Fox Business Network has plugged one of the three holes in its distribution lineup, inking a carriage contract with Cox Communications.
Under the pact, Fox Business will add some 2 million digital Cox subscribers on Jan. 1, giving the 14-month financial news service a presence in such markets as Phoenix, San Diego, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Hartford, Conn. Deal terms were not disclosed, but the network will be positioned on Cox’s widely penetrated sports and information tier.
With the Cox agreement, Cablevision and Dish Network remain the key holdouts for FBN.
Through the agreement, FBN will lift its subscriber count to 45 million, meaning the service has grown its base by some 50% from its Oct. 15, 2007 debut in 30 million, a total that represents the largest launch in cable history to date. That distinction will pass to the MLB Network, when the sports service, owned in part by DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner and Cox, throws out its first pitch into some 50 million homes Jan. 1
