DirecTV and Newsmax have now reached a deal that will see the channel return to DirecTV Stream’s lineup from tomorrow. The same deal also covers the channel’s return to both DirecTV and U-verse.
Newsmax was removed from DirecTV Stream in late January following a dispute between the two over carriage fees. Essentially, DirecTV wanted to keep the terms as they were while Newsmax wanted to be paid what it deemed to be a fair rate for its channel and content.
It now seems as though the two have managed to find an arrangement that suits them both. While the announcement of the new multi-year distribution deal does not go into details on the terms of the deal, DirecTV CEO, Bill Morrow, was quoted as saying “we reached a resolution under mutually-agreeable business terms allowing us to deliver the conservative news network at the right value – a reflection of the free market at work.”
When the issue first surfaced, Newsmax had suggested the move was based on political discrimination, accusing DirecTV of censoring the conservative news channel.
Following the latest deal, Newsmax CEO, Christopher Ruddy, was quoted as saying “Newsmax recognizes and appreciates that DIRECTV clearly supports diverse voices, including conservative ones.” Ruddy was also quoted acknowledging that DirecTV “helped give Newsmax its start nearly a decade ago.”
Shortly after Newsmax was dropped from DirecTV Stream’s live TV packages, The First TV was added to DirecTV Stream’s channel lineup as a conservative news replacement. Following that addition, and the return of Newsmax, DirecTV Stream now offers six different 24/7 news networks.
With a deal now done, subscribers to DirecTV Stream (as well as DirecTV and U-verse can expect the channel to be available again starting from tomorrow, March 23rd. According to the announcement, Newsmax is returning at no additional cost to customers.
