After culminating weeks of tense negotiations with a brief blackout, CBS Corp. announced in the wee hours Saturday morning that it had reached a new wide-reaching program licensing deal with Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH).
Dish reportedly bargained hard to obtain digital rights to CBS programming for its soon-to-launch OTT service, but came up empty-handed. Negotiations were also slowed by CBS' demands for steep price increases for broadcast retransmission rights, with the programmer trying to bump its rate from 54 cents a subscriber to $2 a sub. GigaOm has a good report on some of the deal dynamics that bogged down the negotiations.
The multi-year agreement covers CBS-owned stations in 17 markets, as well as cable channels Showtime, CBS Sports Network, Smithsonian Channel and TVGN.
"We are very pleased with this deal, which meets all of our economic and strategic objectives," said Ray Hopkins, president, television networks distribution for CBS, in a statement. "We look forward to having DISH as a valued partner for many years to come."
"We are pleased to continue delivering CBS programming to our customers, while expanding their digital access to Showtime content through Showtime Anytime," added Warren Schlichting, Dish senior VP, programming.
At 7 p.m. ET Friday, CBS dropped its stations and networks from Dish's service, accusing the satellite operator once again of "dragging its feet" in negotiations.
The finalization of a CBS deal frees Dish to concentrate on a number of other simmering carriage impasses. The operator currently faces expiring--or expired--program licensing agreements with Comcast regional sports networks, Turner Networks and broadcaster Nexstar.
For more:
- see this Variety article
Related links:
CBS keeps channels on Dish as negotiations continue
CBS to Dish: No more extensions, you have until Thursday
Dish avoids Comcast RSN blackout, but another CBS extension is still pending
CBS and Dish still talking, sign another extension agreement
CBS gives 'short term extension' to Dish; satellite operator now in showdown with Comcast Sports, too
Dish sees third carriage tiff heat up as four more Comcast RSNs threaten to go dark
Dish, Turner forge extension; restores CNN, averts TNT, TBS blackouts
CBS gives 'short term extension' to Dish; satellite operator now in showdown with Comcast Sports, too
Updated Dec. 8 with more details on Dish's negotiations.