Report: CBS Could Return to fuboTV Soon After Affiliate Board Endorses Carriage Proposal

The recent fuboTV-CBS drama could be coming to an end. NextTV is reporting that the CBS Affiliate Board has approved a new carriage proposal from Paramount Global that would return the channel to the live TV streaming service, as well as extend the carriage arrangement for the Eye Network and its local affiliates on Paramount+, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV.

A dispute on carriage fees led to fuboTV having to remove local CBS affiliates in 160 markets across the United States in late January. Fubo users in those markets saw their CBS channel replaced by a national feed, which meant that they had to turn elsewhere for local news, sports, and other programming. According to Chris Ripley, CEO of Sinclair Broadcasting Group — which owns many of the affected local CBS stations— Paramount had negotiated a carriage contract that its affiliates felt they could not accept.

“The CBS Affiliate Board unanimously [believed] that the offer CBS presented at the broadcast stations meaningfully undervalued the important local content that our stations provide,” Ripley explained. “Fubo is also seemingly getting caught in the crossfire here, so to speak, as it’s our understanding that they were not given the opportunity to negotiate with us directly.”

That Affiliate Board is now satisfied, according to NextTV’s report, meaning that local stations still must choose whether or not to opt into the deal, but given that it has the endorsement of the CBS Affiliate Board, that feels much more like an eventuality than a possibility. No timetable was given by the report, but it’s likely users could see movement in the next few weeks or so. With CBS being one of the main broadcasters of the upcoming NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, not being on the air, even if it is just for a fraction of customers, would not be ideal for local affiliates.

One of the biggest issues causing disputes like the CBS-Fubo dustup is the fact that virtual multi-channel video programming distributors (vMVPDs) — also known as live TV streaming services — are regulated differently than traditional cable and satellite companies. Broadcasters would like them to be regulated the same way, which would give affiliates the chance to negotiate with virtual providers like fuboTV and YouTube TV directly, instead of having to use the network as a middleman.

The same issue could be causing the current ABC-Hulu + Live TV dispute. Earlier this week it was confirmed by Hulu and Disney that users in 34 markets would no longer be getting their local ABC affiliate. Sinclair is once again at the center of the dispute, as it owns all 34 of those affiliates. Next TV reports that the dispute has cropped up because Sinclair is unsatisfied with the terms agreed to by ABC, and won’t allow the affiliates to opt into the deal.

Fubo users are likely hoping their local CBS affiliate gives the new carriage deal a thumbs up soon. The 2023 NCAA March Madness tournament starts Thursday, March 16, and although fuboTV does not carry the other three channels that will air games from the tourney (TNT, TBS, and truTV), having local CBS channels back will at least ensure Fubo users get the games most important to them this year.