Fox, Charter Sign Distribution Pact

Fox Corp. and Charter Communications said they have reached a long-term carriage deal for the former’s news, sports and entertainment channels, including an agreement to address unauthorized access to content.

The agreement covers distribution of the Fox Television Stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, and Fox Deportes, as well as video on demand and TV Everywhere rights for the channels.

“We are pleased that our renewed agreement provides Charter customers with continued access to our entire suite of networks and expands the ways in which they can access the Fox brands through additional video-on-demand and TV Everywhere platforms,” Fox president of operations and distribution Michael Biard said in a press release. “We appreciate Charter’s professional and collaborative approach throughout this process, and we look forward to expanding on our partnership in the days ahead.”

One of Charter chairman and CEO Tom Rutledge’s pet peeves over the past several years -- password sharing -- also is addressed in the new agreement. 

In the press release, Charter EVP programming acquisition Tom Montemagno said the pact “allows continued access to all of the Fox programming for our customers and FOX viewers, but it will also amplify our mutual efforts to address piracy and abusive password sharing issues. We appreciate Fox’s desire to further collaborate as the video landscape continues to evolve.”