MIAMI, Fla.—Hemisphere Media Group has announced that its FAST channel WAPA+ launched on Dish TV and Sling TV in March, significantly expanding the channel’s reach to audiences across the United States. The channel is now available on Sling Freestream and it will also be made available to Dish and DishLatino customers.

With these launches, WAPA+ will now be available across the largest free and connected TV platforms in the country, including Roku, Samsung, Amazon Fire, Plex, Xumo, ViX, Fubo and Canela.

WAPA+ offers an extensive slate of live news, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle programming from Puerto Rico, including NotiCentro newscasts such as NotiCentro América, a newscast specifically tailored to the Puerto Rican community in the U.S. mainland, along with morning entertainment programs like Un Buen Día, political and news analysis from WKAQ 580 AM, hit reality franchises such as Super Chef Celebrities, Caribbean blockbusters showcased in the Cine Domirriqueño weekend movie block, as well as variety shows, comedy, and local productions.

“The launch of WAPA+ on Dish and Sling is a major milestone in our FAST distribution strategy and a meaningful expansion for the millions of Puerto Ricans living in the U.S.,” said Alan Sokol, president & CEO of Hemisphere Media Group. “As audiences increasingly turn to free streaming, we are committed to meeting them on the platforms they use most, while ensuring this community has greater access to trusted news, entertainment, and culture from the island. This partnership accelerates WAPA+’s growth and reinforces Hemisphere’s position as a leading Spanish-language FAST content provider.”

Gray Media and Dish continue to trade barbs over a retransmission dispute that has prevented Dish subscribers from watching 226 local stations owned by station group in 113 markets across the U.S.

The Gray stations were dropped from the Dish lineup on March 10 after the two sides were unable to reach an new retransmission consent agreement, with retransmission fees being the main sticking point.

“For the first time in its history, Gray Media’s television stations have been dropped by Dish Network, a serial instigator of disputes that have removed thousands of broadcast and cable channels from their paying customers over the years,” Gray said in a statement, which included a long list of retransmission consent blackouts between Dish and various broadcasters. “Gray’s track record for fair and reasonable distribution negotiations is undisputed in the industry. Gray has never had its signals dropped by a satellite operator, and its last multimarket cable system dispute lasted just a few days over a decade ago.”

Gray, which accused Dish of not negotiating in good faith as required by FCC rules, also said that “Dish’s action…follows weeks of Dish operating under extensions of the companies’ prior distribution agreement that Gray provided to prevent Dish from removing Gray’s signals to its paying customers during the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, NBA All-Star Game, and numerous breaking news emergencies occurring in many of Gray’s local markets over the past several weeks. To the great surprise and disappointment of Gray’s leadership, Dish insisted that Gray agree to a materially adverse provision in the new agreement that is unlike any provision in any distribution agreement with Gray’s roughly 400 other distribution partners, and, to Gray’s knowledge, unprecedented in the several decade history of the pay-TV industry across any cable or DBS operator and any broadcaster. Because this new demand from Dish has no precedent in history, it is flatly inconsistent with marketplace conditions in clear violation of Dish’s federal statutory obligation to negotiate retransmission in good faith.”

“Dish’s tactics here are all too familiar for the shrinking number of consumers who still subscribe to their service: from 14 million in 2014 to 5 million today,” Gray Media concluded.

For its part, Dish said that “following Gray Media's decision to black out its local stations from the Dish TV lineup, 226 channels in 113 markets are currently unavailable to Dish customers. Gray Media chose to disconnect these stations—which provide critical local news, sports, and weather—after Dish refused to accept unreasonable rate increases that would have raised monthly bills for consumers.”

"It is deeply disappointing that Gray Media is using its viewers as bargaining chips," said Kevin Covell, senior vice president, DISH Video Services. "We offered a fair agreement to keep these stations on the air, but Gray Media walked away. Gray Media chose to black out their own viewers, rather than reasonably negotiate, in an attempt to extract significantly higher fees."

Dish also accused Gray of introducing `last-minute’ “demands regarding stations they don't yet own, stalling negotiations just hours before expiration. Dish remains ready to restore these channels immediately if Gray Media agrees to a fair, market-based deal.”

DENVER—The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against the operators of the illegal streaming service known as DMTN IPTV, as well as Idriss Premium TV and Max TV (collectively, DMTN IPTV).

The federal lawsuit alleges that DMTN IPTV illegally transmitted copyrighted content owned by IBCAP members, despite repeated requests for compliance under U.S. copyright law. According to the complaint, IBCAP issued 68 notices of infringement to the operator and 435 takedown notices to hosting companies used by the defendants since 2020.

“This lawsuit against DMTN IPTV is the latest in a long line of legal actions to enforce copyrights that are being blatantly infringed by pirate services,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP. “Our strategy of working with our members to protect their content by continually detecting and removing infringing streams has been highly successful. Nevertheless, when a pirate continues to ignore our takedown requests, the next step is to coordinate legal action. In line with past lawsuit wins, we expect a similar outcome in this case, including a broad injunction that can be enforced against third parties, such as hosting providers, CDNs, ISPs and payment processors to stop this infringement.”

At the time of filing the complaint, the website used to promote and market the infringing service promised customers “No More Cable Bills” and stated that DMTN IPTV “can be installed on any device.” The complaint also describes deceptive tactics allegedly used by the operators to hide illegal activities over the years, including providing PayPal sales receipt descriptions for leather goods rather than for the infringing service.

The suit names Idriss Elkasmi, based in Fes, Morocco, as the direct infringer and primary operator of the service, along with other Doe defendants. It further alleges that Ali Ezzaary, along with other Doe defendants, promote and enable access to the infringing service as secondary infringers.

The lawsuit seeks statutory damages totaling more than $21 million. It also seeks a permanent injunction, transfer of domains used by the service and court orders preventing third parties, including hosting providers, CDNs, ISPs and payment processors, from supporting the infringing operation.

The lawsuit was coordinated by IBCAP and filed by IBCAP member DISH Network. All evidence for the case was obtained and provided by the IBCAP lab. A copy of the complaint can be found here.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission is moving to investigate certain 5G and satellite spectrum held by EchoStar and its satellite-TV subsidiary, Dish.

The move is a potentially serious blow to EchoStar’s plans to reinvent itself as a wireless company as its pay TV operations continue to lose subscribers. News of the investigation pushed EchoStar’s stock down in Tuesday trading.

As part of the effort, the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau issued a public notice seeking additional comment on a petition for reconsideration of the FCC’s decision last year to grant EchoStar an extension of the construction deadlines for certain of its licenses as part of its 5G network buildout.

In addition, the Space Bureau established SB Docket No. 25-173 to seek comment on EchoStar’s use of the 2,000-2,020 MHz (Earth-to-space) and 2,180-2,200 MHz (space-to-Earth) (2 GHz bands) for mobile-satellite service (MSS).

EchoStar pushed back with a statement from Chairman Charlie Ergen saying, “Today, we are proud to have invested tens of billions to deploy the world’s largest 5G Open RAN network—primarily using American vendors—across 24,000 5G sites, to offer broadband service to over 268 million people nationwide.”

The moves by the FCC to reconsider EchoStar’s 5G and satellite spectrum came after The Wall Street Journal reported that FCC chair Brendan Carr sent a letter to Ergen saying “I have asked the FCC’s staff to take several steps regarding spectrum licenses that your companies hold.”

“I have directed agency staff to begin a review of EchoStar’s compliance with its federal obligations to provide 5G service throughout the United States per the terms of its federal spectrum licenses,” Carr wrote to Ergen.

In the letter Carr, accused EchoStar of not complying with its obligations to build out its 5G network to at least 70% of the population in its licensed geographical areas by June 14, 2025. Instead, Carr contended: “EchoStar negotiated behind closed doors during the previous Administration in September 2024. Under the terms of that bureau-level decision, EchoStar would no longer have to meet the June 2025 buildout obligations—meaning, its commitment to provide 5G to a broad swath of America. Nor would EchoStar have to face the agreed-upon consequences for failing to do so. Instead, EchoStar would generally kick the can down the road while agreeing to buildout milestones for some major-market licenses by December 2024, along with other commitments.”

In the letter, Carr also detailed some examples of how EchoStar had failed to meet its obligations in building out its network.

Carr has been previously vocal about his desire to expand 5G spectrum and his dissatisfaction with how EchoStar has used its spectrum during a recent interview at the Milken Institute.

EchoStar has also come under fire from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which filed a letter with the FCC saying: “Despite years of false promises and dubious technical showings, new data confirms what most people already suspected—Dish Network barely uses the AWS-4 band, if it is used at all, to provide 5G or any other service to American consumers. After extensive consumer complaints about the difficulties of signing up for Dish’s mobile service, recent spectrum analysis now explains why: Dish barely uses the spectrum. While Dish has already written off the satellites that justified its licenses in the first place, new measurements show that Dish uses less than 5% of what would be expected from an actual wireless network operator. This data is the starkest example yet of why the Commission must swiftly recognize that Dish has left this valuable midband spectrum chronically underused and take steps to welcome new satellite entrants who will finally put this spectrum to use to serve the American people.”

Elon Musk has long battled with Ergen over EchoStar’s spectrum, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In response to the FCC’s investigation, EchoStar chairman Ergen said: “We have worked collaboratively with FCC leaders since we launched our first DBS satellite more than 30 years ago. Today, we are proud to have invested tens of billions to deploy the world’s largest 5G Open RAN network—primarily using American vendors—across 24,000 5G sites, to offer broadband service to over 268 million people nationwide. Through this deployment, which is possible thanks to scores of tower climbers, engineers and partners, we have met or exceeded all of the commitments we have entered into with the FCC to date. And our work is not yet finished as we continue to deploy and invest in our network. Not only does our network create American jobs and a competitive alternative to incumbent wireless carriers, it also furthers another critical Trump administration priority: Deploying Open RAN to ensure the United States is at the forefront of wireless leadership and that our infrastructure is free of Chinese vendors.”

LONDON & LOS ANGELES—ThinkAnalytics has announced that Dish Network has selected the Think360 content discovery platform, along with ThinkContentExplorer to streamline its editorial operations, speed up deployments of new services and boost viewer engagement.

"In today’s competitive marketplace, having the most advanced tools to deliver a great user experience is crucial,” explained Seth Van Sickel, senior vice president of product and operations at Dish, said,ThinkAnalytics’ solutions will not only enhance our operations but also provide us with actionable insights through the ThinkContentExplorer, driving better decision-making.”

Using Think360’s advanced AI, intelligent search and a robust dataset enriched with ThinkAnalytics 40,000 metadata video tags, Dish reported that it will be able to use the Think360 platform to automate the tagging of its content, making it more searchable, more easily curated and provide better, more personalized content recommendations for subscribers. ThinkAnalytics’ proprietary AI will also be integrated into search, voice search discovery and personalized recommendations across millions of viewers on Dish, Sling TV and Dish Anywhere services - both satellite and OTT platforms.

With its ability to quickly identify viewing trends and relevant content, ThinkAnalytics will also help Dish more efficiently and continually refresh its offerings. Operational teams at Dish will utilize the ThinkInsight dashboard to better analyze the business and improve the customer experience, the companies said.

"We are excited to partner with Dish to enhance the overall viewing experience, making content engagement easier, more rewarding and boosting brand loyalty,” explained Greg Riker, senior vice president at ThinkAnalytics. “Our solutions empower content editors and curators to maximize the value of their content investments, quickly and efficiently."

DirecTV said Wednesday it will drop its bid to merge with EchoStar due to concerns over financing of the deal. The merger would have created the nation’s largest satellite TV service in an industry that launched just 30 years ago.

When the two companies said they would pursue a merger in late September, they struck a deal calling for DirecTV to acquire EchoStar’s video business—comprised of satellite-TV platform Dish TV and streaming pay TV service Sling TV—for $1 (not a typo) plus Dish’s net debt, valued at about $9.75 billion.

In a separate announcement on the same day, TPG, which AT&T has partnered with since 2021 to operate DirecTV’s satellite and streaming services as a joint venture, agreed to acquire the remaining 70% stake in DirecTV that it does not already own for $7.6 billion. The deal was expected to be formalized by the end of 2025. At the time of the original announcement, AT&T and TPG said their separate agreement would "not be affected by the merger."

Bondholders were turned off by the massive debt arrangements in the deal, which had been updated in late October, lowering DirecTV’s minimum loss on $8.9 billion of bonds to $1.5 billion. The deadline to accept the offer was close of business ET on Tuesday. A letter to DirecTV was delivered on Wednesday announcing that “this group has roundly and resolutely rejected the latest proposed exchange offer.”

“The debt holders are saying, ‘You need us to get the deal through, and we’re not going to do it at that much of a discount,’ ” New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin told The Washington Post. "DirecTV is saying, ‘We’re paying full price for the asset and we don’t have any more discount to give.’ And Dish is saying, ‘We’re selling the asset for nothing, for a dollar, so we’ve got no more value to give, either.’ So there’s an impasse.”

A DirecTV spokesperson told the Post: “A successful [debt] exchange was a condition for acquiring the Dish video business. Given the outcome of the EchoStar exchange, DirecTV will have no choice but to terminate the acquisition of Dish by midnight Nov. 22.”

Based on its declining business in recent years, it appeared that EchoStar needed the deal more than DirecTV did. However, an EchoStar representative told the Post it has a “more robust foundation” that would allow the company to survive without a merger, noting that EchoStar secured $2.5 billion in financing to pay its upcoming debt maturity.

A combined DirecTV-Dish would have counted about 17 million subscribers, making it the nation’s largest pay TV service after Comcast, which has just under 13 million as of the end of September. DirecTV currently has about 11.3 million subscribers and Dish roughly 6.7 million subscribers.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. —Dish Network has announced that new subscribers will get Netflix included with Dish TV subscriptions at no additional cost for two years.

The offer comes as Dish has been suffering large subscriber losses. The Netflix offer, which applies to new Dish customers who sign up for a two-year commitment, could help slow or reduce those losses.

Those new subscribers will get access to a Netflix Standard Plan (ad-free) as part of their package. Even if customers are already Netflix subscribers, Dish said, they are still eligible for this offer when they sign up for satellite-TV service.

“We’re always looking for ways to simplify and elevate the viewing experience for our customers,” Dish Video Services Group President Gary Schanman said. “This new Dish and Netflix offer is a great opportunity to give Dish customers Netflix’s popular series and films. By bringing together the best of live TV and streaming, we’re offering convenience and access to the most sought-after content in one seamless experience.”

Dish noted that its Dish Hopper whole-home DVR system makes it easy to switch between live TV and Netflix, and that Netflix can be easily accessed right in the channel guide, on the Hopper home screen or by simply saying “Netflix” into the Dish Voice Remote.

New Dish customers with eligible equipment—including Hopper 3, Hopper Duo, Hopper Plus or Wally receivers and a high-speed internet connection—can take advantage of this offer.

Years of speculation have finally come to fruition today, as the last two remaining satellite TV providers in the United States announced plans to merge in a deal worth nearly $10 billion. In an announcement from its owner AT&T, DirecTV agreed to acquire Dish parent company EchoStar that will result in creating the nation’s largest pay-TV service.

In a separate announcement, TPG, which AT&T has partnered with since 2021 to operate DirecTV’s satellite and streaming services as a joint venture, agreed to acquire the remaining 70% stake in DirecTV that it does not already own, for $7.6 billion. The deal is expected to be formalized by the end of 2025.

The agreement allows DirecTV to acquire EchoStar’s video business, which includes Dish TV and its Sling TV streaming service for $1 (not a typo) plus Dish’s net debt, valued at about $9.75 billion.

AT&T and TPG said their separate agreement will not be affected by the merger. Analysts expect the merger—which has been attempted in the past but resisted by regulators—will be quickly approved, given the decline in traditional pay-TV revenues that has coincided with the rise in cord cutting and streaming. U.S. pay-TV providers, including satellite TV services, lost 5.04 million subscribers in 2023, an increase from 4.6 million in 2022. This decline is part of a larger trend where pay-TV penetration dropped from 88% in 2010 to 64% in 2023, according to Evoca.

A combined DirecTV/Dish will have almost 20 million subscribers, making it the nation’s largest pay-TV service after Comcast, which has just over 13 million as of the end of June. DirecTV has about 11.3 million subscribers and Dish has approximately 8.07 million subscribers.

DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow and CFO Ray Carpenter are expected to stay on after the merger with the company’s HQ in El Segundo, Calif., current home to DirecTV.

Morrow said of the deal, “With greater scale, we expect a combined DirecTV and Dish will be better able to work with programmers to realize our vision for the future of TV, which is to aggregate, curate, and distribute content tailored to customers’ interests, and to be better positioned to realize operating efficiencies while creating value for customers through additional investment.”

Hamid Akhavan, President and Chief Executive Officer, EchoStar, called the deal “in the best interests of EchoStar’s customers, shareholders, bondholders, employees, and partners,” adding that “with an improved financial profile, we will be better positioned to continue enhancing and deploying our nationwide 5G Open RAN wireless network. This will provide U.S. wireless consumers with more choices and help to drive innovation at a faster pace. We expect Dish and EchoStar bondholders to benefit from two companies with stronger financial profiles and more sustainable capital structures.”

DirecTV launched 30 years ago in June 1994 and Dish debuted in 1996. After some consolidation in the late ‘90’s, the satellite TV market reached its peak during the first decade of the 21st century. However increased competition from pay-TV providers such as Comcast and Charter—which upped its broadband speeds, which, in turn helped birth the streaming phenomenon—took its toll on the industry by the 'teens.

Recent dust-ups, such as DIrecTV’s carriage dispute with Disney as well as the loss of exclusive NFL-wide coverage with its Sunday NFL Ticket package to YouTube TV two years ago, further illustrated the industry’s decline in recent years.

Missed any of our recent product news? Here is TV Tech's weekly wrap-up of new products, services and deployments we published in our newsletter between August 19 to August 23. The stories are listed from the newest on Friday August 23, day by day back to our stories from Monday August 19.

Dish Business Launches News Evolve M2 Set Top Box for Hotels

Evolve M2 allows hoteliers, senior living facilities and others to update internal systems and tailor settings and apps available to guests on each property.

Nugen Audio to Celebrate 20th Anniversary at IBC 2024

From the outset, Nugen Audio has been fully focused on providing solutions to real-life problems and will be highlighting new solutions during the show.

PilotDesk and LG Ad Solutions Ink New Long-Term Ad Tech Deal

As part of the agreement, YieldPilot will optimize and streamline ad inventory with automated yield optimization for publishers.

Three Reasons Why Brazil’s TV 3.0 Decision Matters Here

What does the accomplishment mean to U.S. broadcasters grappling with the myriad of challenges the voluntary transition to 3.0 has created?

Multiple Trends Driving Dynamic KVM Market for M&E

With the industry’s move to IP, lower latency, more flexibility in the offing.

Revolutionizing Broadcast Production Models With Dante

Access to Dante in the cloud allows broadcasters to rethink how they approach audio production.

Evertz to Focus on Software Defined Video Networking at IBC 2024

Company’s SDVN solution targets media companies moving to IP or expanding all-IP infrastructures using SMPTE ST 2110 and NMOS.

Yospace To Showcase Dynamic Ad Insertion Developments At IBC 2024

The company’s technology powered delivery of 10 billion ads on four continents this summer.

SDVI to Feature Latest Rally Access Workstation Developments at IBC 2024

Rally enables anywhere, anytime access to hosted edit workstations and content in the cloud.

Actus Digital To Highlight Compliance, Monitoring Product Developments At IBC 2024

The company will showcase its technology and mark its 20th anniversary at the show.

Sony Electronics Unveils 4K Handheld Professional Camcorders with AI-Based Tools

The camcorders offer AI-based subject recognition autofocus, tracking, and auto framing.

RCN Colombia Leverages Zixi To Streamline Content Distribution To U.S. Affiliates

The Latin American broadcaster is using Zixi’s IP solution portfolio in place of satellite.

NAB Studio Deploys Unytalk Live Interactive Webcast Solution

The studio is using the solution to produce and broadcast interactive content.

You Can Now Smell Your TV Programs for Just $180

Elevated Perceptions has launched “MovieScent,” an AI-powered device that the company says releases real-time scents based on events and environments within movies, TV shows, televised sporting events and streams.

Chyron To Feature Latest Enhancements for PRIME, PAINT and LIVE At IBC 2024

The company will show a new Chyron PRIME playout workflow that simplifies operation.

Mo-Sys To Feature MoViewer Multi-Camera Virtual Production Preview Solution At IBC 2024

MoViewer eliminates the need for per-camera render nodes.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Business announced the launch of Evolve M2, a groundbreaking, QAM-compatible, AndroidTV certified set-back-box (SBB) that seamlessly integrates into existing cable infrastructures. 

This new addition complements the existing Evolve M1 and is designed to provide best-in-class entertainment solutions, regardless of network limitations. With support for both IPTV and traditional coaxial systems, the M2 ensures that properties of all kinds can offer a cutting-edge entertainment experience to their guests.

“Following the success of the Evolve M1, we are excited to introduce the Evolve M2, which extends our comprehensive entertainment suite to virtually any room,” said Peter Feeney, vice president, Dish Commercial Business. “Many properties face challenges with outdated or existing network infrastructure, but the QAM support on the Evolve M2 allows them to bring our industry-leading OnStream platform to their guests, setting a new standard for in-room entertainment.”

The Evolve M2 is engineered with sophisticated hardware, including a powerful processor and custom firmware, to ensure the best-possible performance of OnStream, Dish Business’ live linear video delivery service. This makes the M2 a versatile solution capable of serving high-quality entertainment across a variety of existing network infrastructures.

In addition to its technical capabilities, the Evolve M2 offers a suite of features designed to enhance the guest experience, including an anti-microbial voice remote with advanced functionality. Two remote options are available: one with shortcuts for popular apps like Netflix and YouTube, and a standard remote for simpler deployments. Both remotes include Bluetooth and an onboard microphone, making content discovery fast and intuitive, Dish said. 

The M2 also introduces new interface features, such as “OnStream Mode,” which allows property management to control user access to settings and reduce the need for on-site troubleshooting. The interface is designed to be responsive and user-friendly, enabling guests to easily navigate their favorite streaming apps. Additionally, automatic clearing of user credentials from third-party apps ensures guest privacy and security, the company reported. 

Dish said that with its sleek, low-profile design and VESA-compatible mounting options, the Evolve M2 is designed to be unobtrusive and can be hidden from view, maintaining a clean and distraction-free environment. Its seamless integration with Dish Business’ SMARTBOX headend distribution hardware, Content Management Portal (CMP), and property management system (PMS) further enhances its versatility and ease of use.

“The Evolve M2 is a pivotal addition to our suite of entertainment solutions,” added Feeney. “It’s designed to adapt to the evolving needs of our partners and customers, with over-the-air updates ensuring it remains at the forefront of technological advancements. The Evolve M Series will set a new standard in the industry, solidifying Dish Business’ role as a leader in commercial entertainment solutions.”

The Evolve M2 is available now to all Dish Business Partners.

For more information about the Evolve M Series and other enterprise entertainment services, please visit www.Dish.com/business.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—EchoStar Corporation joined the chorus of growing woes in the pay TV industry during this quarter’s earning season by reporting lower revenue and worse losses both for Q2 ending June 30, 2024 and for the first six months of the year. 

In Q2, net pay-TV subscribers decreased approximately 104,000 in the second quarter, compared to 294,000 in the year ago quarter. The company closed the quarter with 8.07 million Pay-TV subscribers including 6.07 million Dish TV subscribers and 2.00 million Sling TV subscribers. 

EchoStar said that the change in net Pay-TV subscriber losses resulted from Sling TV subscriber additions in the second quarter compared to losses in the year ago quarter and a decrease in net Dish TV subscriber losses due to a lower DISH TV churn rate, offset by lower gross new Dish TV subscriber activations.

The company is investing heavily in 5G and wireless to take up the slack from its declining pay TV business but in Q2 retail wireless net subscribers decreased by approximately 16,000 in the second quarter. The company closed the quarter with 7.28 million retail wireless subscribers. The decrease in net retail wireless subscriber losses resulted from a lower retail wireless churn rate, offset by lower gross new retail wireless subscriber activations, the company said.

EchoStar also noted that the second quarter was negatively impacted by net losses of government subsidized subscribers, including Affordable Connectivity Program ("ACP") subscribers, compared to net additions in the year ago quarter, primarily due to the ACP program funding concluding on June 1, 2024. Excluding the impact of net losses of government subsidized subscribers EchoStar added approximately 32,000 retail wireless subscribers in the second quarter.

Broadband net subscribers decreased by approximately 23,000 in the second quarter, compared to 55,000 in the year ago quarter. The company closed the quarter with 955,000 Broadband subscribers. The net broadband subscriber loss improvement was primarily due to the new EchoStar XXIV satellite service launch and increased subscriber demand for our new satellite service plans.

For the six months ending June 30, 2024, EchoStar reported total revenue of $7.97 billion for the six months ending June 30, 2024, down significantly compared to $8.74 billion in the year ago period.

Losses also widened. The net loss attributable to EchoStar in the first two quarters of 2024 was $312.97 million, compared to net income of $466.20 million in the year ago period. Diluted loss per share was $1.15, compared to earnings per share of $1.51 in the year ago period. Consolidated operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) totaled $912.31 million for the six months ending June 30, 2024, compared to $1.32 billion in the year ago period.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network has announced that it has added Netflix to its Dish TV subscription offering at no additional cost for two years. 

The move allows existing Dish customers who sign up for a new two-year commitment to enjoy a Netflix Standard with ads plan seamlessly integrated into their Dish service.

The offer comes at a time when Dish and other pay TV operators have been hemorrhaging subscribers and could help Dish lock in its existing subscribers to new contracts. It would also simplify access to the streaming service and TV channels via one remote. 

“Finding something new to love has never been easier,” said Gary Schanman, executive vice president and group president, Dish Video Services. “We’re committed to enhancing our customers’ viewing experience by offering them the best content in the most convenient way possible. Our new Dish and Netflix bundle is a testament to that commitment.”

More information is available at mydish.com/netflixdeal. 

ENGELWOOD, Colo.—Echostar’s Dish Network and Hughes Network Systems have announced a new bundled service offering that is designed to improve the connectivity and entertainment options in rural America with programming from Dish combined with the Hughesnet satellite internet service. 

Given the limited connectivity and programming options available in many rural areas, the two Echostar companies said that the bundle will provide often overlooked rural consumers who have limited options for connectivity with access to high speed internet services and entertainment. 

The bundle includes the Dish Hopper whole-home DVR entertainment system combined with Hughesnet internet connectivity.  The combined technologies provide better coverage and performance throughout the entire home.

"Our mission at Dish has always been to serve rural America and change the way the world communicates, and now that focus is supercharged," said Gary Schanman, executive vice president and group president, Dish Video Services. We have more capabilities than ever before, more products, more services, and powerful brands that complement one another, providing our customers with more options no matter where they live."

The new Hughesnet service plans in the bundle are powered by JUPITER 3, the largest and most advanced commercial communications satellite with faster speeds of up to 100 Mbps, unlimited data and powerful Wi-Fi, allowing customers to now enjoy video streaming, music downloads, video conferencing, gaming, and more, the companies reported. 

"With the combination of Hughes and Dish technologies, innovation, and leadership focused on rural American homes, we are more strategically aligned, and the customer remains at the center of what we do," said Paul Gaske, chief operating officer, Hughes. "Rural customers have traditionally had limited options for TV and internet in rural America. Dish and Hughes are solving those hurdles by further advancing connectivity in rural communities to provide the best value in TV and Internet."

New customers who take advantage of the bundle by adding and maintaining both Dish TV and Hughesnet internet services, will receive a $5 monthly savings off each service.

ATLANTA and ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Cox Media Group and Dish have ended a dispute over retransmission fees that lasted nearly a year and a half with “a new multi-year agreement that will restore all CMG stations on Dish, effective immediately,” the two companies said in an extremely brief statement. 

“Dish and CMG greatly appreciate the patience of their subscribers and viewers," the statement concluded. 

The impasse, which started on Nov. 28, saw Dish pull the plug on 12 CMG stations in 9 markets after retransmission negotiations broke down. 

During the dispute Cox accused Dish of then issuing an “inaccurate” press release that included “knowingly false statements” about its decision to pull the CMG local broadcast stations from its own customers and issued a cease-and-desist letter to Dish demanding the satellite provider retract what it said about the dispute. These statements were “designed to mislead viewers and thereby harm the reputation of CMG in the marketplace,” according to the attorneys’ letter.

In the wake of DirecTV’s recent announcement that subscribers to its pay TV services could choose less expensive programming packages without local broadcast stations, Dish has responded by reminding consumers that it has offered this option for the last seven years. 

“In light of recent news regarding DirecTV's introduction of its new opt-out feature for local channels, it's important to highlight that Dish has been offering this capability to customers for the last seven years,” Dish said. “Dish firmly believes in empowering its subscribers with the ability to customize their viewing experience according to their preferences.”

Both companies have been involved with extensive retransmission disputes with local broadcast station groups in recent years. While cord-cutting has hurt the entire pay-TV industry, satellite operators like Dish and DirecTV have been particularly impacted because they can’t effectively bundle high-speed broadband services with their video packages the way cable and telco operators do.   

The Leichtman Research Group (LRG) estimates that DirecTV lost 1.8 million subs in 2023 while public financial statements filed by Dish indicate it lost 945,000. 

Dish ended 2023 with 6,471,000 satellite subs, down from a peak of 14.1 million satellite subs in 2010. 

In 2023, Dish and DirecTV accounted for more than half (2.75 million) of the 5 million subs lost by major pay TV operations, LRG reported. 

NEW YORK—Fox News Media has announced that it has inked deals that will expand the distribution of its subscription-based streaming service Fox Nation to Dish TV and Sling TV. 

Beginning mid-March, Dish customers will be able to add Fox Nation for $5.99 per month. Once subscribed, customers can access Fox Nation via channel 296 in the guide, the On Demand menu or the Dish Anywhere app.

Fox Nation, which offers over 10,000 hours of programming, will also be available to stream on Sling for $5.99 per month to all of its users on Sling TV and on Sling Freestream, beginning in mid-March.

In making the announcement, Fox News Media President Lauren Petterson said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Dish and Sling to make our on-demand content more readily available to viewers who crave Fox Nation.”

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—PubMatic has announced that it is working with Dish Media to help Dish’s Sling TV boost programmatic demand by allowing it to access private marketplace deals.

The companies said that their partnership comes as more consumers seek ad supported streaming providers as a primary means for engaging with TV content. According to Insider Intelligence, virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) viewership is expected to rise by over 40% since 2020, reaching 42 million U.S. viewers in 2024, while traditional pay TV viewership declined by more than 30% over the same period. 

To help advertisers tap into this growing audience, the partnership will help advertisers to improve targeting and campaign ROI.

"We are strategically expanding our partnerships with SSPs to amplify scale and flexibility for our buyers,” said Andrew Tint, head of programmatic partnerships, Dish Media. “Transparency remains a core focus, and in this pursuit, we are excited to announce PubMatic as our newest partner. With an extended SSP footprint, we are providing buyers with unparalleled flexibility, empowering them to make purchasing decisions that align seamlessly with their strategic goals.”

Brad Stockton, senior vice president of video innovation at dentsu added, “Dish Media and PubMatic’s partnership will create more opportunities for advertisers to be in front of the right audiences during major seasonal advertising periods while accessing valuable targeting signals to improve ROI. We are excited to be partnering with them to bring more innovative solutions to clients and build on our advertising supply chain.”

As part of the partnership, PubMatic’s buyers will have access to premium programming on Sling, plus a diverse range of live sports content with channels like ESPN, NFL Network, FS1, TBS and TNT. Major global sporting events including the Paris Summer Olympic Games and Copa America in the U.S., will account for a significant boost in ad spending in 2024. In search of performance amidst ongoing structural changes to the digital ad market, advertisers are expected to look towards programmatic CTV that combines the precision targeting of digital with the prestige user engagement of traditional TV, the companies said. 

“This year is shaping up to be a monumental year for CTV advertising as targeting signals disappear from other digital channels and the political season drives increased live TV viewership,” said Nicole Scaglione, vice president CTV/OTT and Online Video at PubMatic. “We are excited to partner with Dish Media to offer our advertisers access to the valuable inventory on Sling and enable them to tap into rich targeting signals to drive their campaign objectives.”

DENVER—IBCAP has announced that one of its members, Dish Network L.L.C., has received a settlement payment of $3 million from an IBCAP-coordinated lawsuit. The settlement resolves Dish’s lawsuit against Datacamp Limited, a U.K.-based company providing global content delivery network (CDN) services under the name CDN77 and dedicated servers and network services under the name Datapacket. 

The lawsuit, filed in February 2022 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, asserted claims against Datacamp for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement for allowing continued use of the Datacamp services by 11 different pirate services.

The complaint alleged that Datacamp received nearly 400 notices of infringement from IBCAP but did little to stop the pirate services from continuing to use the Datacamp CDN. The complaint further alleged that Datacamp had no right to any safe harbor under the DMCA due to Datacamp’s failure to designate a DMCA agent to receive notifications of claimed infringement, failure to act expeditiously to remove or disable access to infringing material, and failure to implement a repeat infringer policy.

The settlement agreement follows substantial discovery and briefing on Datacamp’s motion to dismiss, which the court denied on July 14, 2023, rejecting Datacamp’s argument that the lawsuit should be dismissed because Datacamp could not be liable for infringement by its customers. 

In denying Datacamp’s motion, the court found that Datacamp knew of specific infringing uses of its services. The court also rejected Datacamp’s argument that it lacked the ability to stop the infringement, and found that Datacamp obtained a direct financial benefit from the infringement.   

In addition to Datacamp’s payment of $3,000,000, which has already been received, the settlement agreement requires Datacamp to implement a takedown policy and a repeat infringer policy, the IBCAP reported. 

These policies will promote the expeditious removal of infringing material and permanently shut down client accounts of repeat infringers. Datacamp further agreed to provide the identity and contact information of its clients that are repeat infringers or those that had their accounts permanently shut down for failure to remove allegedly infringing material. Datacamp agreed to future damages of up to $250,000 per month if it fails to fulfill removal and termination provisions of the settlement agreement.

“This lawsuit and resulting settlement agreement against Datacamp sends a direct message to yet another category of infringers — companies who support pirate services, such as CDNs and hosting companies — that their willingness to deliver infringing content over their networks will not be tolerated,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP. “Datacamp’s payment of $3 million conveys a strong message that CDNs and hosting companies should not take the risk of permitting infringing content to stream across their networks. The takedown and repeat infringer policies that Datacamp has agreed to serve as examples of policies other CDNs and hosting companies should adopt to help minimize infringements on their networks and minimize their exposure to sizeable damage awards.”

The lawsuit was coordinated by IBCAP, and evidence for the case was obtained and provided by the IBCAP lab. Prosecution of the case and settlement negotiations were executed by Dish’s outside litigation counsel, Hagan Noll & Boyle, LLC.

For more information about IBCAP visit https://www.ibcap.org/membership. 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Media has announced that it has deployed Unified ID 2.0 (UID2), an identity solution that improves first-party data and improves targeted advertising. 

The move makes Dish the first MVPD and the largest vMVPD to integrate the solution across its suite of traditional TV and OTT services at Dish and Sling TV. 

Pioneered by The Trade Desk, UID2 is an identity solution that enables targeted advertising with more precision and measurement across the open internet.

"Over the past decade we have invested heavily in harnessing the power of our first party data," said Kevin Arrix, senior vice president, Dish Media. "Unified ID 2.0 captures that power and opens doors to heightened precision in targeting. This partnership enables advertisers to leverage our enriched datasets for more effective campaign strategies and ushers in a new era of privacy-conscious, yet impactful, advertising experiences."

The adoption of UID2 across Sling TV and Dish Connected enables advertisers to build their media buys around Dish Media's valuable first-party data. Dish Connected, the companies said. 

Launched last spring, Dish Connected is a first-of-its-kind solution that allows Dish TV's live linear inventory to be executed in real-time, programmatically. Advertising campaigns transacted via UID2 allow for a clearer picture of Dish viewers across devices.

"Dish Media's adoption of Unified ID 2.0 reflects their commitment to provide a high-quality ad experience for viewers," said Taylor Ash, general manager, inventory development for CTV, The Trade Desk. "Publishers who share their first-party data with advertisers in a secure and privacy-conscious way will come out on top as the TV landscape continues to evolve."

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—EchoStar Corporation has announced that it completed its acquisition of Dish Network Corporation on December 31, 2023. 

The completion of the deal brings Charlie Ergen’s EchoStar and Dish holdings back together into one company and is designed to strengthen the companies efforts to better compete in the 5G market. 

"The completion of this merger marks an important milestone for our company and our customers, launching a new era of connectivity," said Charles Ergen, Executive Chairman of the Board of EchoStar. "We have brought together two trailblazing companies with complementary portfolios to create a global connectivity leader with premier wireless, satellite, and video distribution capabilities. Together, EchoStar and Dish offer an enhanced consumer connectivity business and an unmatched enterprise managed services business. In a world that is increasingly wireless, we are well-positioned to drive revenue and profitable growth."

The transaction combines Dish Network's satellite technology, streaming services and nationwide 5G network with EchoStar's premier satellite communications solutions. It comes at a time when cord cutting has heavily cut into Dish Network’s pay TV video subscribers and the company has been spending heavily to expand its 5G network. 

Dish Network's 5G wireless network that now covers more than 70 percent of the U.S. population and the successful launch of EchoStar's Jupiter 3 satellite will provide the company with significant available capacity for converged terrestrial and non-terrestrial services, the company said.  

As a result of the merger, each share of Dish Network Class A Common Stock and Dish Network Class C Common Stock converted into 0.350877 shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock, and each share of Dish Network Class B Common Stock converted into 0.350877 shares of EchoStar Class B Common Stock.

The combined company is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado and offers such services and brands as: Boost Mobile, Boost Infinite, Sling TV and Dish TV, as well as EchoStar, Hughes and Jupiter satellite services, HughesON managed services and HughesNet® satellite internet.

Evercore served as exclusive financial advisor, and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP served as legal counsel to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of EchoStar. White & Case LLP served as legal counsel to EchoStar.

J.P. Morgan served as exclusive financial advisor, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal counsel to the Special Transaction Committee of the Board of Directors of Dish Network. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP served as legal counsel to Dish Network.

DENVER—The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) has announced that a complaint has been filed in the Eastern District of New York against ten defendants operating the Glo TV service, as well as Massive Wireless, Inc., a New York retailer, its CEO and director, and Rays IPTV LLC, a California distributor and retailer, and its CEO.

IBCAP is a coalition of leading international and U.S. content owners, broadcasters and distributors representing more than 190 television channels from the U.S. and around the world.

The lawsuit was coordinated by IBCAP and filed by IBCAP member Dish Network. Evidence for the case was obtained and provided by the IBCAP laboratory. 

The complaint asserts that Glo TV directly infringes IBCAP member copyrights by transmitting 20 television channels and the programs that air on those channels over the internet to users in the U.S. 

The complaint also asserts claims against the remaining defendants for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. The defendants received multiple notices of infringement from IBCAP, yet ignored those notices and continued to infringe, the group said. 

“This IBCAP-coordinated lawsuit sends a direct message to the entire business chain involved in piracy. From those who operate pirate services, to the distributors who wholesale pirate subscriptions, to the retailers who purchase and resell pirate subscriptions to consumers, the sale of pirate services will not be tolerated,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP. “As with other cases coordinated by IBCAP, we fully expect these defendants will be held accountable, and the Court will enjoin retailers, wholesalers, and others from supporting the Glo TV service.”

IBCAP said the complaint seeks:

• Statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work for the willful infringement of 170 registered works - up to $25,500,000 total
• An award of the defendants’ profits attributable to the infringement of the unregistered works
• An injunction prohibiting the defendants from distributing, providing, promoting, or selling set-top boxes and services that contain the subject channels
• An injunction prohibiting the defendants from distributing, providing, promoting, or selling set-top boxes and services that contain the relevant channels listed in the lawsuit
• An injunction prohibiting any hosting company from supporting Glo TV or any other service used to access channels exclusively licensed to the rightsholder
• An order permanently transferring each domain name that the defendants used in connection with the infringement to the plaintiff
• Prejudgment interest and post judgment interest
• Reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs

NEW YORK—Fox Weather has announced that it has expanded its distribution to include Dish Network and Sling Freestream subscribers. 

Fox News Media’s free ad-supported streaming television (“FAST”) weather service launched on the Dish and Sling Freestream platforms on Nov. 29. 

With the launch, Fox Weather is be available on Dish Network’s channel 222 for subscribers of its America’s Top 120, 200 and 250 Packages. Viewers will also have access to the comprehensive weather service through the Dish Anywhere TV app. 

On Sling Freestream Fox Weather is now available through the Sling TV app and website. Sling Freestream’s lineup now includes over 400 free channels and a library of over 41,000 on-demand titles.

Since launching in October 2021, Fox Weather has expanded its reach to include platforms such as Verizon Fios, Samsung TV Plus, Cox Communications, The Roku Channel, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Fire TV Channels, Optimum, Spectrum, LG Channels, DIRECTV STREAM, Xumo Play, WOW!, Vizio Watchfree+, TuneIn, Plex, Audacy and Astound Broadband. The service continues to be available through Fox Television Station Diginets in top markets including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, among others.

Fox Weather is a 24/7 free ad-supported television service (FAST) operated by Fox News Media. 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Hamid Akhavan has joined Dish as president and chief executive officer and will oversee the company’s video services, wireless businesses and subsidiaries.

Akhavan, who also will continue in his role as CEO and president of EchoStar, previously was a partner at Twin Point Capital before his taking on the leadership roles at the companies.

In August, when the merger of the companies was announced, there was an announcement that Akhavan would continue as CEO of the combined company. The merger is expected to close by the end of the year, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions, Dish said.

"Hamid brings a unique set of skills to Dish, building off his experience in the technology, telecom, private equity and investment sectors," said Charlie Ergen, co-founder and chairman of Dish Network. "An engineer by background, he's financially astute and a seasoned manager. He currently serves EchoStar, Dish's sister company, as CEO and will lead both companies in order to hit the ground running, once the merger with EchoStar is complete."

Prior to his role with Twin Point Capital, Akhavan was a founding partner at Long Arc Capital and was CEO of Unity (formerly Siemens Enterprise Communications), Chief Operating Offices at Deutsche Telekom and CEO of T-Mobile International, it said.

"There is tremendous opportunity at Dish, and even more so once it's combined with EchoStar," said Akhavan. "This appointment will enable me and the teams to get a head start in preparing to run the combined business of the companies."

More information is available on the company’s website.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network has reached a new multiyear carriage agreement with Hearst Television, Inc., ending a blackout of the Hearst-owned stations that began on September 8.  

“We’re pleased to have reached a long-term agreement that benefits all parties and most importantly, our customers,” said Gary Schanman, executive vice president and group president, video services, Dish Network. “Thank you to our customers for your patience and understanding as we worked through the negotiations.”

The blackout had impacted Dish customers' access to 37 local channels in 27 markets. 

The new deal, which was announced on Nov. 10, restores: Alburqueque, NM (KOAT), Baltimore, MD (WBAL), Birmingham, AL (WVTM), Boston, MA (WCVB & WMUR), Burlington, VT (WNNE & WPTZ),Cincinnati, OH (WLWT), Des Moines, IA (KCCI), Fort Myers, FL (WBBH), Fort Smith, AR (KHBS & KHBSD & KHOG), Greensboro, NC (WCWG & WXII), Greenville, SC (WYFF), Harrisburg, PA (WGAL), Jackson, MS (WAPT), Kansas City, MO (KCWE & KMBC), Louisville, KY (WLKY), Milwaukee, WI (WISN), Monterey, CA (KSBW & KSBWD), New Orleans, LA (WDSU), Oklahoma City, OK (KOCO), Omaha, NE (KETV), Orlando, FL (WESH & WKCF), Pittsburgh, PA (WTAE), Portland, ME (WMTW & WPXT), Sacramento, CA (KCRA & KQCA), Savannah, GA (WJCL), Tampa, FL (WMOR), West Palm Beach, FL (WPBF).

 DENVER, Colo.—Liberty Latin America has announced a definitive agreement with Dish Network to acquire Dish's spectrum assets in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and approximately 120,000 prepaid mobile subscribers in those markets in exchange for cash and international roaming credits valued at $256 million. 

“This transaction reinforces our commitment to Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and showcases our intention to optimize service for our mobile customers,” Vivek Khemka, senior vice president, Liberty Latin America, said. “Upon completion of the spectrum acquisition, we will have valuable low, mid, and high band spectrum that will allow us to add more capacity, increase speeds, and further strengthen our leading 5G mobile network. We are also pleased to bring approximately 120,000 wireless subscribers to our business, which will increase our scale in the prepaid market and expand our sales channels.”

Tom Cullen, executive vice president of corporate development, Dish Network, said the deal will provide Dish with “additional capital to focus on our wireless business in the United States.”

The transaction is subject to certain customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close next year. The aggregate asset purchase price of $256 million will be paid in four annual installments commencing on the closing date. Liberty Latin America expects to fund the transaction through local liquidity sources, including cash on hand, cash generated from operations, cash generated from asset sales, and/or revolving credit facilities.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network Corporation continued to hemorrhage pay TV subs in its Q3 2023 earnings report. 

During the quarter its vMVPD Sling TV gained 117,000 subs to end the quarter with 2.12 million but that wasn’t enough to overcome 181,000 sub losses at  Dish TV’s satellite pay TV offering, which fell to 6.72 million subs.

That produced an overall loss of 64,000 pay TV subs for the company; a year ago in Q3 2022, Dish reported a net gain of 30,000 subs for its satellite and streaming operations. 

Dish reported revenue totaling $3.70 billion for the quarter ending September 30, 2023, compared to $4.10 billion for the corresponding period in 2022 and it reported a net loss of $139 million for the third quarter 2023, compared to $412 million in net income earned in the year-ago quarter. Diluted loss per share was $0.26 for the third quarter, compared to earnings per share of $0.65 during the same period in 2022. 

Retail wireless net subscribers also decreased by approximately 225,000 in the third quarter, compared to a net increase of 1,000 in the year-ago quarter and the company closed the quarter with 7.50 million retail wireless subscribers.

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau today says it has completed its investigation into DISH for failure to properly deorbit its EchoStar-7 satellite, accepting the company’s admission of liability and imposing a penalty of $150,000. This marks a first in space debris enforcement by the commission, which has stepped up its satellite policy efforts, including establishing the Space Bureau and implementing its Space Innovation Agenda. 

The FCC’s investigation found that the company violated the Communications Act, the FCC rules, and the terms of the company’s license by relocating its direct broadcast satellite (“DBS”) service EchoStar-7 satellite at the satellite’s end-of-mission to a disposal orbit well below the elevation required by the terms of its license.  At this lower altitude, it could pose orbital debris concerns.    

“As satellite operations become more prevalent and the space economy accelerates, we must be certain that operators comply with their commitments,” said Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal.  “This is a breakthrough settlement, making very clear the FCC has strong enforcement authority and capability to enforce its vitally important space debris rules.”

FCC rules prohibit the use or operation of any apparatus for the transmission of energy or communications or signals by a space or earth station except under and in accordance with a commission-granted authorization. The rule is designed to prevent interference in satellite operations and allows the commission to coordinate and evaluate those operations, including minimizing the creation of space debris and ensuring responsible end-of-mission satellite disposal.

DISH launched its EchoStar-7 satellite in 2002.  In an orbital debris mitigation plan later filed by DISH, and approved by the commission in 2012, the company committed to bring the satellite at the end of its mission to an altitude of 300 km above its operational geostationary arc.  In subsequent filings with the FCC, DISH estimated that, based on the remaining fuel and projected operational parameters, the satellite’s end-of-mission deorbit maneuvers would take place in May 2022. 

However, in February 2022, DISH determined that the satellite had very little propellant left, which meant it could not follow the original orbital debris mitigation plan in its license.  DISH ultimately retired the satellite at a disposal orbit approximately 122 km above the geostationary arc, well short of the disposal orbit of 300 km specified in its orbital debris mitigation plan.

The Consent Decree is available at: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-23-888A1.pdf.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network has announced that the Hearst Television stations have been removed from its Dish TV offerings after the two parties were unable to come to terms on a new retransmission consent deal. 

The blackout impacts customers' access to 37 local channels in 27 markets. 

Channels impacted by Hearst's blackout include: Alburqueque, NM (KOAT), Baltimore, MD (WBAL), Birmingham, AL (WVTM), Boston, MA (WCVB & WMUR), Burlington, VT (WNNE & WPTZ),Cincinnati, OH (WLWT), Des Moines, IA (KCCI), Fort Myers, FL (WBBH), Fort Smith, AR (KHBS & KHBSD & KHOG), Greensboro, NC (WCWG & WXII), Greenville, SC (WYFF), Harrisburg, PA (WGAL), Jackson, MS (WAPT), Kansas City, MO (KCWE & KMBC), Louisville, KY (WLKY), Milwaukee, WI (WISN), Monterey, CA (KSBW & KSBWD), New Orleans, LA (WDSU), Oklahoma City, OK (KOCO), Omaha, NE (KETV), Orlando, FL (WESH & WKCF), Pittsburgh, PA (WTAE), Portland, ME (WMTW & WPXT), Sacramento, CA (KCRA & KQCA), Savannah, GA (WJCL), Tampa, FL (WMOR), West Palm Beach, FL (WPBF).

Dish said it had been in discussions with Hearst for months working to reach an agreement to keep its channels on air for customers but was unable to reach a deal because “Hearst is demanding tens of millions of dollars in rate increases that would affect customers, while it devalues its product by making programming available elsewhere, even as viewership declines” the pay TV operator said in a press release. 

"Hearst continues to raise its prices despite its declining viewership and lower-quality content," said Gary Schanman, executive vice president and group president, video services, Dish Network. "Demanding higher rates for the same entertainment and news just doesn't make sense, especially as Hearst's content is widely available on other platforms. This hurts our customers in their pocketbooks and their ability to watch the programming and content they want. Unfortunately, Hearst, like many other programmers, expects Dish and our customers to foot the bill."

Dish also described the dispute as another example of the broken pay TV system of negotiations between programmers and operators. Recently the Disney stations and channels were blacked out in a dispute with Charter and Nexstar stations remain blacked out on DirecTV. 

"It's a broken system," Schanman said. "As programmers continue to hold distributors hostage, customers will end up being impacted the most. We'll continue to negotiate for a fair deal to provide the best value for our customers. Hearst is an important long-term partner for us, and we hope they'll come to a reasonable agreement and restore their channels for our customers as quickly as possible."

In response, Hearst posted a statement to viewers on the websites of its stations. 

"Dish and Hearst Television have reached an impasse in negotiating a renewal retransmission consent agreement for the carriage of Hearst Television’s broadcast stations on Dish’s satellite system," the statement said. "We have made significant investments to deliver top tier programming to our viewers and DISH is seeking the right to carry our stations at below market rates, which is neither fair nor reasonable."

Hearst also urged viewers who have been impacted by the dispute to use an antenna to get the free over the air broadcasts or select another pay TV operator.  

"To be clear, we have not “blacked out” our station," the statement said. "You may continue to receive our station for free, over the air, or by other satellite distribution, and, where available, from cable operators. You can determine the type of antenna needed to receive the signals of our station at http://www.antennaweb.org/."

NEW YORK—In a notable expansion of its programmatic advertising capabilities, Dish Media has launched Dish Connected, a new advertising solution that for the first time allows Dish TV's live linear inventory to be programmatically executed. 

The new Dish Connected solution blends CTV and linear addressable TV advertising by allowing advertisers to complement their CTV buys on Sling TV with access to premium Dish TV inventory. 

"Marketing dollars continue to shift more towards the most effective and efficient solutions that allow for optimal targeting and full campaign measurement," said Kevin Arrix, senior vice president of Dish Media. "Dish Connected is the latest example of how technology can resolve traditional TV's inefficiencies and puts Dish Media at the forefront in driving more accountable, impression-based buying." 

With the launch advertisers are now able to programmatically transact on premium Dish set-top box inventory through private auctions set up with demand-side platforms (DSP) like The Trade Desk and Yahoo DSP, as well as the sell-side platform (SSP) Magnite, Dish reported. 

As viewers watch content on their Dish internet-connected set-top boxes, advertisers can bid on and deliver advertisements to them in real-time. This allows advertisers to extend their reach to an expanded footprint and to make a single buy programmatically across both Sling and Dish inventory.

CTV ad spend continues to surge and with this new effort Dish Media combines CTV and linear advertising accessibility, delivering new inventory, expanded reach, and added scale to advertisers like Horizon Media, Havas Media, Stagwell and Camelot Strategic Marketing & Media, Dish said. 

"We continue to place a strong emphasis on programmatic advertising, recognizing it as a powerful tool for delivering targeted and effective ad campaigns," said Alexander Stone, senior vice president of advanced video and agency partnerships, Horizon Media. "Having invested heavily in programmatic buying across premium CTV inventory, we're excited to take advantage of this new offering from Dish Media. Dish Connected allows us to open up a larger inventory pool for our clients, making the buying experience more accessible than before."

Accessing programmatic ad inventory is easy and familiar for digital buyers. Dish Connected™ introduces a new set of impressions to the market, giving advertisers a new opportunity to capture premium live inventory with programmatic efficiency.

Matt McLeggon, senior vice president, advanced solutions at Magnite also praised the launch: "Magnite has long worked closely with streaming platforms, like Sling TV, to provide the industry with a single touchpoint for execution across the entirety of the premium ecosystem. The addition of linear television inventory to the platform through Dish Media's breakthrough offering, Dish Connected, gives buyers the ability to reach their most valuable audiences holistically, regardless of how they consume their content. The programmatic automation of convergent television advertising will allow buyers and sellers alike to unify end-to-end campaign planning, execution, and measurement, accessible through Magnite."

"Linear media buys have historically used endemic metrics to inform their decisioning," added Verna De Jesus, vice president of CTV, The Trade Desk. "Now with Dish Media creating this innovative solution, media buyers can use today's advanced data ecosystem – including a brand's first party data – to make the most informed buy possible on linear TV. As the level of impressions scales through tools such as Dish Connected, consumers will enjoy a better ad experience that is more consistent with their streaming counterparts."

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network has once again reported heavy pay TV sub losses with its total pay TV subs falling by 552,000 to 9.198 million, as satellite subs fell by 318,000 to 7.098 million and its streaming Sling TV subs fell by 234,000 to 2.1 million. 

The Sling TV streaming sub losses were the worst since the 234,000 sub losses reported in Q1 2022 and mark a steep decline in the virtual MVPD’s subscribers from 2.252 million in Q1 2022 and 2.439 million in Q1 2021. 

The losses raise doubts about Dish’s ability to fund its transition into a 5G wireless company as it reported revenue totaling $3.96 billion for the quarter ending March 31, 2023, compared to $4.33 billion for the corresponding period in 2022.

Net income attributable to Dish Network totaled $223 million for the first quarter 2023, compared to $433 million for the year-ago quarter.

Diluted earnings per share were $0.35 for the first quarter, compared to $0.68 per share during the same period in 2022. 

Retail wireless net subscribers decreased by approximately 81,000 in the first quarter, compared to a net decrease of 343,000 in the year-ago quarter. The company closed the quarter with 7.91 million retail wireless subscribers.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The FCC has approved Dish’s request to conduct a 5G test in Yuma, Ariz. 

The 5G testing in Yuma will utilize the 3GPP band n26 in frequency range 817-824/862-869 MHz and use spectrum owned by T-Mobile. 

Dish has been building a 5G network and has rights to buy the spectrum from T-Mobile but has not laid out what, if anything, it would do with the spectrum.  

Dish has until September to buy the spectrum for $3.59 billion and could be forced to pay T-Mobile $72 million and the U.S. government $360 million if it decides not to purchase the low-band spectrum. 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—In another example of how virtual MVPDs continue to struggle, Dish reported that Sling TV’s subscribers declined by 77,000 to 2.334 million in Q4, 2022 compared to 2.411 million in Q3 and 2.486 million a year earlier in Q4 2021. 

Meanwhile its total pay TV subs declined to 9.750 million in Q4 from 10.018 million in Q3 and 10.707 million in Q4, 2021. 

Its pay TV satellite service sub count declined to 7.416 million in Q4 from 7.607 million in Q3 and 8.221 million a year ago in Q4 2021. 

By way of comparison Dish had 14.1 million satellite pay TV subs in 2010. The current satellite figure is below the 8.18 million subs it had in 2002. 

DENVER—The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) has announced that a federal district court and a federal bankruptcy court in Florida have ordered Hisham Manse Ibrahem and Nezar Saeed Hammo, U.S.-based sellers of the pirate service ATN, to pay $32,100,000 in combined damages for willful copyright infringement. 

Both individuals were selling the ATN service through a company known as Alfa TV Inc., which was also found liable, along with Haitham Mansi, a Sweden-based owner and operator of Alfa TV, Inc. Notably, the ATN service is no longer carrying IBCAP-protected channels in the U.S., the IBCAP reported. 

The evidence for this case was collected by IBCAP's anti-piracy lab in coordination with NAGRA. 

The cases were filed by IBCAP member Dish Network.

One of the co-defendants, Nezar Saeed Hammo, filed bankruptcy during the pendency of the district court action in an attempt to avoid liability. But, as with similar actions against willful copyright infringers, the bankruptcy court ruled the judgment non-dischargeable and that the defendant can’t use the bankruptcy system to avoid liability for willful copyright infringement.

Both courts ordered the defendants to cease “distributing, providing, selling, or promoting any product, or service, including ATN set-top boxes, apps, service subscriptions, and any other set-top boxes and television subscription services, that reproduce, copy, transmit, stream, distribute, or publicly perform any of the [IBCAP Member Channels at issue] or any of the programming that comprises or appears on any of the [IBCAP Member Channels at issue] in the United States.” 

“Yet again, the federal courts have levied huge financial awards against individuals in the U.S. who were selling pirate services,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP. “This case is another example of why it is not worth the risk for retailers to sell pirate services. It is also important to point out that sellers of pirate services cannot use bankruptcy to shield against their illegal activities. Here, as with other willful copyright infringers who have sought to use bankruptcy to avoid judgments, the bankruptcy court concluded that the judgment against Mr. Hammo is not discharged by the bankruptcy.”

A copy of the district court order can be found here; a copy of the bankruptcy court order can be found here. 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish has announced that Mission Broadcasting and White Knight Broadcasting local stations, which are both operated by Nexstar Media Group, were removed from Dish TV on Jan. 6 after the Dish and the station groups were unable to reach a new retransmission consent agreement. 

The blackout impacts access to stations in 28 markets nationwide. 

Dish noted that the stations are operated by Nexstar but Nexstar has issued a statement that it is not involved in negotiations regarding retransmission consent agreements.

“Both programming groups rejected Dish’s contract extension offers to keep programming available for customers while we continue to negotiate,” said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. “We’re disappointed Mission and White Knight have chosen this course of action. The demanded fees are unreasonable given that Mission and White Knight’s viewership on Dish have significantly declined over the past three years, indicating that many viewers have moved to other channels for programming they prefer.”

"We are extremely disappointed in the Dish Network's unwillingness to forge an agreement," countered Dennis Thatcher, Mission Broadcasting Inc.'s president.  "We are simply seeking the same fair agreement that we have come to with other cable, satellite, and telco providers for the high-quality programming we provide.  We produce thousands of hours of local news and programming.  We pay our network partners millions of dollars for entertainment programming and live sports.  The cost to do these things has, understandably, gone up significantly—especially live sports rights—and these costs are passed along to us, the station owner.  Dish has put more than 800,000 of their subscribers in the middle, denying them programming they've already paid for, rather than negotiating on the basis of current market conditions.  Mission has a long track record of negotiating fairly and avoiding service interruptions in our markets, and we don't want viewers in our local markets to miss any of the vitally important local news, sports, and weather coverage we deliver every day.  Our record of positive negotiations stands in stark contrast to that of Dish.  Many, many subscribers will have seen Dish behave this way in the past. In addition, Dish is trying to deny Mission stations to subscribers in many B, C, and D counties, where so many rely on satellite service, as cable companies won't deliver." 

The Mission Broadcasting stations affected are: 

• (NBC: KRBC) - Abilene, TX
• (FOX: WXXA) -  Albany, NY.
• (CW: KWBQ) - Albuquerque, NM
• (MNT: KASY) - Albuquerque, NM
• (FOX: KCIT) - Amarillo, TX
• (MNT: KCPN) - Amarillo, TX
• (FOX: KHMT) - Billings, MT
• (ABC: WVNY) - Burlington, VT
• (FOX: KLJB) - Davenport, IA
• (FOX: WFXP) - Erie, PA
• (CW: WTVW) - Evansville, IN
• (FOX: KFQX) - Grand Junction, CO
• (ABC: KODE) - Joplin, MO
• (ABC: WLAJ) - Lansing, MI
• (FOX: KLRT) - Little Rock, AR
• (CW: KASN)  -  Little Rock, AR
• (ABC: KAMC) - Lubbock, TX
• (NBC: KTVE) - Monroe, LA
• (CW: WPIX) - New York, NY
• (FOX: KPEJ) - Odessa, TX
• (FOX: WNAC) - Providence, RI
• (ABC: WTVO) - Rockford, IL
• (NBC: KSAN) - San Angelo, TX
• (FOX: KMSS) - Shreveport, LA
• (CBS: KOLR) - Springfield, MO
• (ABC: WAWV) - Terre Haute, IN
• (ABC: WUTR) - Utica, NY
• (FOX: KJTL) - Wichita Falls, TX
• (MNT: KJBO) - Wichita Falls, TX
• (CBS: WYOU) - Wilkes Barre, PA

The White Knight Broadcasting stations blacked out on Dish are:

• (NBC: WVLA) - Baton Rouge, LA
• (FOX: KFXK) - Tyler-Longview-Lufkin, TX

ATLANTA—Cox Media Group has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Dish demanding the satellite provider retract what it says are numerous false claims designed to mislead customers about Dish’s decision to black-out CMG’s local television stations.

The current impasse, which started on Nov. 28, saw Dish pull the plug on 12 CMG stations in 9 markets after retransmission negotiations broke down. Cox accuses Dish of then issuing an “inaccurate” press release that included “knowingly false statements” about its decision to pull the CMG local broadcast stations from its own customers. These statements were “designed to mislead viewers and thereby harm the reputation of CMG in the marketplace,” according to the attorneys’ letter.

“That fact is, we asked DISH for an extension of our prior contract both in writing and verbally on several different occasions. CMG is now publicly asking Dish yet again to put our market-leading stations back on their satellite platform under the agreement that we both have operated under for years, and we’re again inviting them to finally start engaging in a meaningful good-faith negotiation of a new contract,” said Daniel York, President & CEO of CMG.

Cox accused Dish of “intentionally” misleading its subscribers by falsely claiming that CMG “refused to allow you to view their channels while we continue to negotiate,” when Cox says it “offered numerous extensions of the prior contract to allow Dish subscribers to watch CMG’s channels while the parties continued to negotiate,” the station group said in a statement. 

Cox also accused Dish of slandering the quality of the station groups’ journalism, and responded that CMG has in fact increased its investment in investigative journalism.

COLORADO—Cox Media Group stations in nine markets were dropped from the Dish TV satellite pay TV lineup on the evening of November 28 after Cox and Dish Networks were unable to agree on terms for a new carriage deal. 

"Cox's refusal to negotiate in good faith and subsequently forcing a blackout of its stations for Dish customers is deplorable," said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. "Cox is demanding an exorbitant rate increase, negotiating for channels it does not yet own and insists on payment from customers who do not subscribe to local broadcasting, even as it continues to underinvest in local programming. Broadcasters like Cox put profits ahead of the public interests they are supposed to serve, even when its viewership has declined for years."

In a press release announcing that the channels had been removed from its lineup, Dish also contended that “over the past two years, Cox's viewership has significantly declined on Dish TV, indicating that many viewers have moved to other channels for their entertainment and news. With its decreased viewership, Cox is attempting to recoup its losses by demanding increased rates of nearly 75 percent from Dish customers.”

In response, CMG posted a statement on the website of WSB-TV in Atlanta, complaining that “Dish Network removed Channel 2 after the satellite provider refused to agree to a fair deal for a new retransmission consent agreement with Cox Media Group…Despite our efforts to negotiate in good faith, Dish still refuses to do a fair deal and has now blacked out 13 CMG stations, including Channel 2. They go dark only if Dish so chooses. CMG is hopeful that Dish will abandon its well-worn path of blacking out TV stations to the detriment of consumers in favor of meaningful negotiations toward a fair deal.”

“Cox Media Group is simply asking Dish to pay a fair rate for the quality local news and entertainment programming we invest heavily in, in addition to the prime-time and sports programming we pay to secure from our networks,” the statement said. 

Cox noted that the station’s programming “remains available for viewers to access over the air, and this dispute will not affect the vast majority of viewers, who are customers of other video providers. It should be noted that Channel 2 has reached agreements with virtually every other major cable and satellite distributor. This is simply Dish doing the same old tactic of dropping valuable stations."

The dispute impacts Dish subscribers who view various ABC, FOX, CBS and NBC stations in nine markets. Impacted stations include:

• (ABC: WSB) - Atlanta, Ga.
• (FOX: WFXT) - Boston, Mass.
• (ABC: WSOC) - Charlotte, N.C.
• (CBS: WHIO) - Dayton, Ohio
• (FOX: KLSR) - Eugene, Ore.
• (FOX: WFOX) - Jacksonville, Fla.
• (ABC: WFTV) - Orlando, Fla.
• (NBC: WPXI) - Pittsburgh, Pa.
• (CBS: KIRO) - Seattle, Wash.

Less than 48 hours after Disney channels (including ESPN) went dark on Dish, the two companies announced a temporary truce, returning Disney channels to the satellite provider’s channel lineup.

“We have reached a handshake agreement with Dish/Sling TV, which properly reflects fair market value and terms for The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled content,” Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution said in a statement Sunday night. “As a result, we are pleased to restore our portfolio of networks on a temporary basis while both parties work to finalize a new deal.”

“We are pleased to announce that all your Disney and ESPN channels have been restored. Thank you for your patience and support,” Dish tweeted early Monday morning. 

The blackout started 12:01 a.m. Saturday when ESPN, ABC-owned local stations in eight markets, FX, Disney channel and other Disney-owned services were pulled from Dish and Sling TV services after Disney and Dish were unable to come to terms on a new carriage deal. 

Dish claimed that Disney was asking for a nearly $1 billion increase in carriage fees. 

“Disney has exploited its market position to increase fees without regard for the public viewing experience,” Brian Neylon, executive VP and group president of Dish TV, said in a statement just prior to the blackout Friday night. “Clearly, Disney insists on prioritizing greed above American viewers, especially sports fans and families with children who watch their content.”

Financial terms of the interim deal were not announced.  

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—On Oct. 1, ESPN, ABC-owned local stations in eight markets, FX, Disney channel and other Disney owned services went dark on the Dish and Sling TV services after Disney and Dish were unable to come to terms on a new carriage deal. 

In announcing the blackout, Dish complained that Disney had declined Dish's offer for a contract extension, walked away from the negotiation table and refused to keep its programming accessible for millions of Dish and Sling customers across the United States. Dish also claimed that Disney had demanded nearly a billion dollar increase. 

ABC owned stations impacted by Disney’s blackout include: Chicago, IL (WLS), Fresno, CA (KFSN), Houston, TX (KTRK), Los Angeles, CA (KABC), New York, NY (WABC), Philadelphia, PA (WPVI), Raleigh, NC (WTVD) and San Francisco, CA (KGO), Dish said.  

“Disney has exploited its market position to increase fees without regard for the public viewing experience,” said Brian Neylon, executive vice president and group president, Dish TV. “Clearly, Disney insists on prioritizing greed above American viewers, especially sports fans and families with children who watch their content.”

In a statement quoted by Next TV Disney replied that “After months of negotiating in good faith, Dish has declined to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us for continued distribution of our networks. As a result, their Dish and Sling TV subscribers have lost access to our unrivaled portfolio of live sports and news plus kids, family and general entertainment programming. The rates and terms we are seeking reflect the marketplace and have been the foundation for numerous successful deals with pay TV providers of all types and sizes across the country. We’re committed to reaching a fair resolution, and we urge Dish to work with us in order to minimize the disruption to their customers."

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish and the Game Show Network have reached a new multi-year carriage agreement that restores the channel to Dish TV and Sling TV and ends a three week blackout. 

The Game Show Network went dark on Dish and Sling on Sept. 6 after the two sides were unable to reach a new agreement. 

"We're pleased to have reached a multi-year agreement that benefits all parties, especially our customers," said Brian Neylon, executive vice president and group president, Dish TV. "I want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we worked through the negotiations."

"We are happy to have entered into a long-term agreement with Dish and that Dish customers can resume watching their favorite shows on Game Show Network for years to come," said Tim Carry, executive vice president distribution for Game Show Network. 

NEW YORK—Warner Bros. Discovery and Dish Network have announced that the discovery+ streaming service has launched on Sling TV and that it will bow on Dish TV on August 25. 

The platform launched 70,000+ episodes of premium content, including original series and on-demand programming, on Sling on August 8. 

All Sling users, including users of Sling Free or any Sling subscription, may customize their viewing experience by adding discovery+ as a premium a la carte streaming service. 

Sling and Dish users can access the streaming service for $4.99 per month, or upgrade to a commercial-free subscription for $6.99 per month.

“Providing our customers with the best entertainment experience has always been our number one priority at Dish and Sling,” said Gary Schanman, group president, Sling TV. “The addition of discovery+ on our platforms offers iconic and acclaimed content for the a la carte experience our customers love. We offer more than 50 premium a la carte services to enable our users to customize their viewing experience, all with a single account login so they can easily manage their services in one place.”

“With discovery+, we are committed to making our world-class content accessible to all of our fans across all platforms, and this partnership with Sling and Dish allows us to deliver on that commitment,” said Gabriel Sauerhoff, senior vice president digital distribution and commercial partnerships, Warner Bros. Discovery. “We always put our dedicated viewers at the forefront of our decision making, and we’ll continue to do so as we expand the reach of our beloved programming, talent and brands.”

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network reported Q2 2022 earnings that marked a new low in its video subscriber counts with its pay TV satellite and video customers dropping below 10 million for the first time since June of 2004. 

In Q2, 2022, Dish TV satellite subscribers fell by 202,000 to 7,791,000 while the Sling TV virtual MVPD dropped 55,000 subs to 2,197,000 subscribers for a total of 9,988 million, down from 10,245 million in Q1, 2022.

The company also reported loses in its wireless operations with wireless subs falling by 210,000 to 7,867,000.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network has announced the nationwide launch of TelevisaUnivision’s ViX+ on Dish TV and Sling TV, which will allow customers to subscribe to Spanish-language streaming service ViX+ directly through its platforms for $6.99 a month.

ViX+, which is the premium tier of ViX, features more than 10,000 hours of entertainment programming and 4,000 hours of premium live sports coverage in the U.S. in its first year. 

It launched nationwide on July 21 directly to consumers and is also available on Amazon Prime Video Channels. 

ViX+ is the only Spanish-language streaming service in the U.S. with coverage of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League matches, the companies said. 

Subscribers also will have access to more than 70 ViX+ original series and movies in the first year, which represents, on average, at least one new original per week. 

"We're excited to expand our robust Spanish-language content offering with the addition of ViX+ available now on Dish and Sling," said Alfredo Rodríguez, vice president, DishLATINO. "Offering consumers a broad range of content has long been a core Dish tenet and the launch of ViX+ to both satellite and streaming customers builds on our longstanding tradition of being the leading provider of Spanish-language programming with more Spanish channels than anyone else."

Dish TV offers ViX+ subscriptions through internet-connected Hopper and Wally devices for $6.99 per month. 

ViX+ is available as a stand-alone streaming service through the Sling app on all supported devices including Roku, Amazon, LG, Vizio and more for $6.99 per month. 

DALLAS—AT&T and Dish have announced an internet distribution agreement that will allow Dish to offer AT&T Internet services, including AT&T Fiber with Hyper-Gig speeds, to prospective, new and existing Dish customers.

“At AT&T, we’re constantly thinking of ways we can better serve and provide for our customers. Through this new arrangement with DISH, we’re able to do just that by seamlessly offering our super-fast broadband services to more customers across the nation,” said Jenifer Robertson, executive vice president and general manager, Mass Markets, AT&T Communications. “This is another step towards our goal of becoming the best broadband provider in America.”

“DISH is always looking for ways to improve the overall customer experience,” said Amir Ahmed, executive vice president of Dish TV. “Adding AT&T Internet to our robust lineup of TV and home integration services enhances our ability to provide better overall service, technology and value to our customers.”

BARCELONA—Dish and VMware have announced that Dish will trial VMware’s RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) as the platform on top of which Dish’s complex radio access network (RAN) workloads will run. 

The companies made the announcement at the Mobile World Congress 2022.

“Dish is building a first-of-its-kind network that will move the entire industry forward,” Sanjay Uppal, senior vice president and general manager of VMware’s Service Provider and Edge business unit, said. “We’re excited to be a part of the journey as we continue to work with Dish and its ecosystem partners to launch the first Open RAN-based 5G network in the United States.”

“Dish’s Network of Networks will leverage network slicing, Open RAN (O-RAN), and other 5G innovations to provide customized network services,” explained Marc Rouanne, executive vice president and chief network officer at Dish Wireless. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all experience. It can be customizable, by speed, latency, data requirements – all defined by the customer. We are redefining the relationship between service provider and enterprise, and VMware has been a strategic partner in helping us achieve this vision.”

Mware RIC is a multi-RAN, multi-cloud platform that abstracts the underlying RAN infrastructure and can host both near-real-time applications (xApps) and non-real-time applications (rApps). These apps enable new capabilities – automation, optimization and service customization – that fuel innovation across a telco network.

During the trial, Dish will evaluate VMware RIC on its ability to:

• Create custom solutions from a vibrant ecosystem of RIC innovators: In the coming years, Dish expects a rich ecosystem of xApps and rApps to take shape—almost like an App Store for the RAN. With a RIC platform, Dish will be able to mix and match RAN software from multiple vendors and assemble powerful new solutions for their networks and customers.
• Use RAN programmability and intelligence to automate its Network of Networks: With the ability to access RAN data and program RAN components, RIC applications will help Dish enable progressively smarter automation. For example, an rApp could run machine learning analysis on RAN traffic and performance over time, and then feed those insights back to upstream controllers—or even an xApp in the same node—to execute optimizations.
• Enhance security: Dish will be able to enforce the same consistent security policies across the end-to-end network, including in the RAN. But the RIC adds still more options. RIC makes RAN components function more like endpoints—and could even run endpoint-like security software to monitor and protect RAN traffic at the point it enters the network.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish says it lost 273,000 subscribers to its Sling TV vMPVD service in the latest quarter, ending Dec. 31, 2021, compared to a drop of 133,000 in the same quarter a year earlier. 

The company closed the quarter with 10.71 million pay-TV subscribers, including 8.22 million DISH TV subscribers, a reduction of 200,000 and 2.49 million Sling TV subscribers. Net income for Dish was down to $552 million, or 87 cents a share, from $733 million, or $1.24 a share, a year ago and revenue dropped 2% to $4.45 billion.

In a call with analysts, Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen attributed the drop in to several “headwinds” including the loss of Tegna viewers during the NFL season. That standoff was resolved when the two reached agreement earlier this month. Also during the quarter, Dish raised the subscription fee to Sling TV by $5 per month.

Despite the drop in subscriptions, Ergen was optimistic during a call with analysts this week. 

“Sling is a profitable business that will grow,” he said. “It's going to require a little patience, but with the platform overhaul last year, we're now positioned to be able to innovate and enhance the customer experience with new features and differentiated offerings.”

Dish, which is increasing its focus on wireless services, reported that its retail wireless net subscribers decreased by approximately 245,000 in the fourth quarter, compared to a net decrease of 363,000 in the year-ago quarter. The company closed the quarter with 8.55 million retail wireless subscribers.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network Corporation has announced it reached a new carriage agreement with Tegna Inc. and that local stations have been immediately restored on Dish TV.

"We're pleased to have reached an agreement in time for the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl that benefits all parties, especially our customers," said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. "I want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we worked through the negotiations."

The agreement provides Dish TV subscribers nationwide the ability to tune in to Tegna-owned programming, including news, entertainment and sports.

In a separate statement, Lynn Beall, executive vice president and COO, media operations at Tegna said, “we are pleased to announce that we have reached a new agreement with DISH, restoring our valuable and important live local news, live local and national sports and highly popular network content to DISH TV subscribers. We appreciate the patience of our viewers while we worked toward reaching an agreement.”

The agreement includes retransmission consent for all 64 Tegna-owned stations.

The stations were dropped from the Dish lineup in October of 2021 when Tegna and Dish were unable to agree on a new carriage deal. 

The blackout had impacted viewers of various ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CW, MNT and TDO stations in 53 markets nationwide.  

DENVER—The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy has announced that on November 15, 2021, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas entered a Judgment and Injunction against ChitramTV, a popular South Asian pirate IPTV service. The Court found that ChitramTV willfully infringed 207 registered copyrighted works and imposed the maximum statutory penalty of $150,000 per work, $31,050,000 in total. 

The Federal Court in Texas also ordered registries and registrars to transfer current and future domains related to the operation and sales of the ChitramTV service, including domains used to sell or promote set-top boxes and subscriptions. 

In addition, the injunction prohibits all resellers from distributing, selling, or promoting the ChitramTV service or any set-top boxes related to the service. Lastly, the Court enjoined all third-party providers such as hosting companies and CDNs from providing services to ChitramTV.

The lawsuit against ChitramTV was coordinated by IBCAP and filed in March 2021, by its member company, DISH Network, after numerous cease and desist notices were ignored. Today’s news follows IBCAP’s recent announcements of lawsuits against iStar IPTV service, DesiTV, and dealers of those services. 

“We are very pleased with this legal victory as it will enable us and our members to shut down one of the most popular South Asian pirate services operating in the U.S.,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP. “The injunctions imposed, along with the transfer of current and future domains associated with ChitramTV, will have a devastating effect on ChitramTV and any dealer selling ChitramTV. A dealer that continues to sell ChitramTV after receiving notice of the injunction will be in contempt of the Court’s order and liable for further damages. Dealers should be aware that it’s not worth risking their business by selling pirate IPTV services.”

A copy of the Court Order can be found here.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish has filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against Tegna accusing the station group of bad faith during failed negotiations for a new retransmission consent agreement that resulted in Tegna’s local stations being removed from Dish’s channel line-up in 53 markets across the country.

"Tegna turned its back on its public interest obligation and failed to engage in good faith retransmission consent negotiations with Dish," said Andy LeCuyer, Dish senior vice president of programming. "Tegna's demands were both unreasonable and inconsistent. This behavior negatively impacts Dish subscribers, and we expect Tegna's bad behavior to only get worse as the programmer looks to sell its stations to the highest bidder. As a result, we have filed a formal complaint with the FCC to address Tegna's blatant disregard of the Commission's rules."

In the complaint, Dish cites a number of examples of what it calls bad faith, including appearing to demand that Dish pay for all subscribers in a local market whether they purchase local programming from Dish or not, and appearing to demand that Dish pay for viewers who are no longer subscribers of Dish. 

Tegna's demands would have totaled nearly a billion dollars in fees, Dish asserted. 

Dish's complaint against Tegna Inc. can be found here.  

In response, Tenga issued a statement saying, "Dish’s complaint is utterly baseless and without merit. Tegna welcomes a chance for the FCC to review Dish’s conduct over the course of this negotiation. Perhaps a close examination of Dish’s conduct will cause them to come to the table to negotiate free from their consistently unproductive tactics and public misrepresentations."

"The real issue at hand is the need for Dish to stop short-changing their customers by serially dropping valued stations and instead reach fair, market-based deals with programmers like Tegna," the station group also noted. 

"The unfortunate reality is that Dish dropped more than 230 channels last year alone and is now repeating that pattern by refusing to reach an agreement with Tegna, depriving its customers nationwide of some of the most valued programming on TV. Through it all, Tegna has been steadfast in insisting that all we want is to reach a fair deal, and we have worked constructively to achieve that goal by offering Dish terms and conditions that reflect the marketplace and have served as the foundation for deals we have reached with other cable and satellite providers.

"Tegna made a comprehensive proposal to Dish months ago and has updated its proposal multiple times, including a reduction in rates," Tegna explained. "Dish has refused to counter – it has not proposed rates in more than three weeks."

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Television Alliance (ATVA) has issued a statement about the Tegna, Dish TV carriage dispute, saying “this blackout is another example of broadcast conglomerates prioritizing profit over people.”

The ATVA, whose members include cable, satellite and telco operators as well as Dish, complained that the black out of Tegna stations in 53 U.S. markets impacting nearly 3 million Dish TV customers is part of a larger pattern of broadcasters making unreasonable financial demands on pay TV providers during negotiations for retransmission consent agreements. 

The revenue broadcasters have gained from these fees has grown to more than 12 billion dollars today, ATVA claimed. 

“Tegna’s demand for nearly a billion-dollar fee increase during the height of fall TV viewership is unacceptable yet unsurprising,” said ATVA spokesperson Jessica Kendust. “This weekend, millions of football fans across the country will be disappointed when they settle in to watch the game and realize it’s unavailable. They can blame big broadcast for that.”

In a statement on the black out, Tegna spokesperson Anne Bentley has said “Dish has refused to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us based on the competitive terms we’ve used to reach deals with numerous other providers that reflect the current market. While Dish is one of our smaller distributors, we regret any inconvenience for any of our customers, and hope that Dish will come back to the table to get a deal done to return our valuable programming to their system.” 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—After Tegna and Dish were unable to reach a new carriage agreement, the Tegna-owned local stations were dropped from the Dish TV lineup on the evening of October 6. 

The blackout impacts 3 million Dish subscribers in 53 markets. 

In a statement, Tegna spokesperson Anne Bentley said “Dish has refused to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us based on the competitive terms we’ve used to reach deals with numerous other providers that reflect the current market. While Dish is one of our smaller distributors, we regret any inconvenience for any of our customers, and hope that Dish will come back to the table to get a deal done to return our valuable programming to their system.” 

In a press release on the blackout, Dish complained that two parties could not come to an agreement because Tegna has been asking for a “massive fee increase to nearly a billion dollars and holding viewers hostage during football season.”

“We made a fair offer to keep Tegna stations available to our customers, but Tegna rejected it, forcing the removal of its channels,” said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. “Tegna is looking to sell its stations to the highest bidder and is simply trying to exploit Dish customers as a way to get the maximum price and further fatten their wallets.”

“Tegna is demanding we pay for 100% of our subscribers in their markets, regardless of whether these subscribers receive or want Tegna’s programming,” added Neylon. “As one of the nation’s largest local station owners, they are more interested in increasing their bottom line by charging our customers more money than providing programming to viewers under fair terms.” 

The blackout impacts viewers of various ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CW, MNT and TDO stations in 53 markets nationwide. For a full list of affected stations, click here.