Hulu is dropping Fox Sports’ Sinclair Broadcast Group wallet and other regional sports networks from its live TV broadcast packages, starting Friday.
Effective October 23, 2020, Hulu “will no longer have the right to distribute some Regional Sports Network (RSN) currently included in the Hulu + Live TV plan” provided by Sinclair, the Disney-controlled live broadcasting company said in an email to customers today. .
“While we were unable to come to an agreement with the Sinclair Broadcast Group to continue offering channels like Fox Sports RSNs, YES Network, and Marquee Network, the good news is that you will continue to access a variety of sports from channels including ESPN, TNT and TBS, in addition to FS1 and FS2, ”Hulu said in e-mail clients.
In a notice on its website, Hulu said it had dropped all 21 Fox Sports RSN channels as well as YES, the home of the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets, as well as Marquee Sports, which carries the Chicago Cubs.
A Sinclair representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The last time Hulu raised prices on Hulu + Live TV was in November 2019, when it increased the cost of the basic package by 22%, to $ 54.99 a month.
Hulu’s move to ditch Sinclair’s RSN Networks comes after YouTube TV last month shot down 19 Fox Sports networks it was still distributing. Last year, Dish Network dropped Fox RSN channels from satellite and Sling TV groups, while Fubo TV cut them in January.
Sinclair acquired 21 Regional Fox Sports Network from Disney, which was required to get rid of RSNs as part of securing Department of Justice approval of its film and television business deal for 21st Century Fox. Under a separate agreement with Disney, Sinclair acquired a stake in the YES network. Sinclair launched the Marquee Sports Network last March.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Sinclair’s RSN and its creditors are “preparing for a possible restructuring of its nearly $ 8 billion debt burden”, as the company has lost pay-TV deals and as COVID has reduced the amount of televised sports games available.
Sinclair’s Fox-branded online selling points are: Fox Sports Prime Ticket, Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Carolinas, Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Kansas City and Fox Sports Midwest Fox Sports New Orleans, Fox Sports North, Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sportsstime Ohio, Fox Sports Oklahoma, Fox Sports San Diego, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Southeast, Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports Sun, Fox Sports Tennessee, and Fox Sports Wisconsin.
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