Cablefax
Cable industry business: distribution, carriage, regulation, strategy
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 3% to roughly 20% of the device price, with DDR4 prices soaring 700‑800% year‑over‑year and potentially reaching 1,200% by 2026. Gardner also highlighted policy priorities such as balanced spectrum rules, AI‑related state law harmonization, and the role of Wi‑Fi in lowering mobile costs. Finally, he praised AMC Global Media’s historic co‑hosting of the upcoming SCTE conference, underscoring deeper collaboration between programmers and operators.
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....
T. Howard Foundation: Passing the Torch, Keeping the Mission
The T. Howard Foundation announced Judi Lopez as its new CEO, succeeding Jo Pamphile after a 20‑year tenure. Lopez, a longtime board member, is targeting scale, diversified revenue and deeper ties to the creator economy, highlighted by a recent NBA...
People
Vyve Broadband is set to merge with Cable One as the larger provider expands its footprint. President and CEO Andy Parrott announced his departure after seven years, timing his exit with the pending integration. Vyve named COO Melanie Hannasch and...
Hub Research Finds AI Poised to Help CTV, Aggregation
Hub Entertainment Research’s latest Connected Home study shows Roku dominates the CTV operating‑system market with a 55% share, outpacing Samsung, Amazon Fire TV and others. The survey also reveals strong consumer appetite for AI‑powered tools on televisions, with 61% expressing...
Another Dish Wireless Suit
Industrial Tower and Wireless has filed a lawsuit against Dish Wireless for failing to pay rent on 62 tower sites since November 2025. The leases run through 2032, and the vendor is also seeking reimbursement for removal costs of Dish's...
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...
Sling TV’s New Essentials Plan
Sling TV introduced a new $19.99/month Essentials bundle that includes Disney’s ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel and Freeform plus several niche networks. The bundle can be combined with Sling Select for $34.99/month, adding Fox News, FS1, NFL Network and Nat Geo....
MS Now Expands Journalism Initiatives
MS Now announced new journalism partnerships with the Pulitzer Center, the Marshall Project, and an expanded collaboration with States Newsroom. The initiatives will fund local, nonprofit and independent reporters to produce accountability and investigative stories on national, immigration, and state‑level...
CFX Download on the Vertical Video Revolution
Vertical video is rapidly becoming a staple in direct‑to‑consumer streaming, with ESPN, Fox One and Peacock now offering curated playlists of sports highlights in portrait mode. ESPN is pushing the envelope by using artificial intelligence to produce a bite‑sized, personalized...
GAM Going With CTS
Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has signed a multiyear agreement with Great American Media (GAM) to provide managed channel origination, playout and transmission services via the Comcast MediaOrigination platform. The partnership will cover GAM's linear channels, including Great American Family and...
People
Liza Burnett Fefferman, former EVP of Communications at Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, has been hired as Anonymous Content’s inaugural Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, a role created to centralize the studio’s messaging and brand strategy. Telecom provider TDS announced a slate of...
Get a Glimpse: A Snapshot of an Industry in AI Transition
Cable and media executives surveyed by CFX in Q1 2026 reveal AI is being adopted primarily to boost operational efficiency, with 32% citing performance gains as the top driver. Cost reduction follows at 21%, while only 9% view AI as a...
Equity Group Wants More Charter-Cox Commitments
The Digital Equity Los Angeles Coalition (DELAC) has been granted party status in the California Public Utilities Commission’s review of the proposed $34.5 billion merger between Charter Communications and Cox Communications. DELAC argues the merger lacks enforceable commitments to low‑income broadband,...
Nexstar-Tegna TRO Extended
A federal judge has extended the temporary restraining order blocking Nexstar's acquisition of Tegna until April 17, 6 pm PT, citing the need to preserve the status quo and prevent irreparable harm. The order reinforces earlier findings that there is no...
Carriage
Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is partnering with Fuse Media to launch Fluffy TV, a free‑ad‑supported streaming (FAST) channel focused on feel‑good comedy. The channel, slated for a June debut, will feature comedy films, stand‑up specials, sketches, original series, and exclusive...
Satellite Set to Headline FCC’s April Open Meeting
The FCC’s April 30 open meeting will spotlight a proposed overhaul of satellite spectrum‑sharing rules, aiming to replace the decades‑old EPFD framework with performance‑based protection criteria. SpaceX’s Starlink petition and Amazon’s Project Leo stand to benefit from higher speeds and...
Programming
HBO has renewed the comedy series “Rooster” for a second season after its debut attracted an average of 5.8 million U.S. viewers, the strongest launch for an HBO comedy in over a decade. Former WNBA star Sue Bird will serve as...
Comcast Upgrades Xfinity Streaming Bundles
Comcast has expanded its Xfinity StreamSaver bundles to include HBO Max and the Disney+/Hulu package, joining existing Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV options. Customers can now select from eight bundle configurations, with a full‑service package priced at $35 per month—a...
Getting Married in the Ring
ESPN is teaming with WWE to stage five "WWEdding" ceremonies inside a wrestling ring on April 16 in Las Vegas, ahead of WrestleMania 42. Couples can apply through an ESPN registration page and will be selected on a first‑come, first‑served...
WBD-PSKY Latest
Paramount Skydance is refinancing its balance sheet ahead of closing the $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition. The company will syndicate a bridge facility, cutting debt commitments from $54 billion to $49 billion, and expand its senior unsecured revolving credit line from $3.5 billion to...
Sports Deals
TNT Sports has teamed with DAZN to launch a monthly boxing series called “The Fight,” with events airing on TNT Sports’ channels and streaming worldwide on DAZN, while truTV will provide supplemental programming such as weigh‑ins and press conferences. The...
Fubo Updates Mobile App
Fubo has refreshed its iOS and Android apps, embedding proprietary AI to generate bite‑sized, personalized video playlists. The home‑screen carousel now streams live video instead of static images, speeding content discovery. Team Channels gain additional league filters and a portrait‑mode...
Comcast Goes to the Mattresses with Scripps
Comcast has blacked out all Scripps-owned broadcast stations for its cable customers nationwide since March 31, after the two sides failed to reach a new retransmission consent agreement. The dispute intensified as Scripps recently secured multi‑year media rights for several NHL...
Nexstar-Tegna’s Day in Court
Nexstar and Tegna are facing a critical court hearing that could turn the temporary restraining order on their $6.2 billion merger into a full preliminary injunction. The companies asked Judge Troy Nunley to require the MVPD and state attorneys general to...
Mint Takes Shots at Cable
Mint Mobile, the T‑Mobile‑owned MVNO, rolled out a $45‑per‑month 5G home‑internet and unlimited wireless bundle that requires a $540 upfront payment for a 12‑month auto‑renew term. Customers may add a second unlimited phone line for an additional $15 per month,...
Artemis II Cable Coverage by the Numbers
Artemis II’s launch generated a surge in cable news viewership, with Charter’s Spectrum News 13 in Orlando posting a 531% increase and Spectrum Bay News 9 in Tampa climbing 391%. Across social platforms, the coverage amassed 12.2 million views on Facebook...
AMC Networks Get a New Name
AMC Networks disclosed in an 8‑K filing that it will rebrand as AMC Global Media. CEO Kristin Dolan said the new name reflects a transformation into a studio‑driven, globally focused company with streaming now the leading source of domestic revenue....
Fiber Frenzy
Charter Communications expanded its Spectrum fiber network into three Missouri counties—Jefferson, Audrain and Cape Girardeau—bringing service to more than 3,860 homes and businesses that were previously unserved or underserved. The company simultaneously launched in Texas’s Sabine, Rusk and Panola counties,...
Men’s NCAA Numbers
The 2026 men’s NCAA basketball championship game, featuring Michigan versus UConn, averaged 18.3 million viewers across TBS, TNT, truTV and HBO Max—its highest‑rated final since 2019 and a 23 % jump over the 2024 TNT broadcast. The Final Four drew 14.2 million viewers, up...
Shell Out at Paramount
Jeff Shell is exiting his role as president of Paramount Skydance and leaving the company’s board less than a year after his appointment. His departure follows a lawsuit alleging he disclosed confidential information about Paramount’s UFC rights deal to R.J....
Fiber Sees Upstream Usage Gains vs DOCSIS
OpenVault’s Q1 2026 analysis shows average upstream usage on fiber surpassed 100 GB for the first time, reaching 106.7 GB—87.4% higher than DOCSIS’s 56.9 GB. Provisioned upstream speeds on fiber averaged 556 Mbps, more than 1,100% faster than the 43 Mbps on DOCSIS. Total monthly data...
Versant’s Next AI Play
Versant has acquired StockStory, an AI-driven platform that delivers financial analysis, market insights, and stock recommendations. The deal enables CNBC to embed StockStory’s technology, offering faster, scalable investment insights to its audience. StockStory combines data aggregation, machine learning, AI, and...
People
Advanced Media Technologies (AMT) appointed Zenita Henderson as Vice President of Programs, where she will oversee marketing, sales enablement, partner and customer initiatives for the company’s broadband network solutions. AMT supplies engineering expertise and supply‑chain services that help carriers design,...
Spectrum Reach Leans on Seamless Entertainment, Data
Jason Brown, newly appointed EVP of Charter’s ad‑sales arm Spectrum Reach, has accelerated the unit’s AI and automation agenda, highlighted by the launch of the internal planning platform Architect. The tool aggregates linear, streaming and third‑party inventory to deduplicate exposure...
In Satellite Internet News
SpaceX has quietly filed a confidential IPO with the SEC, aiming for a June market debut and a potential valuation of $1.75 trillion, one of the largest ever for an aerospace firm. In parallel, Amazon struck a partnership with Delta Air...
Comcast-Scripps Fight Tees Off
A carriage dispute between Scripps and Comcast erupted on Tuesday evening after their distribution agreement expired, prompting Comcast to drop Scripps stations from Xfinity lineups. The blackout affects 19 Big Four network affiliates and 21 independent stations across Comcast’s footprint,...
Carriage
Hemisphere Media Group’s WAPA+ FAST channel has launched on Dish and Sling Freestream, delivering free, ad‑supported programming to the Puerto Rican community. The channel offers live news, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle content, highlighted by the new NotiCentro America newscast aimed...
AT&T Unveils New Bundle
AT&T launched OneConnect, a bundled offering that pairs unlimited wireless service with 1 Gbps fiber home internet for new customers in eligible fiber‑powered markets. The single‑line package is priced at a fixed $90 per month, inclusive of taxes and fees. Two‑user...
Fiber Frenzy
Charter is extending its Spectrum network in Marion County, Florida, to serve more than 15,000 addresses with up to 1 Gbps speeds, and will fund an $18,000 grant for the local Marion Senior Services program to boost digital literacy among older...
Charter Outlines Billing, Community Benefits Post-Merger
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is the last regulator to approve Charter’s $34.5 billion merger with Cox Communications, and both firms responded with a 55‑page filing covering billing, PEG channels, and broadband deployment. Charter asserts the deal will let Cox...
Gigapower Drops FCC Petition
Gigapower, a joint venture between AT&T and BlackRock Global Infrastructure Fund, withdrew its FCC petition after a dispute with the city of Rock Hill, South Carolina, over access to roughly 1,692 city‑owned utility poles. The conflict stemmed from Rock Hill’s...