spanning its full portfolio of networks since the merger of Viacom and CBS closed last December.
Multiple people familiar with the deal confirmed it has been sealed despite the difficult operating environment. Sports programming, which has been wiped out by COVID-19, plays a key role in the ViacomCBS portfolio. At the same time it reached terms with ViacomCBS, FiOS also made a carriage deal with SNY, the New York regional sports network that airs New York Mets baseball and other local games.
There are dozens of networks under the ViacomCBS tent, and Wall Street analysts have been eager to see how soon their various carriage renewal cycles would become aligned. Increasing scale on the programming front, which confers leverage in distribution talks, was a key motivation behind the merger of Viacom and CBS, which were each controlled by National Amusements.
Programmers and distributors have had natural friction for years over deal terms but both sides are taking part in negotiations as everyone contends with the massive disruption of streaming. Verizon’s discussions with any programmer involve back and forth about how streaming assets are integrated into operators’ systems. Viacom CBS has a range of both subscription and ad-supported services.
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