Cablefax
Cable industry business: distribution, carriage, regulation, strategy
Ratings
Euphoria’s Season 3 premiere attracted 8.5 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max in its first three days, a 44% jump from the second‑season debut and propelling the series to the No. 1 spot on HBO Max globally. Meanwhile, the Masters golf tournament delivered strong ratings, with the first two rounds averaging 3.1 million viewers on ESPN—its best performance since 2022—and a 16% year‑over‑year increase. CBS’s coverage of the final rounds drew 8.11 million viewers on Saturday and a record‑breaking 14 million on Sunday, the most‑watched final round in 11 years as Rory McIlroy secured back‑to‑back titles.
Ellison’s Day at CinemaCon
Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery sparked antitrust warnings at a Senate hearing and in Hollywood circles. To calm concerns, CEO David Ellison appeared at CinemaCon and announced a 45‑day theatrical window for all Paramount titles, followed by a 90‑day...
NCTA’s Full Connectivity Spectrum
Cory Gardner, who started as NCTA CEO a week early, opened his tenure by hosting high‑profile officials at SCTE TechExpo and emphasizing the association’s all‑encompassing connectivity ecosystem. He warned that a severe memory‑chip shortage has driven router component costs from...
Scripps Sports Rides the Bull
Scripps Sports has secured a multiyear partnership with Professional Bull Riders to broadcast Premier Women’s Rodeo on its Ion and Grit networks, beginning with the 2026 PWR Championship on May 17. The agreement expands in 2027 to include the original...
Customer Service Key to Counter Pain Points
Broadband operators are turning to artificial intelligence to overhaul customer service amid mounting operational pressures such as supply‑chain disruptions, labor shortages, and the rollout of the BEAD program. Fidium’s CEO Gaurav Juneja says AI will power proactive network maintenance and replace...
ImOn Renews Arena Naming Rights
ImOn Communications has renewed its naming‑rights agreement for the ImOn Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, extending the partnership through 2030. The five‑year deal injects $600,000 into the community, securing the arena’s branding and operational budget. The venue serves as home...
Roku Hits 100 Million Milestone
Roku announced that its platform reached 100 million active streaming households in April, marking a key milestone in its user base. The company said more than half of U.S. broadband households now use Roku devices, and its engagement outpaces Amazon Fire...
Fox Corp. Teams with AWS for AI Cloud
Fox Corp. has signed a multi‑year agreement naming Amazon Web Services its preferred AI cloud provider. AWS will underpin Fox One, the company’s direct‑to‑consumer streaming platform, delivering more intelligent, personalized viewing experiences. The partnership expands on a 2022 collaboration that...
Uh Oh, Prime Video
Amazon’s Prime Video, in its debut NBA media rights season, streamed its first playoff game but lost the feed for nearly two minutes during overtime due to a hardware failure in a production truck. LeBron James highlighted the glitch on...
Introducing CFX – A Note From Our Editor
Cablefax announced it is rebranding as CFX, a name that reflects the broader, convergent media landscape it now covers. The change signals a shift from a cable‑centric identity to a focus on connectivity, streaming, AI, ad tech, sports rights and...
Carriage
Allen Media Group’s free streaming service Local Now has expanded its channel lineup by adding seven Scripps networks, including Ion, Ion Mystery, Ion Plus, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More, and the newly launched Scripps Sports Network. The service, which...
FTC Negative Option Rule Draws Flood of Comments
The FTC’s deadline for comments on revising its negative‑option rule passed Monday, prompting a surge of feedback from telecom and broadband groups. The rule, which aims to stop unwanted recurring charges and simplify cancellations, is under review after a 2024...
Netflix Adds More Soccer
Netflix has signed a four‑year agreement to become the exclusive broadcaster of the CONCACAF Nations League Finals and Gold Cup in Mexico, covering the 2027 and 2029 editions of both tournaments. The deal expands Netflix’s live‑sports footprint beyond its U.S....
People
Josh Oshinsky has been hired by ESPN as Senior Director of Original Content Development. In his new role, he will guide multiplatform storytelling across flagship properties such as the "30 for 30" documentary series, ESPN Films, podcasts, and scripted projects....
Hollywood Letter Opposes PSKY-WBD Deal
Hollywood’s top talent rallied behind an open letter of more than 1,000 signatures to block the proposed $110 billion merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. The signatories argue the deal would deepen media concentration, cut jobs, raise costs and shrink...