Paramount Throws Down vMVPD Gauntlet To CBS Affils

Paramount told CBS affiliates that they had until 5 p.m. today to agree to a retransmission consent deal that it had struck with Fubo or they would replace them on the vMVPD with a CBS “network feed” without the affiliates’ local programming, according to a CBS affiliate board email sent Friday afternoon to its members and obtained by TVNewsCheck.

The ultimatum comes after negotiations between Paramount and the affiliate board to extend their current deal of splitting Fubo retrans revenue broke down last night, the memo says.

The memo says Paramount’s last offer was worse than an earlier one and that it had not responded to the affiliates’ latest counteroffer.

“After six months of attempting to negotiate new and better terms without any meaningful movement by Paramount, the CBS Affiliate Board simply cannot endorse the non-negotiable opt-in agreement … nor can we endorse the last-minute proposal last night to extend the current agreement through 2024’s Super Bowl at a flat rate,” the memo says.

The affils remain “adamantly opposed” to Paramount controlling their retransmission rights, the memo says.

Several years ago, the affiliates allowed CBS to cut retrans deals on their behalf with vMVPDs to encourage the online cable systems’ quick rollout, the memo says. “Unfortunately, this initial support of vMVPDs has led to a broken system…. Once Paramount reaches an agreement conferring unknown value on its own cable channels and other assets, it presents a “take-it-or-leave-it” offer to “opt in” to a vMVPD distribution agreement with no changes.”