‘Tis the season for carriage deals. Today our resident expert entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, takes a look at the newly announced carriage deal between ViacomCBS and Charter, following hot on the heels of Universal’s multiple content deals this month.
Cable giant Charter Communications has now unveiled a multi-year distribution agreement for ViacomCBS’ full suite of networks, including broadcast, news, sports, and entertainment networks. Despite this announcement, the financial details and precise terms have been kept under wraps. That said, we do know that it also covers licensing for ViacomCBS’ streaming services, including Noggin, BET+, Pluto TV, and, of course, Paramount +, allowing for future distribution to Charter’s Spectrum customers. Addressable media and advanced advertising are also included under the deal.
As with Universal, the going hype seems to be offering these brands’ extensive brand portfolio to a wider audience, in turn pulling in new people with a wider choice of content to enjoy. Charter has placed further emphasis on flexibility and adaptation, hoping to keep up with the broadening digital TV trends as well as stay competitive and attractive to advertisers. With the content consumption landscape changing as fast as it is, diversifying their options is probably a smart idea, as is the added flexibility this agreement should bring both entities in the business arena.
It’s certainly an abrupt volte-face to the previous renewal cycle, which predates the reunification of Viacom and CBS in late 2019. Then, we saw quite tense rhetoric from Charter and Viacom, despite their eventual agreement. It has become a feature of ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish’s tenure, however, to see frayed distribution relationships repaired across the board. CBS, before the merger, last had a far less contentious renewal with Charter in 2018.
While we have yet to receive full details on the deal, this will be one to watch as we go ahead into the new cycle.
Film and Television 