Will Fubo Add TBS & TNT Before the NHL And NBA Seasons?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman

TV Answer Man, I like Fubo as a sports fan but the one thing that’s been missing for me are TBS and TNT. As a basketball and hockey fan, they have a lot of great sports for the NBA and NHL. Do you see Fubo adding TBS and TNT soon? — Justin, Daytona, Florida.
Justin, Fubo does not carry TNT, CNN, truTV, the Cartoon Network or TBS, all owned by Turner Networks, and it hasn’t carried them since June 2020 after the two sides failed to reach a new carriage pact. While FuboTV executives have said they are receptive to bringing them back, there is no carriage deal in place as of now. This might irk some sports fans because TBS next month will be the exclusive home of the MLB’s National League Divisional Series and NL Championship Series. In addition, TNT in October will begin airing NBA games and TNT and TBS will offer NHL games.

Earlier this year, I would not have been surprised if Fubo, which is targeting the sports audience, settled with Turner sometime this month. It’s difficult for Fubo to call itself a sports-focused service without TBS and TNT during the NBA and NHL seasons. Plus, the Turner channels have the rights to March Madness college basketball games every March.

But now I would be surprised if Fubo made a deal with Turner. Warner Bros. Discovery yesterday announced that all live games airing on a WBD network, such as TNT, TBS and truTV, will be available on Max through a sports add-on plan called Bleacher Report Sports. The live sports tier will be free until February 29, 2024, but cost $9.99 a month after that. With TNT and TBS games now available on Max, Fubo can tell its subscribers to simply add the streaming service to watch them. Max starts at only $9.99 a month; that’s less than some regional sports fees. Why should Fubo pay to carry the Turner networks when their best assets can be watched on Max? And they won’t cost an additional fee until March 2024. It’s no longer worth it to Fubo.

Justin, hope that makes sense. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman