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Subscribers of sports activities streaming service Fubo TV have misplaced entry to channels owned by NBCUniversal within the newest TV distribution dust-up.
Fubo blasted NBCUniversal for its stance throughout collapsed contract negotiations, leading to a blackout of NBCUniversal channels simply days earlier than Thanksgiving when scores of viewers hunker down for turkey and soccer. NBC is ready to broadcast the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Nationwide Canine Present and Thursday night time’s NFL recreation that includes the Cincinnati Bengals battling the Baltimore Ravens. The occasions additionally will stream on Peacock.
The blackout, which additionally consists of Bravo, CNBC and Spanish-language Telemundo, impacts Fubo’s almost 1.6 million clients.
The dispute comes a month after NBCUniversal’s rival, Walt Disney Co., acquired the controlling stake of Fubo and folded the smaller sports-centric providing into Disney’s Hulu + Dwell TV. (Hulu + subscribers nonetheless have NBCUniversal channels accessible as a result of they’re lined by a separate distribution contract.)
Fubo clients might additionally miss NBC’s broadcast of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
(Eduardo Munoz Avarez / Related Press)
In its Tuesday assertion, Fubo alleged that NBCUniversal had refused to present Fubo leeway to supply only a few of its channels — somewhat than its whole portfolio. Fubo is seeking to management prices and designed its product to be a slimmed-down model of a cumbersome bundle — however one with a heavy complement of sports activities networks.
Fubo additionally took difficulty with NBCUniversal negotiating on behalf of the cable channels that NBCUniversal plans to solid off in January as a part of a company break up.
Legacy cable channels together with MS Now (previously MSNBC), Syfy, CNBC, USA Community and Golf Channel shall be kind the brand new publicly traded firm, Versant.
“Fubo provided to distribute Versant channels for one yr,” Fubo mentioned in its assertion, including that it views most of these networks as “not being value the fee.”
“NBCU needs Fubo to signal a multi-year deal – effectively previous the time the Versant channels shall be owned by a separate firm,” Fubo mentioned. “NBCU needs Fubo subscribers to subsidize these channels.”
NBCUniversal, owned by cable and broadband big Comcast, countered that it had provided Fubo comparable phrases to these contained in offers struck with different pay-TV distributors — however Fubo balked.
“Sadly, that is par for the course for Fubo,” NBCUniversal mentioned. “They’ve dropped quite a few networks lately on the expense of their clients, who proceed to lose content material.”
The Nov. 21 blackout got here one week after Disney resolved a separate, high-profile dispute with Google’s YouTube TV. That dispute, which resulted in a two-week blackout of Disney-owned channels, together with ESPN, for about 10 million YouTube TV clients, hinged on charge will increase sought by Disney.
The 2 corporations additionally tussled over YouTube TV’s need to supply the ESPN streaming app to its clients at no additional value.
They reached a compromise, and YouTube got here away with authorization to offer some ESPN streaming content material.
In September, YouTube TV averted the same blackout of NBC channels by making a deal simply hours earlier than the deadline.
Disney acquired 70% of Fubo TV in October 2025.
(Justin Sullivan / Getty Pictures)
Fubo pointed to NBCUniversal’s current offers with YouTube TV and Amazon Prime Video, which permits these corporations to supply NBC’s streaming app Peacock as a part of their channel shops. Fubo alleged that NBC refused to present Fubo the identical rights.
“Fubo is dedicated to bringing its subscribers a premium, competitively-priced reside TV streaming expertise with the content material they love,” Fubo mentioned. “That features a number of content material choices, together with a sports-focused service, that may be accessed straight from the Fubo app. We hope NBCU reconsiders their stance, or we’ll be compelled to maneuver ahead with out them.”
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