Fubo Subscribers Left in the Dark as NBCUniversal Makes 'Egregious' Demands
In a bizarre dispute, streaming service Fubo is at odds with NBCUniversal over carriage rights to several popular networks. The drama began when NBCU's most-watched channels went dark on Fubo's platforms, leaving subscribers unable to access their favorite shows.
Fubo has fired back at NBCUniversal, accusing the network of making "egregious" demands that would harm its customers. According to Fubo, NBCU wants a multi-year deal for the distribution of its networks, despite the fact that they will be spun off into a new company called Versant by January 2026.
Fubo claims it had offered to distribute Versant channels for just one year, but NBCU is pushing for a longer-term agreement. The streaming service believes this would force Fubo subscribers to subsidize the costs of these channels, which they claim is unfair.
The dispute has also highlighted what Fubo sees as a double standard. While YouTube TV and Amazon Prime Video have been allowed to integrate Peacock into their platforms without restrictions, Fubo's access to the network is being denied. This, according to Fubo, is a clear case of discrimination against its customers and the service itself.
NBCUniversal has responded by pointing out that Fubo has dropped numerous networks in recent years at the expense of its subscribers. The company claims that Fubo's actions are a pattern of behavior, and that it is not willing to back down from its demands.
As the standoff continues, Fubo subscribers are left waiting for their favorite shows to return. With several major channels still dark on the service, many are wondering if they will be able to access their preferred programs without a fight.
In a bizarre dispute, streaming service Fubo is at odds with NBCUniversal over carriage rights to several popular networks. The drama began when NBCU's most-watched channels went dark on Fubo's platforms, leaving subscribers unable to access their favorite shows.
Fubo has fired back at NBCUniversal, accusing the network of making "egregious" demands that would harm its customers. According to Fubo, NBCU wants a multi-year deal for the distribution of its networks, despite the fact that they will be spun off into a new company called Versant by January 2026.
Fubo claims it had offered to distribute Versant channels for just one year, but NBCU is pushing for a longer-term agreement. The streaming service believes this would force Fubo subscribers to subsidize the costs of these channels, which they claim is unfair.
The dispute has also highlighted what Fubo sees as a double standard. While YouTube TV and Amazon Prime Video have been allowed to integrate Peacock into their platforms without restrictions, Fubo's access to the network is being denied. This, according to Fubo, is a clear case of discrimination against its customers and the service itself.
NBCUniversal has responded by pointing out that Fubo has dropped numerous networks in recent years at the expense of its subscribers. The company claims that Fubo's actions are a pattern of behavior, and that it is not willing to back down from its demands.
As the standoff continues, Fubo subscribers are left waiting for their favorite shows to return. With several major channels still dark on the service, many are wondering if they will be able to access their preferred programs without a fight.
This whole thing is pretty wild... I mean, who expects their streaming service to just cut off all their favorite networks like that? 
It's like Fubo is being forced to pay for channels it doesn't even own anymore - which doesn't seem fair to me 
. And now NBCUniversal is acting like Fubo is being unreasonable by not wanting to pay for the new Versant channels... it's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation 
.
Would you be okay with paying extra for the networks that aren't even available anymore? 
I don't think so... I'd want them to find a way to make it work without nickel-and-diming their customers 
.
i get why fubo wants to stop subsidizing nbcu's channels but it's not right that their subscribers are being affected. i feel bad for those people who just want to watch their favorite shows and can't because of this dispute 
I'm shocked that NBCUniversal is trying to strong-arm Fubo into paying more for carriage rights when those networks are literally being spun off into a new company in 6 months! 
It's like they're trying to make Fubo pay for a product that doesn't exist yet. And don't even get me started on the whole "we've dropped other networks" thing - yeah, but at least we didn't just decide to take away entire channels without warning. This whole situation is so unfair to Fubo subscribers, who are already paying for a service they can barely access right now 
. Can't these two companies just negotiate like normal adults? 
what a double standard if u ask me 
and I'm totally craving it rn... anyway, back to Fubo and NBCUniversal drama. I don't get why they can't just negotiate a one-year deal? Like, what's the worst that could happen if Fubo backs down? 
And btw, have you tried that new pizza place downtown? Their cauliflower crust is insane! 
.
gotta find a balance between customer satisfaction and business interests... think youtube tv & amazon prime have an easier time with peacock integration? 
One thing that comes to mind is that YouTube TV and Amazon Prime Video can add Peacock without restrictions, why can't Fubo? It seems like a double standard to me 
. And I'm also not sure if Fubo is in the wrong here, NBCU's demands do seem pretty "egregious" 
also, peacock integration is a nice-to-have feature, but it's not worth messing with customers over 
fubo's like "nbcu wants too much $$$" and nbcu's all "nope we're not budging" meanwhile subs are stuck in the dark 
i feel like these guys need to get their act together, or atleast communicate better, lol. btw, why can't they just have a chill discussion about carriage fees? 
. This whole situation just sucks 
. Will Fubo give in and risk losing subscribers, or will they keep fighting the good fight... or whatever 
. I feel so bad for Fubo subscribers who are stuck in the dark 
️...can't wait to see what happens next! 