Weekend Wrap-Up: Spectrum Price Hike and fuboTV Takes a Shot at HBO Max


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This week, we learned that Spectrum is upping the prices for some pay TV customers. We also learned a bit more about Sinclair’s efforts to create a streaming service for its Bally Sports Regional Sports Networks. Elsewhere, fuboTV took time out during its letter to shareholders to call out streaming services, including HBO Max.

Here’s what happened in the world of cord cutting and streaming.

Breaking News

Here are some of the top streaming stories from the past week.

Spectrum Will Increase TV Fees in March

Spectrum announced a price hike for pay TV customers, with broadcast TV fees and equipment costs both going up. The changes are expected to go into effect on March 18, 2022, and the company has started sending out notifications to affected users.

Learn more about Spectrum’s pending price hike here.

RIP: Roku Non-Certified Channels (aka Private Channels) Set to Go Dark Feb. 23

This week, Roku pulled the plug on its Non-Certified Channels (formerly Private Channels). The feature, which was intended for developers testing in-progress apps, was sometimes exploited by folks with less-than-legal intentions.

Read more about the recent Roku changes here.

Bally Sports DTC Streaming App Is Expected to ‘Soft Launch’ in Q2, Price Still Hasn’t Been Confirmed

Sinclair is planning to “soft launch” its planned sports streaming service during Q2 of this year. The rollout is expected to start with a handful of MLB teams before expanding to NHL and NBA teams in the future.

Check out the latest on Sinclair’s streaming efforts here.

Report: Disney+ Will Have More Subscribers Than Netflix by 2028

A new report predicts that Disney+ may amass enough total subscribers to overtake Netflix by 2028. The data takes a look at Disney+’s annual growth and compares it to team Netflix to see if and when the streaming crown could change hands.

See the predictions in our post here.

Report: Amazon Wants An Exclusive Black Friday NFL Game

We’re hearing reports that Amazon is looking to establish NFL broadcasts on the day after Thanksgiving — aka Black Friday. There’s no word just yet on whether the NFL is on board with the idea, but we’ll continue tracking the story.

Find out what Amazon’s got planned here.

fuboTV: Studio and Network Streaming Service Strategies are ‘Unsustainable’

In a letter to shareholders, fuboTV took some shots at studio- and network-based streaming services, saying their narrow catalogs may not be conducive to long-term growth. The live TV streaming service called out HBO Max in particular.

See what fuboTV had to say here.

Industry Report

What’s the latest on the industry?

TEGNA to be Acquired by Private Equity Firms Standard General & Apollo

A pair of private equity firms are joining forces to acquire local TV giant TEGNA. The company currently owns 64 local TV stations, though some may change hands once the deal closes.

Check out the details on the multi-billion-dollar deal here.

Sling TV Ended 2021 with 2.49 Million Subscribers

Dish’s latest earnings report revealed that live TV streaming service Sling TV ended 2021 with a total of 2.49 million subscribers. That was enough to keep the service in third place — behind YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.

Learn more about Sling’s latest stats here.

Report: NFL’s Sunday Ticket Relationship with DirecTV is Ending with Semi-Certainty’

There’s still lots left to learn about the fate of NFL Sunday Ticket. But new reports suggest one near-certainty is that the NFL will likely end its current relationship with DirecTV when the deal expires after the 2022 season.

Find out more about NFL Sunday Ticket here.

fuboTV Reaches 1.13 Million Subscribers

In earnings news, fuboTV shared that it’s reached 1.13 million total subscribers, a number that slightly exceeded its expectations for the quarter.

Check out the live TV streaming service’s latest numbers here.

Deal Alert

Save some cash with these current and upcoming deals.

Best Weekend Streaming Deals — Up to 95% off Roku, Nintendo, Fire TV, and More

This week’s streaming deals include a few Fire TV discounts, as well as the Roku Express 4K+. You can also save a ton on top AMC TV shows.

Check out the latest deals here.

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