. (Fios has approximately 4.7 million subscribers in total.) Fios TV will also continue to provide – free to the viewer – network video-on-demand content for the Fios TV platform, plus the continued carriage of the CBS networks named above.

“With every carriage agreement we focus on achieving an outcome that best serves Fios customers based on the way they view today and the way they may want to view tomorrow, including across future digital platforms,” Verizon SVP, Product and New Business, Brian Angiolet said in the release. “Providing customers with choice remains at the core of all of our video offerings, and this agreement with CBS fits squarely into our strategy of expanding rights to fill out our emerging vertically integrated media portfolio.”

Ride TV said the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) determined that the equestrian-focused programmer will be added to the list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution in Canada. The channel said it will be "the first network of its kind in Canada" and will be available to subscribers across the country.

“This is groundbreaking for Ride TV and it proves that the popularity of horses transcends the globe. Canada is a vibrant horse market, and we look forward to making Ride TV available to subscribers on every cable, satellite or IPTV platform in the country,” Michael Trujillo, the network's SVP of international distribution, said in a release. “We are extremely grateful to our sponsor TELUS for their extraordinary vision in recognizing the need for a unique, entertaining and compelling network like Ride TV in Canada.”

Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Ride TV carries original programming, such as the musical profile series Unbridled Song, plus live equestrian sports.

PlayStation Vue, Sony’s OTT-TV service, said it has added another batch of local CBS feeds within the last week.

The latest group to joing the PS Vue lineup, which follows the addition of dozens of other local CBS broadcast channels in recent weeks, includes CBS affiliates such as Cox Media Group Television, Meredith Corp., Gray Television, and Raycom Media, among others.

RELATED: More CBS Live Local Feeds Stream to PlayStation Vue

Here’s the full list of the latest additions:

-Dayton – WHIO TV

-Flint-Saginaw-Bay City – WNEM TV 5

-Jackson, Tenn. – WBBJ CBS 7

-Lexington – WKYT

-Lexington – Mountain News WYMT

-Montgomery-Selma – CBS 8

-Springfield-Holyoke – WSHM CBS 3

-Waco-Temple-Bryan – KBTX News

-Waco-Temple-Bryan – KWTX News 10

-Des Moines-Ames - KCCI

-Honolulu – Hawaii News Now: KGMB

-Louisville – CBS Louisville

-North Platte – KNPL

-Paducah-Cape Girard-Harsbg – KFVS12

-Presque Isle – WAGM

-Shreveport – KSLA News 12

-Toledo – WTOL

-Tucson (Sierra Vista) – CBS 13

-Amarillo – News Channel 10

-Baton Rouge – WAFB 9 News

-Biloxi-Gulfport – WLOX CBS 13

-Charleston, S.C. – Live 5 WCSC

-Elmira (Corning) – WENY CBS

-Erie – WSEE

-Reno – KTVN

-Savannah – WTOC 11

-Wichita Falls & Lawton – Newschannel 6

PlayStation Vue, Sony’s OTT-TV  service, said it is dropping all Viacom-owned channels starting Friday, Nov. 11, and is about to add several other services.

All Viacom-owned networks currently offered on PS Vue, including Comedy Central, Spike and MTV, will be dropped starting at 12:01 a.m. ET on Nov.11, Dwayne Benefield, VP and head of PS Vue, announced Tuesday in this blog post.

“As part of our ongoing evaluation of the PlayStation Vue offering, we have determined that removing the bundle of channels from Viacom is the best way for us to continue to offer the most compelling value to our fans,” he wrote.

Viacom channels have been part of the PS Vue lineup since the service launched in March 2015.

Update: "We have no pricing changes to announce at this time," a PS Vue spokesperson said via email when asked if pricing on the service would be adjusted following the lineup changes.

DirecTV Now, AT&T’s OTT-TV service that will launch later this month, has a distribution deal with Viacom. Depending on the package, Dish Network-owned OTT-TV service, Sling TV, currently carries Viacom channels such as Comedy Central, Nick Jr., NickToons, TeenNick, MTV, MTV2, TV Land,  and Spike. 

RELATED: Viacom, Dish Reach Carriage Agreement

Viacom said it declined to comment at this time. 

PS Vue has not released subscriber figures, but a Bloomberg report in June put it at 100,000-plus, noting that the service got a lift from the introduction of new “Slim” packages that give PS Vue a national reach for its multichannel subscription service.

RELATED: PlayStation Vue Goes National With ‘Slim’ Packages

Benefield said PS Vue will be adding some new channels starting Wednesday (November 9), including BBC America and NBA TV, with plans to launch Viceland and more local broadcast stations from CBS and Fox “soon.” PS Vue recently added HBO and Cinemax.

RELATED: PlayStation Vue Expands Access to CBS Live Local Feeds

About 50 PS Vue customers responded to the decision on the blog at last check Tuesday afternoon. Several said they intend to drop the service, or wanted a more detailed reason behind the decision.

“Whelp, guess I should start looking for a new streaming service, and I’ve only been on Vue for a few months,” a user going by “NintendoTom” wrote.

“Very disappointing to lose these (particularly, as a parent, the Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. channels). More transparency on how/why this happened would be appreciated, as well as whether negotiations to restore these are in process,” posted “judasgoat.”

Some weren’t too upset.  “Always a bummer to lose value (i.e. channels per dollar) but I never watched those networks, so I am ok with it. Even with this, Vue is a good deal compared to my other options, just hope the trend does not continue,” wrote a user who goes by “CycoCross.”

PS Vue is available on PCs and Macs, Android TV devices, PS4 and PS3 consoles, Roku devices, iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, Amazon Fire TV boxes and the Fire TV Stick, and the Google Chromecast streaming adapter.

Stingray Digital Group said it has filed counter claims against Music Choice, the rival music-over-multichannel programmer that, in June, sued Stingray for patent infringement after getting dropped by AT&T U-verse in favor of Stingray Music.  

Montreal-based Stingray said it filed, on Tuesday, an answer and counterclaim against the Music Choice lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, where Music Choice filed its suit. Stingray Music USA separately filed a lawsuit against Music Choice asserting "claims of unfair competition, defamation, trade libel, tortious interference with existing and prospective contractual relationships, and unfair competition." 

“As explained in our Complaint, Music Choice has displayed a pattern of trying to stifle new market entrants with false statements and unfair commercial practices,” Eric Boyko, president, co-founder and CEO of Stingray, said in a release. “Instead of disseminating false facts and filing lawsuits, Music Choice should use its resources to innovate its offerings and improve relations with its remaining customers and suppliers.”

Stingray also said in the release that the patents Music Choice asserted were invalid partly because of "certain prior art technology previously owned by a Music Choice subsidiary (subsequently purchased by Stingray in a share purchase transaction) of which the U.S. Patent Office was unaware during the prosecution of the patents." The Stingray Music USA lawsuit will seek monetary damages "for the harm it suffered as a result of Music Choice’s attempts to damage Stingray’s reputation and exclude it from lawfully competing in the U.S. market,” according to Stingray, which has also seen its music programming expand on Comcast Xfinity this year.

Music Choice through a spokesperson said the company had "received their notice of filing and are reviewing it. No further comment at this time." The programmer, established in 1991, is owned by a partnership among subsidiaries of Microsoft, Arris, Sony Corp. of America, EMI Music Publishing, Time Warner Inc., Comcast Cable Communications, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable (now being transferred to Charter Communications, according to Music Choice).

Showtime Networks is the latest programmer to lob a lawsuit at Charter Communications over claims that the MSO is trying to get a lower carriage rate linked to legacy deals with Time Warner Cable.

The complaint, filed Wednesday with the New York State Supreme Court, is seeking judgement against Charter for alleged breach of contract.

Update: Showtime noted that the suit seeks both damages for underpaid license fees and a declaratory judgment that Showtime Networks’ agreement with Time Warner Cable was terminated upon the closing of Charter’s recent acquisitions of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.  

"Showtime Networks made every effort to resolve this matter short of the courthouse, but Charter’s persistent refusal to honor its contractual obligations forced Showtime Networks to take this regrettable, but necessary, step," Showtime said in a separate statement. 

Showtime, which launched a direct-to-consumer OTT subscription service in July 2015, is the first premium programmer to file a suit of this nature against Charter following the MSO’s merger with TWC and BHN.

RELATED: Fox News Sues Charter Over Carriage Spat

As in the other lawsuits, Showtime said Charter is trying to argue that it was Time Warner Cable, rather than Charter, that acquired and now owns and manages the TWC and Bright House Network Systems and should, therefore, get the lower TWC rate. Charter, it said, claims that a company called Spectrum Management Holding Company acquired the legacy Charter systems that that Spectrum now owns and manages the Charter and TWC/BHN systems.

RELATED: Univision Sues Charter 

“This argument is demonstrably false,” Showtime asserted in the complaint, citing examples indicating that Charter is the acquirer.

Charter has been asked for comment.

Update: "We have a long-term contract with Showtime and we expect them to honor it," Charter said, in a statement. 

The suits with Univision and Fox News came up on Charter’s Q2 call earlier this month. Charter Chairman and CEO Tom Rutledge said the complaints were expected and are viewed as part of the overall negotiating process.

“The nature of programming relationships hasn't fundamentally changed, and it's still a contentious contractual environment,” he said. “But, generally, we have good relationships with our programmers, and I think the litigation is part of the negotiation process in general. And it's going about what we thought it would go.”

Liberty Global has renewed its distribution deal with Discovery Communications, a long-term deal that ensures carriage of the programmer's full portfolio of channels across 12 countries in Europe.

“Discovery is the leader in premium and provocative real-world entertainment through our loved brands that engage and entertain passionate communities across the globe. From world-class sporting events like the Olympic Games, Grand Slam Tennis, and important local sports to globally popular shows like Gold Rush, Cake Boss, and Shark Week, this new deal strengthens our great partnership with Liberty Global and provides their customers with more premium content from Discovery’s networks and brands, across more screens than ever before,”said Discovery Networks International CEO JB Perrette in a prepared statement.

The deal also includes digital rights, allowing Liberty Global customers in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, access to programming in and out of the home.

“This long-term renewal provides Liberty Global with guaranteed access to Discovery’s broad stable of world-famous brands," said Liberty Global managing director, programming Bruce Mann in a statement. "With greatly expanded distribution rights, we are well positioned to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations and evolving viewing habits. Meanwhile, the combination of our ever more innovative TV platforms with Discovery’s significant investment in content – including the Olympic Games – provide a framework for further creative opportunities that will drive even more value from the deal.”            

Ride Television Network (Ride TV) and Dish Network said they reached a carriage agreement for Dish to carry the startup equestrian lifestyle network. The channel, which debuted in fall 2014, will join the lineup of Dish’s America’s Top 250 and Heartland programming packages later this year, according to the programmer.

“We are extremely pleased to have reached this agreement with Dish. Being able to tell the stories and show the unique lifestyles of real horsemen and women to an audience who would not ordinarily see it, has been a life-long goal,” Ride TV president Craig Morris said in a relase. “I want to personally thank Dish and Charlie Ergen for recognizing the important role that HORSES have played in shaping the world we live in. There would be no Cowboy if it were not for the horse.”

“We’re a perfect fit for Dish and are excited about our business partnership,” Michael Trujillo, Ride TV’s vice president of global distribution, said in the release. “Dish is an innovative company that reaches every community across the United States, and we look forward to providing their subscribers with unique programming that embraces the equestrian lifestyle.”

Ride TV original programming includes This Old Horse, a documentary series about the most famous horses in history, Rockstar Vets, a reality show with a famous equine surgeon, and coverage of Western and English equine competitions. Pictured: Ride TV host Carly Twisselman