Fubo has accused NBCUniversal of forcing a blackout of its channels on the vMVPD (virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributor) after carriage talks broke down over terms linked to NBCU’s forthcoming Versant cable spin-off and Fubo’s new sports-focused skinny bundle.
NBCU’s broadcast and cable networks were pulled from Fubo on 21 November after the sides failed to agree a renewal of their long-standing distribution deal. In a statement, Fubo said it had been negotiating “in good faith” but refused to accept demands it argues would “hurt Fubo consumers”.
At the centre of the dispute is Versant, the new company that will house most of NBCUniversal’s US cable networks – including USA Network, CNBC, E!, Syfy, Oxygen and Golf Channel – from 1 January 2026. Comcast plans to spin Versant off as a separate, publicly traded media group in early 2026, with NBCU continuing to handle ad sales for a transitional period.
Fubo says it offered to carry the Versant channels for a single year but NBCU is insisting on a multi-year commitment “well past the time” those networks will sit under a different corporate owner. According to Fubo, that would effectively require its customers to subsidise channels that are “not worth the cost” to the platform.
The streamer also claims NBCU is trying to block its newly launched Fubo Sports package, a cheaper, sports-only skinny bundle, by requiring it to add “expensive, non-sports channels” that would drive up retail prices. In addition, Fubo accuses NBCU of “discriminatory tactics”, saying NBCU has allowed YouTube TV and Amazon’s Prime Video Channels to integrate Peacock directly into their stores, while denying Fubo the same right to sell and bill Peacock inside its own app.
NBCU has pushed back in separate statements, saying it is seeking terms in line with other distributors and arguing that Fubo walked away from a “fair market” agreement – framing its demands as about parity rather than discrimination.
The dispute comes shortly after Fubo’s combination with Disney’s Hulu + Live TV business, creating what the company describes as the sixth-largest pay-TV provider in North America with nearly 6 million subscribers.
Losing NBCU’s broadcast network, cable channels and sports rights – including Premier League games, Sunday Night Football and major golf events carried across NBC and its cable portfolio – leaves a significant hole in Fubo’s line-up if the blackout continues.
Fubo says it remains committed to offering a “premium, competitively-priced” live TV service and hopes NBCU will reconsider, but adds that it is prepared to “move forward without them” if no agreement can be reached.
