While it continues to deal with several blackouts on smaller station groups, AT&T has signed another larger broadcaster to a long-term broadcast retransmission licensing renewal.
A representative for Meredith Corp. said a long-term deal has been worked out to keep 14 of its network affiliates on the program guides of AT&T’s DirecTV and U-verse platforms. (An AT&T rep told us earlier there was no update on the negotiations.)
Meredith also controls CBS affiliates in Phoenix; Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut; Atlanta; Springfield, Massachusetts; Kansas City, Missouri; and St. Louis. It also has several ABC and Fox affiliate stations in its portfolio.
RELATED: DirecTV renews retransmission deal for 54 Raycom affiliates; still has no deal with Meredith
Confirmation of the Meredith deal comes a day after DirecTV confirmed that it had renewed retrans terms for 54 Raycom stations.
Meanwhile, AT&T is also currently blacked out by two Midwestern affiliates owned by Dispatch Broadcast Group: Columbus, Ohio, CBS affiliate WBNS-TV and Indianapolis NBC station WTHR-TV.
American Spirit Media has pulled its seven affiliates off DirecTV and U-verse, as well.
The flurry of content licensing expirations comes at a tough time for AT&T, which is trying to hold the line on fast-growing broadcast retransmission rates, but is also trying to spur erosion of its DirecTV satellite platform. Blackouts tend to work against those efforts.