Discovery, Comcast Agree to Long-Term Carriage Deal
Posted in: UncategorizedAfter a series of protracted, sometimes contentious negotiations, Comcast and Discovery Communications have put their differences aside, locking in a long-term deal that includes a provision for TV Everywhere.
Financial terms were not disclosed, although Discovery has been securing high single-digit percentage increases in its affiliate deals with other operators. Discovery’s domestic networks in 2014 generated $1.29 billion in affiliate revenue, flat versus the year-ago period.
The previous carriage deal had expired on June 30, just a few days before Discovery’s flagship channel began airing its high-rated annual “Shark Week” stunt. In moving “Shark Week” up a month — last year’s event kicked off in early August — Discovery may have been able to bolster its negotiating position with the nation’s largest cable company. (If nothing else, the July 5 launch allowed Discovery Channel to scare up an even greater pile of summer movie dollars.)
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