Conservative news network close to being dropped by DirecTV

Newsmax, the conservative news channel that carries former President Trump’s rallies, is in a standoff with DirecTV that could lead to the pay TV provider dropping the outlet.

Newsmax has been meeting with DirecTV to discuss a new carriage arrangement to keep the channel open to 13.5 million subscribers. A deadline was set for Wednesday, at midnight Eastern. If the two sides can’t come to an agreement, the channel will be dropped from DirecTV’s services.

The Boca Raton, Fla.-based operator is seeking cash compensation for its new deal. DirecTV doesn’t charge a fee to carry Newsmax, contrary to its agreement with other established news channels like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.

DirecTV resists the demand for carriage fees. These costs are often passed onto the consumer. DirecTV, like all pay TV providers is facing a shrinking customer base due to more people switching to streaming services over traditional TV subscriptions. The cost of cutting the cord is often an important consideration.

DirecTV will not change its no compensation stance. This is due in large part to the fact that Newsmax programming can be accessed free of charge as a streaming service and an app. free ad-supporting streaming TV channel Roku, Pluto TV, and other platforms. To view live the three major cable news channels, you must subscribe to pay TV.

“We’ve discussed with Newsmax on several occasions that we’d like to offer their programming, however, the network is now seeking significant fees that we would have to pass on to our broad customer base,” the company said in a statement. “Additionally, the same programming offered by Newsmax today is already available at no charge to 100% of U.S. households including our customers.”

Under the current arrangement DirecTV will continue to carry Newsmax.

Newsmax declined to comment on the negotiations. However, people who were present at the discussions said that the network was willing to stop streaming free of charge if pay TV operators agreed to pay a carriage cost.

“We expect DirecTV, and its majority owner AT&T, to treat Newsmax on a fair and equitable basis in relation to all of the channels it carries, especially after both companies de-platformed OAN last year,” a representative for the company said in a statement.

DirecTV engaged in a similar battle against One America News, based in San Diego. One America News was later dropped because of low viewership.

Newsmax turned to Capitol Hill’s right-wing supporters for help. A letter from Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), co-signed by several dozen other Republican legislators, suggested DirecTV’s actions are aimed at shutting down conservative voices while continuing to carry low-rated left-leaning channels. Vice is cited as an example in the letter, but it’s not a news channel.

“If Newsmax is removed from DirecTV, in less than a year House Republicans will have lost two of the three cable news channels that reach conservative voters on a platform that primarily serves conservative-leaning areas of the country,” the letter states.

DirecTV responded to Hunt by saying it was willing to continue to carry Newsmax under the existing arrangement. This gives the network a distribution channel that allows it to sell national advertising. DirecTV offers Newsmax an additional two minutes per hour to sell advertising that could otherwise be used locally.

Newsmax reaches approximately 50 million households that have pay TV.

Newsmax was launched in 2014. It evolved into a conservative channel which accompanied Fox News on the right. Its ratings grew significantly towards the end 2020 when Trump disowned Fox News. called the state of Arizona On election night, President Biden will be there.

While Newsmax ratings have declined since the end of 2021 the channel still enjoys huge spikes during rallies or speeches by Donald Trump. Based on Nielsen data, it had 125,000 viewers at prime time, which is a fraction of the Fox News, MSNBC, or CNN TV audiences.

The channel also employs several former Fox News anchors and correspondents. Eric BollingRupert Murdoch’s network fired him after an investigation into allegations that he had sent photos of male Genitalia unasked to his female colleagues.

Sean Spicer is a former press secretary for the Trump White House. A daily program has been added to the network recently. Greta Van SusteranA veteran of Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN.

While Newsmax hosts are highly critical of the Biden White House and the Democratic party, the channel has backed public health efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic and the administration’s support of Ukraine against the invasion by Russia.