Fubo and NBCU Resolved Their Dispute. Here Are the Details of the New Deal
The fight is over.
Fubo and NBCUniversal resolved their dispute on June 10 and reached a carriage agreement that brings back channels like NBC, all of NBC’s regional sports networks, Telemundo, and many others.
The Fubo-NBC deal marks the end of a dispute that lasted nearly six months and saw both companies exchange public jabs at one another.
“We’re thrilled to announce the return of NBCUniversal networks to Fubo, given their robust portfolio of top-tier sports, entertainment and news,” Todd Mathers, executive vice president of content strategy and acquisition, said in a statement. “Our agreement with NBCUniversal underscores Fubo’s promise to bring consumers more programming, value and choice through multiple packaging options.”
I broke down the news and what it means for sports fans. Keep reading to learn more.
Fubo and NBCU fought over channel lineups and Peacock integration
The dispute between Fubo and NBCU was multifaceted.
Fubo was upset that NBCU wanted a multiyear agreement for its channels moving to Versant. But Fubo wanted to carry those channels for only one year.
Fubo also said NBCU was “discriminating against” the company because it didn’t allow Peacock integration on its platform, and claimed services like Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV did have this functionality.
Another issue was Fubo claimed NBCU was asking that non-sports channels be included on the Fubo Sports plan. If that happened, Fubo said, it would’ve raised the cost of the service for subscribers.
NBC didn’t publicly address these specific allegations, but said generally that it offered Fubo fair rates and the same terms other distributors have agreed to.
Fubo offered subscribers multiple discounts
As soon as news of the dispute hit, Fubo offered current customers a $15 credit if the matter lasted for an “extended period.”
It didn’t take long for the company to make good on that promise, pushing the discount even further.
On December 5, Fubo announced it reduced the monthly price of its Pro and Elite plans to $73.99 per month from $83.99. The company stated that the drop was directly related to NBCU “pulling their networks” from the service.
“The reduced pricing reflects Fubo’s commitment to delivering a competitively-priced premium live TV streaming experience,” Fubo said.
Originally, Fubo said its $15 monthly discount would be enough for customers to pay for a Peacock subscription, which offers many of the NBCU programming that left Fubo.
CableTV.com verdict: Fubo becomes whole again just in time for the FIFA World Cup
Fubo and NBCUniversal coming together at this time is a huge win, even if the timing is a little suspect.
The FIFA World Cup starts on June 11, and the news about the resolution to this dispute comes out a day earlier. Talk about getting it done at the 11th hour.
Nonetheless, Fubo, a streaming service originally created specifically for live soccer, being out of the mix during the biggest soccer tournament in the world would’ve been a huge problem. The company avoided that with this deal.
Fans who want to watch the World Cup on Fubo now have access to Telemundo and Universo, the tournament’s official Spanish-language broadcasters. Pair that with your local FOX station and FS1, and the full slate of channels and experiences is once again at your fingertips.
