Subscribers to sports streaming service Fubo TV have lost access to channels owned by NBCUniversal. The Latest Brawl in TV Distribution.
Fubo criticized NBCUniversal for its stance during failed contract negotiations, which led to NBCUniversal's blackout just days before Thanksgiving as scores of viewers hunkered down for turkey and football. NBC is set to air the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the National Dog Show and Thursday night's NFL game pitting the Cincinnati Bengals against the Baltimore Ravens. Events will also be broadcast on Pavlin.
The blackout, which also included Bravo, CNBC and Spanish-language Telemundo, affected nearly 1.6 million Fubo customers.
The dispute comes a month after NBCUniversal rival Walt Disney Co. acquired a majority stake in Fubo and discontinued smaller sports-oriented offering on Disney's Hulu + Live TV. (Hulu+ subscribers still have access to NBCUniversal channels as they are covered by a separate distribution deal.)
Fubo customers can also miss NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
(Eduardo Munoz Avares/Associated Press)
In a statement Tuesday, Fubo said NBCUniversal refused to give Fubo leeway to offer just a few of its channels rather than its entire portfolio. Fubo it is I strive to control expenses and designed its product as a smaller version of the bulky package, but with more sports networks.
Fubo also took issue with NBCUniversal negotiating on behalf of the cable channels that NBCUniversal plans to divest in January because part of a corporate split.
Outdated cable channels, including MS Now (formerly MSNBC), Syfy, CNBC, USA Network and Golf Channel will be part of the new publicly traded company Versant.
“Fubo has offered to distribute Versant channels for one year,” Fubo said in a statement, adding that the company believes most of these networks are “not worth the cost.”
“NBCU wants Fubo to sign a multi-year deal, and Versant's channels are long overdue to be owned by a separate company,” Fubo said. “NBCU wants Fubo subscribers to subsidize these channels.”
NBCUniversal, owned by cable and broadband giant Comcast, countered that it offered Fubo terms similar to those contained in deals struck with other pay-TV distributors, but Fubo refused.
“Unfortunately, this is normal for Fubo,” NBCUniversal said. “They have taken down many networks in recent years at the expense of their customers who continue to lose content.”
The November 21 blackout occurred a week after Disney has resolved a separate high-profile dispute with Google's YouTube TV. The dispute, which led to a two-week blackout of Disney-owned channels including ESPN to nearly 10 million YouTube TV customers.depends on the royalty increases Disney seeks.
The two companies also sparred over YouTube TV's desire to offer its customers an ESPN streaming app at no extra cost.
They reached a compromise and YouTube received permission to provide some ESPN streaming content.
In September, YouTube TV avoided a similar NBC blackout by striking a deal just hours before the deadline.
Disney acquired 70% of Fubo TV in October 2025.
(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Fubo pointed to NBCUniversal's recent deals with YouTube TV and Amazon Prime Video, which allow those companies to offer NBC's Peacock streaming app as part of their channel stores. Fubo claimed that NBC refused to grant Fubo the same rights.
“Fubo is committed to providing its subscribers with a premium TV experience at a competitive price with the content they love,” Fubo said. “This includes several content options, including a sports-focused service that can be accessed directly from the Fubo app. We hope NBCU will reconsider their position or we will have to move forward without them.”
