US streaming service FuboTV has dropped the Fox regional sports networks (RSNs) recently purchased by media giant Sinclair from its offering.
The move means that FuboTV subscribers will no longer have access to 22 networks that provide local telecasts of games featuring 17 National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises, 14 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams and 13 National Hockey League (NHL) outfits.
Among the channels to go dark on FuboTV is YES Network, which Disney sold at the end of last year to a group comprising MLB’s New York Yankees, whose games are broadcast on the channel, Sinclair and internet giant Amazon.
Explaining the decision to drop the RSNs in a statement issued to Cord Cutters News, FuboTV said standalone rates for the networks since their US$10.6 billion acquisition by Sinclair ‘are not consistent’ with the company’s ‘mission to provide value and keep costs low to consumers.’
The statement added: ‘Despite these changes, FuboTV continues to be a sports-focused cable TV replacement with home team coverage in top markets.
‘FuboTV’s carriage of regional sports networks includes full coverage in Chicago, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay area and Boston, significant coverage in New York, and we are the only vMVPD (multichannel video programming distributor) with home team coverage in Houston.’
FuboTV is the latest provider to drop the RSNs after satellite operator Dish Network and its over-the-top (OTT) IPTV service Sling TV failed to come to a new agreement with Fox, claiming in July that the company was ‘demanding unreasonable rates and attempting to make Dish customers pay for their channels, whether they get them or not’.
Responding to FuboTV’s decision, Fox issued a statement of its own to Cord Cutters News, saying: ‘We’re disappointed that FuboTV has dropped our 22 regional sports networks. Fubo positions itself as a sports-first service, yet it has chosen not to carry our RSNs, ESPN or ABC.
‘We offered FuboTV terms consistent with those agreed to by the many other providers that carry our RSNs – including other OTT providers such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and AT&T TV Now. FuboTV customers should switch providers today to watch their favourite teams’ games and many other popular sports and entertainment programmes.’
US streaming service FuboTV has dropped the Fox regional sports networks (RSNs) recently purchased by media giant Sinclair from its offering.
The move means that FuboTV subscribers will no longer have access to 22 networks that provide local telecasts of games featuring 17 National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises, 14 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams and 13 National Hockey League (NHL) outfits.
Among the channels to go dark on FuboTV is YES Network, which Disney sold at the end of last year to a group comprising MLB’s New York Yankees, whose games are broadcast on the channel, Sinclair and internet giant Amazon.
Explaining the decision to drop the RSNs in a statement issued to Cord Cutters News, FuboTV said standalone rates for the networks since their US$10.6 billion acquisition by Sinclair ‘are not consistent’ with the company’s ‘mission to provide value and keep costs low to consumers.’
The statement added: ‘Despite these changes, FuboTV continues to be a sports-focused cable TV replacement with home team coverage in top markets.
‘FuboTV’s carriage of regional sports networks includes full coverage in Chicago, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay area and Boston, significant coverage in New York, and we are the only vMVPD (multichannel video programming distributor) with home team coverage in Houston.’
FuboTV is the latest provider to drop the RSNs after satellite operator Dish Network and its over-the-top (OTT) IPTV service Sling TV failed to come to a new agreement with Fox, claiming that the company was ‘demanding unreasonable rates and attempting to make Dish customers pay for their channels, whether they get them or not’.
Responding to FuboTV’s decision, Fox issued a statement of its own to Cord Cutters News, saying: ‘We’re disappointed that FuboTV has dropped our 22 regional sports networks. Fubo positions itself as a sports-first service, yet it has chosen not to carry our RSNs, ESPN or ABC.
‘We offered FuboTV terms consistent with those agreed to by the many other providers that carry our RSNs – including other OTT providers such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and AT&T TV Now. FuboTV customers should switch providers today to watch their favourite teams’ games and many other popular sports and entertainment programmes.’
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