Viacom, DIRECTV Settle Carriage Dispute

EL SEGUNDO/NEW YORK: DIRECTV has returned the Viacom channels to its lineup after the two companies came to terms on a new carriage agreement following a nine-day blackout.

Last week, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, Spike, CMT, TV Land and ten other channels were removed from DIRECTV, with the platform alleging that Viacom was asking for excessive fees to renew carriage of the services. Financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

The carriage agreement includes the DIRECTV Everywhere platform, with subscribers able to watch Viacom programming on tablets, laptops, handhelds and other personal devices. Carriage of the EPIX movie channel is not required as part of the new agreement, but DIRECTV does have the option to add the premium network to its lineup.

“We are very pleased to be able to restore the channels to our customers and thank them for their unprecedented patience and support,” said Derek Chang, executive VP of content strategy and development for DIRECTV. “It’s unfortunate that Viacom took the channels away from customers to try to gain leverage, but in the end, it’s clear our customers recognized that tactic for what it was.”

Chang added, “The attention surrounding this unnecessary and ill-advised blackout by Viacom has accomplished one key thing: it serves notice to all media companies that bullying TV providers and their customers with blackouts won’t get them a better deal. It’s high time programmers ended these anti-consumer blackouts once and for all and prove our industry is about enabling people to connect to their favorite programs rather than denying them access.”