NBC said it has reached an agreement with the NBC Television Affiliates Board that would allow the network’s station affiliates to opt in to NBC Universal’s carriage agreements with over-the-top streaming serviced and TV Everywhere distribution rights for pay TV subscribers.
In the past station affiliates were left out of national OTT agreements and had to negotiate with the OTT providers separately. It was a big bone of contention for some affiliate groups and at least with NBC affiliates, seems to be resolved
“We are happy to once again reinforce NBC’s commitment to and recognition of the value of the affiliate partnership and that of local broadcasters. This agreement in the digital space reaffirms that commitment,” said NBC Affiliate Relations president Jean Dietze in a statement.
According to a press release, discussions between NBC and the NBC Affiliate Board have been gong on for the past several months,
"We are excited to take the important step of planting local Affiliates linear feeds in a position to join the Over the Top space, along with our network partners,” said NBC Affiliates chairman Ralph Oakley in a statement. “We believe that OTT distribution can play an important role in ensuring the growth and development of local, network-affiliated television stations. We appreciate NBC's forward-looking approach to growing our historic partnership."
