News
The latest stories published on The Desk.
Comcast pulls Scripps-owned channels from Xfinity TV
It's no April Fool's joke — some Comcast customers woke up to find one or more of their favorite TV stations missing from their Xfinity TV packages early Wednesday morning.
FIRST ON THE DESK
Hearst stations to carry Tampa Bay Rays baseball games
Hearst Television has secured a new agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays to air a package of games across four Florida markets during the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
Bitmovin adds support for SGAI to enhance ad-supported streaming products
Bitmovin on Tuesday announced it has added support for Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) across its playback products, a move aimed at improving ad delivery and monetization for streaming video providers.
Amazon to offer Spectrum TV app for Fire TV devices
Charter Communications and Amazon have reached a new distribution agreement that involves offering Fire TV users access to the Spectrum TV app. The app will be available as a free download in the Amazon App Store for Fire TV devices ... Read more
Scripps sells WRTV, will seek waiver for Inyo stations
The deal is part of over $120 million in recent station sales aimed at reducing debt and repurchasing Ion stations.
FIRST ON THE DESK
TuneIn adds distribution deal with NBC Sports Radio
TuneIn will offer live and studio programming from NBC Sports through a new agreement with the broadcaster.
Roku launches standalone Howdy mobile app
Roku has launched a dedicated mobile app for its low-cost streaming service Howdy, allowing anyone with a smartphone in the United States to stream commercial-free movies and TV shows for $3 per month.
Free Live Sports taps five industry experts for advisory board
The parent company of Free Live Sports has formed an advisory board consisting of five industry experts.
Walmart’s NewFront Vision: Content-to-Commerce
Vizio is central to Walmart’s vision of transforming from a retail media network into a full “content-to-commerce” ecosystem, able to finally compete head-to-head with Amazon.
By:
Michael Goodman, Parks Associates
GUEST COLUMN
FCC names Farhan Khan as Chief Information Officer
The FCC named Farhan Khan as Chief Information Officer, tasking him with leading IT strategy, modernization and cybersecurity as the agency supports evolving telecommunications needs and infrastructure.
Nexstar stock drops after judge blocks TEGNA deal
Shares of Nexstar Media Group traded sharply lower on Monday, the first full day of trading since a federal judge blocked the broadcaster's acquisition of TEGNA.
Ampere: Global streaming revenue surpasses $157 billion in 2025
Growth is increasingly driven by price increases and ad-supported tiers as subscriber gains slow in mature markets.
DATA