Stunning deal builds streaming’s clout and is a huge blow to linear TV In a stunning deal with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – and one that could be the death knell to linear TV, Google’s YouTube – yes, the video portal where you can watch anything from cat videos to old commercials, has landed the Oscars […]
All ABC stations lose access to platform Disney removed its entire channel portfolio from Google’s YouTubeTV early Friday morning after failing to reach a new agreement. This means subscribers no longer have access to ESPN, FX, National Geographic, Disney Channel, and fifteen others. The dispute also means ABC and its 200+ affiliates are off the virtual provider as ABC (and […]
Threatens to pull ABC and ESPN channels a week from now As hinted at for the last few weeks, Google’s YouTubeTV and The Walt Disney Company are involved in a standoff over a new deal, with Disney warning customers they may lose their channels on October 30 at 11 p.m. CT if an agreement isn’t reached. Disney owns ESPN, Disney […]
NBC prepared to take off channels Sept. 30 Just weeks after Fox Corp. and Google’s YouTube TV were involved in a retransmission dispute, another issue has emerged with NBCUniversal. If a deal can’t be reached by Sept. 30, YouTubeTV subscribers could lose channels from the company, including NBC, Telemundo, Bravo, MSNBC, and CNBC, which broke the story Thursday. […]
Sinclair and Nexstar stand their ground; they won’t air show [Editor’s Note: This post was updated at 8:45 p.m. on September 22 and at 1:30 p.m. on September 23.] Disney-owned ABC announced Monday it is returning Jimmy Kimmel Live to its regular late-night time slot on Tuesday night, after the network forced him to sit out a week due to […]
Network makes move after Nexstar, Sinclair drops show indefinitely, and comes after FCC chair threatens ABC In a bold move, ABC has put late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live on hiatus after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened ABC and Disney after Kimmel committed on Charlie Kirk’s assassination Monday night. Kimmel mistakenly said that suspect Tyler Robinson was a Trump supporter (he […]
ESPN will likely take over in 2026 [Editor’s Note: This post was updated on August 6.] After months of talks and speculation, The Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN has agreed to acquire NFL Network in exchange for a ten percent stake in the cable network. The agreement is non-binding, as each partner could walk away from the deal at any time. ESPN […]
Episodes available a day after airing in syndication As hinted a few months ago, Sony Pictures Television has sold next-day streaming rights of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune to not one but two streaming networks. Beginning this September, both game shows will stream on Disney’s Hulu and NBCUniversal’s Peacock. It’s a multi-year deal which will feature both current and […]
Network stands pat with a few changes ABC released its 2025-26 schedule on Tuesday, and like the other broadcast networks (except NBC), familiarity and stability are the key. There is only one new show debuting on the schedule this fall, an indication of the lessening power linear TV has in today’s media space, and was indicated at the Disney upfront […]
Quartet renewed through 2029, but there’s a catch Fox’s Sunday night Animation Domination block will be dominating for some time to come In an unprecedented deal with Disney, Fox has renewed veteran animated shows The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, and American Dad for four more years, through the 2028-29 season. It is the largest and longest renewal agreement for any […]
WSVN to stay with Fox as ABC shifts to a 7.2; First major affiliation switch in the market since ’95 Affiliation switches are rare nowadays, but when they happen, it’s big news – even in the streaming era. WPLG Miami-Ft. Lauderdale announced on Thursday that it is ending its 64-year relationship with ABC to become an independent station. Sunbeam’s WSVN […]
Comes after Venu collapse Just days after the planned Disney-Fox-Warner Bros. Discovery joint venture Venu fell through, one of the principals that helped bring down the effort is releasing its own “skinny bundle”. DirecTV announced Tuesday it was launching MySports, a new sports streaming service available at launch in seventeen of the top twenty markets including Chicago, and includes local […]
Dish and DirecTV objections and Fubo offering a similar package led to the demise The Venu is closed before it even opens. Despite a settlement reached in a lawsuit settled by Disney and Fubo due to the latter agreeing to sell itself to them, the joint venture between Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery to launch a new affordable skinny […]
Paves way for new Disney-WBD-Fox joint venture to launch [Editor’s Note: This article has been updated.] In a stunning turn of events, virtual multiple video program distributor Fubo announced Monday that it agreed to terms to merge with rival Hulu + Live TV, owned by The Walt Disney Company. Just as important, it removes a key stumbling block for sports-themed […]
Cable networks such as USA Network and E! under new ownership by 2026 With the business in freefall, Comcast Corp. has decided to part ways with its cable networks. As hinted a few weeks ago, Comcast announced Wednesday it is spinning off its cable networks from its NBCUniversal into a new company. Tentatively titled SpinCo (we hope it’s a temporary […]
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