Key Points:
- Verizon is warning of a possible dispute that could leave its 2.6 million customers without Nexstar-owned channels on Friday.
- Nexstar briefly pulled its channels from Verizon Fios in 2022, with fees cited as the factor.
- Nexstar has engaged in similar disputes with Altice USA and DIRECTV over the past few years as the company seeks higher distribution revenue from its local and national channels.
Verizon is warning of a possible carriage dispute with Nexstar Media Group that could leave its pay television subscribers without access to several local channels across its service footprint.
In a note sent to customers on Tuesday, Verizon said its carriage agreement with Nexstar expires on Friday, October 24, and it isn’t sure if it will reach a new agreement with the broadcaster in time to keep more than a dozen channels on its platform.
The situation could leave Verizon Fios subscribers without access to one or more channels if they live in certain areas where Nexstar owns a local station. Those areas include Philadelphia, Buffalo, Norfolk, Albany and Syracuse, according to a list reviewed by The Desk.
As is typical in situations like these, Verizon says Nexstar has demanded more money for the same local channels and distribution of the cable news channel NewsNation.
“Unfortunately, we simply cannot agree to the significant price increases they have asked for to date,” Verizon said in a statement. “
A dispute would impact the following channels:
- WAVY-TV (Channel 10, NBC) in Norfolk, Virginia
- WDCW (Channel 50, CW Network) in Washington, D.C.
- WDVM-TV (Channel 25) in Washington, D.C.
- WHTM-TV (Channel 27, ABC) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- WIVB-TV (Channel 4, CBS) in Buffalo, New York
- WNLO (Channel 23, CW Network) in Buffalo, New York
- WPHL-TV (Channel 17, CW Network) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- WPIX (Channel 11, The CW) in New York City
- WPRI-TV (Channel 12, CBS) in Providence, Rhode Island
- WRIC-TV (Channel 8, ABC) in Richmond, Virginia
- WSYR-TV (Channel 9, ABC) in Syracuse, New York
- WTEN (Channel 10, ABC) in Albany, New York
- WTNH (Channel 8, ABC) in Greenwich, Connecticut
- WVBT (Channel 43, Fox) in Norfolk, Virginia
A dispute between Nexstar and Verizon would not be particularly widespread — Verizon has stopped actively marketing its Fios TV service to its customers in favor of streaming alternatives like YouTube TV, which won’t be affected by the dispute.
Still, more than 2.6 million customers subscribe to Verizon Fios TV in the 10 states where the service is available, according to financial data reviewed by The Desk. Some or all of those customers will be without NewsNation if the dispute moves forward, and many of those customers will have to find alternative ways to access their local ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox or CW Network station if they are owned by Nexstar in their local communities.
Nexstar has not publicly commented on the dispute. The broadcaster briefly pulled its channels from Verizon Fios three years ago, with distribution fees cited as the primary reason. Nexstar has also engaged in disputes with Altice USA’s Optimum TV and DIRECTV in recent years.
In a statement released on Tuesday, a trade group called the American Television Alliance (ATVA) characterized the looming dispute as yet another case of a major broadcast TV conglomerate using its viewers as bargaining chips in order to extract higher fees from cable and satellite customers.
“As families and friends gather to watch Sunday Football, Big Broadcasters are preparing to pull the plug on thousands of pay-TV customers,” said ATVA spokesperson Hunter Wilson. “Rather than watching local news, sports and weather, consumers may soon see a black screen.”
Wilson said Nexstar’s demand for higher distribution fees from Verizon made it apparaent that the broadcaster is “more interested in extracting huge profits from pay-TV consumers than giving people the programming they’re already paying for.”
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