Cablevision and Viacom Settle Antitrust Bundling Dispute
October 16 2015 - 5:26PM
Dow Jones News
By Maria Armental
Cablevision Systems Corp. and Viacom Inc. said they have settled
a protracted legal battle over how TV channels are packaged and
priced.
The terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
The companies said their arrangements will benefit both
companies, and that the antitrust litigation between them related
to a 2012 carriage agreement has been resolved.
Cablevision had alleged that Viacom forced it to carry and pay
for a series of "lesser-watched" channels, such as MTV Hits and VH1
Classic, to be able to carry Viacom's most popular networks, such
as Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central.
It had asked the court to void the 2012 agreement, alleging
Viacom had "coerced" it to sign it "by threatening to impose
massive financial penalties."
The case, which went to the heart of cable and satellite
operators' complaints, attracted widespread attention in the
industry. Among those who filed as intervenors were NBCUniversal
Media, A&E Television Networks, Yankees Entertainment and
Sports Network, Turner Broadcasting System, Fox News Network, ESPN
and ABC.
Write to Maria Armental at maria.armental@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 16, 2015 17:11 ET (21:11 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Cablevision System (NYSE:CVC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Cablevision System (NYSE:CVC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024
