Fubo Blackout Explained: NBC, USA Network, and RSNs Go Dark in Contract Dispute
Fans who need access to NBC regional sports networks will have to look elsewhere for the time being after a negotiation between Fubo and NBCUniversal stalled.
As of November 21, 2025, NBC’s entire channel portfolio is no longer available on Fubo. That includes RSNs serving the Northern California, Philadelphia, and Boston markets. Another channel no longer accessible is USA Network, a popular destination for Premier League soccer.
A similar carriage dispute between Google and Disney lasted for weeks and meant subscribers couldn’t access channels like ABC, ESPN, SEC Network, or ACC Network on YouTube TV. That’s all resolved now, but there’s a lot of goodwill to make up on both sides.
Read on to get a full breakdown of the Fubo–NBC dispute and what it means for sports fans.
What are Fubo and NBCUniversal fighting about?
There are multiple factors at play here. Fubo said in a November 25, 2025, statement that NBCU wants the company to sign a multiyear agreement where Fubo will carry certain cable channels moving to a spinoff company called Versant. But Fubo only wants to host those channels for one year.
Fubo also said NBCU is “discriminating against” Fubo by not allowing Peacock to be integrated into its native channel store, all while NBCU has allowed Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV to do so. Fubo wants to make it easy for subscribers to get all their content in one place and pay one bill, the company said.
Lastly, Fubo alleges that NBCU asked for non-sports channels to be included in its Fubo Sports plans, which “will drive up the price paid by Fubo subscribers.”
“Fubo is committed to bringing its subscribers a premium, competitively-priced live TV streaming experience with the content they love. That includes multiple content options, including a sports-focused service, that can be accessed directly from the Fubo app. We hope NBCU reconsiders their stance, or we’ll be forced to move forward without them.”
@fuboTV
— Jim (@CSMUSArmy) November 23, 2025
The loss of NBC Universal is a major problem for me any many of my fellow Fubo subscribers. I am giving you until the end of this week to fix this problem or I am canceling your service. Many others will follow suit. Very disappointed and ready to part ways. #DropFubo
NBCU, meanwhile, feels it has offered Fubo fair rates and terms that reflect the value of its channels. And, according to the company, it has a history of completing carriage agreements that spare customers from losing content.
An NBCU spokesperson gave me the following statement on November 25, 2025.
“Fubo has chosen to drop NBCUniversal programming despite being offered the same terms agreed to by hundreds of other distributors. Unfortunately, this is par for the course for Fubo — they’ve dropped numerous networks in recent years at the expense of their customers, who continue to lose content.”
Hi @fuboTV,
— Dave Dyer (@Dave_Dyer) November 23, 2025
I don’t pay $108 per month for you to not air @NBCUniversal because of “contract negotiations” that should have been handled long ago.
Fix it by Thursday, or you’re losing a customer. #handleyourbusiness
What channels are affected by the Fubo–NBCU dispute?
Short answer: a lot.
NBCUniversal is a big company with a lot of properties, including channels you might not think are affiliated with it.
First off, the NBC affiliate in every United States TV market is gone from Fubo. That’s a lot of channels already. Then there’s the Spanish-language Telemundo, both local and national.
There are too many to eloquently mention after those, so I’ll just list them below. In total, more than 40 NBCU channels will remain unavailable on Fubo until this dispute is resolved.
National networks
- Bravo
- CNBC
- CNBC World
- COZI TV
- E! Entertainment Television
- Golf Channel
- MS NOW (formerly MSNBC)
- NBC
- New England Cable News
- Oxygen True Crime
- Telemundo
- UNIVERSO
- USA Network
Regional sports networks
- NBC Sports 4K
- NBC Sports Bay Area
- NBC Sports Bay Area Plus
- NBC Sports Boston
- NBC Sports California
- NBC Sports California Plus
- NBC Sports California Plus 3
- NBC Sports Philadelphia
- NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus
Digital-only channels
- American Crimes
- Bravo Vault
- Caso Cerrado
- Dateline 24/7
- E! Keeping Up
- GolfPass
- LX Home
- Million Dollar Listing Vault
- NBC NOW
- NBC Sports NOW
- True CRMZ
- Noticias Telemundo Ahora
- Oxygen True Crime Archives
- Real Housewives Vault
- SNL Vault
- Telemundo Accion
- Telemundo al Dia
- Today All Day
- Universal Movies
When will the dispute between Fubo and NBC be resolved?
There’s no timeline for a resolution at the time of publication. These situations can sometimes be resolved in a matter of days, or they can take much longer. The YouTube TV and Disney situation left customers in limbo for around two weeks.
Fubo did say that if the situation lasts for an “extended period,” it would give subscribers a $15 credit. For context, YouTube TV subscribers received $20 for their trouble.
Here are some solid alternatives to Fubo
As this situation works itself out, you might be wondering where else you can go for NBC Sports and other content in the meantime. Well, you’re in the right place.
My first recommendation is Stream with DIRECTV, which offers a five-day free trial. You’ll get access to any NBC RSN in your area, plus other crucial NBCU channels. And because DIRECTV is such a robust service, you’ll have access to plenty of other networks as well.
YouTube TV also offers free trials and other sign-up deals. So you can test the service as this dispute plays out and see if it’s worth the temporary—or even permanent—switch. YouTube TV even comes with the relaunched NBC Sports Network, a channel that’s very likely part of the NBC–Fubo discussions.
For NBC specifically, Peacock is another great choice. It’s NBC’s own streaming service, which means it comes with all its properties. And you can pay to access the RSN in your area and watch right on the platform.
Unfortunately, Peacock doesn’t offer a free trial right now.
