AT&T and Cox Media have signed a new carriage agreement that will return 25 local TV channels to DIRECTV, AT&T TV and U-verse in time for today’s Super Bowl.
The Cox Media stations began posting notices this morning saying the channels have been returned to the three AT&T-owned TV services. And an AT&T spokesman confirmed to the TV Answer Man that a new pact has been signed.
“Yes, we have a deal,” he said.
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The AT&T spokesman added that he was still getting details on the new agreement, but it was his understanding that it was long-term, not a temporary agreement.
Update: AT&T issued this statement this morning confirming it’s a long-term deal.:
“AT&T and Cox Media Group have entered into a new multi-year retransmission consent agreement to provide CMG-owned local broadcast stations to customers of AT&T’s video platforms across the country. All CMG stations have returned to any impacted AT&T homes.”
The carriage dispute, which began last Tuesday morning, included KIRO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Seattle, KVIQ-TV, the CBS affiliate in Eureka, California, KYMA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Yuma, Arizona, WXVT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Greenwood, Mississippi, and WHIO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. Without today’s agreement, subscribers to AT&T’s TV services in those five markets would have been unable to watch the Super Bowl without using a streaming app or antenna.
The blackout also included 20 other network affiliates in Cox Media markets. Here is the list of Cox Media stations that were blacked out on DIRECTV, U-verse and AT&T TV:
KFFX-TV (Fox, Yakima, Washington)
KYMA-TV (CBS, NBC, Yuma, Arizona)
KIEM-TV, KVIQ-TV (NBC, CBS, Eureka, California)
WSYT-TV (Fox, Syracuse, New York)
KLAX-TV (ABC, Alexandria, Louisiana)
WABG-TV, WXVT-TV (ABC, CBS, Fox, Greenwood, Mississippi)
WICZ-TV (Fox, Binghamton, New York)
KMVU-TV (Fox, Medford, Oregon)
KAYU-TV (Fox, Spokane, Washington)
WSB-TV, Channel 2 (ABC, Atlanta, GA)
WFXT-TV, Channel 25 (FOX, Boston, MA)
WSOC-TV, Channel 9 (ABC, Charlotte, NC)
WAXN-TV, Channel 64 (IND, Charlotte, NC)
WHIO-TV, Channel 7 (CBS, Dayton, OH)
WFOX-TV, Channel 30 (FOX, Jacksonville, FL)
WFOX2-TV, Channel 32 (MNT, Jacksonville, FL)
WHBQ-TV, Channel 13 (FOX, Memphis, TN)
WFTV-TV, Channel 9 (ABC, Orlando, FL)
WRDQ-TV, Channel 27 (IND, Orlando, FL)
WPXI-TV, Channel 11 (NBC, Pittsburgh, PA)
KIRO-TV, Channel 7 (CBS, Seattle, WA)
KOKI-TV, Channel 23 (FOX, Tulsa, OK)
KMYT-TV, Channel 41 (MNT, Tulsa, OK)
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
I had no doubt they would reach a deal; if they didn’t it would leave a bad image on the minds of consumers everywhere, a poison pill thought. Miss the Super Bowl?! Sacrilege!
I’m glad they reached a agreement I’ve been a customer for over 15 years now they are
i still would like locals in my area but i am watching on cbs sports.com and at least it’s the over the air broadcast which includes commercials