Viacom and DISH agree multi-year renewal
April 22, 2016
The latest in a series of carriage renewal stand-offs which risked some of the US’s favourite channels going dark on the country’s leading satellite provider has been resolved, with DISH Network and Viacom agreeing to terms for a multi-year contract renewal that provides DISH customers with uninterrupted access to Viacom networks and sets the stage for select Viacom live and video-on-demand content to join the Sling TV single- and multi-stream services. Details of the agreement were not disclosed.
“We appreciate Viacom’s willingness to continue with us on our journey as we work to deliver the best, most innovative television services available,” said Charlie Ergen, DISH chairman and CEO. “This creative, bold and consumer-friendly approach extends a nearly 20-year-old relationship.”
“Today’s agreement ensures Viacom’s number one family of networks will continue to be available to our millions of fans on DISH and underscores the value of our programming across platforms,” said Viacom Executive Chairman, President, and CEO Philippe Dauman. “DISH has historically been and remains an important partner for Viacom, and as part of our commitment to entertain audiences wherever they are, we are pleased to offer select Viacom networks as part of DISH’s Sling TV product. Today’s renewal, together with several additional affiliate agreements announced over the past year, will enable Viacom to drive growth and deliver better, more engaging viewer experiences for years to come.”
Viacom networks, including Comedy Central, BET, Spike, MTV, Nick Jr. and many others, will be available on Sling TV’s single-stream and multi-stream services in coming months. Specific packaging details were not announced.
The renewal applies to the 18 Viacom channels DISH currently carries, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Spike, BET, CMT, TV Land, Nick Jr., and Nicktoons.