DirecTV sues Nexstar over retransmission fees
DirecTV says Nexstar’s shared services agreements amount to a conspiracy to raise retransmission fees for channels.
A carriage dispute occurs during a negotiation between a distributor (cable, satellite or streaming provider) and a programmer (local broadcast station owner and/or owner-operator of cable channels). The dispute triggers when the distributor and the programmer are unable to reach an agreement for carriage of channels on a pay TV system, likely after a programmer requests an increase in fees.
Customers of the distributor platform are left without one or more channels during the dispute. Carriage disputes are usually resolved when a distributor agrees to terms that a programmer sets; customers typically see the outcome of these agreements reflected on their monthly or annual bills.
In rare cases, a prolonged carriage dispute is the subject of litigation, after one company accuses the other of legal wrongdoing. Occasionally, a legal complaint is filed prior to the start of a carriage dispute, while a retransmission consent agreement is in place but clos to expiring.
DirecTV says Nexstar’s shared services agreements amount to a conspiracy to raise retransmission fees for channels.
Dish Network customers in more than two dozen regions have lost access to Nexstar-controlled Mission and White Knight broadcast stations.
Dish Network says Weigel Broadcasting walked back a “handshake agreement” to keep Me TV on its traditional satellite service.
Comcast and Nexstar have reached a new agreement that restores WPIX and avoids a blackout of dozens of other channels.
Comcast has filed a formal complaint with the FCC, accusing Nexstar and MIssion Broadcasting of not holding good faith retransmission talks.
Verizon is warning subscribers of its Fios TV service that they may lose broadcast and cable channels owned by Cox Media Group by Friday.
Nexstar’s local TV stations are warning viewers that a potential carriage dispute with Comcast could leave them without their local ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox station.
An ongoing battle between Comcast and Nexstar reached a peak this week when WPIX was pulled from systems in the New York City area.
Fox Corporation and pay TV provider DirecTV inked a last-minute deal that avoided a carriage dispute.
Subscribers of Dish Network and DirecTV satellite services may have to go without access to some high-profile college games due to a pair of carriage disputes with programmers.