Retrans Agenda: Virtual MVPDs, ATSC 3.0’s Role in Retransmission

摘要

As we head into 2021, there may not have been a huge retransmission consent blackout to ring in the year (those happened a few weeks early and involved DISH and AT&T), but there’s still plenty for broadcasters and MVPDs to fret about. First, there are a smattering of retrans blackouts entering 2021, including a 4-day-and-counting spat between TEGNA and Mediacom. But there’s also what’s ahead. In a recent meeting with FCC commish Nathan Simington, Hearst representatives emphasized the importance of retrans in light of expected continued decreases in ad revenues. And they’re increasingly looking to streamers, which don’t have the same broadcast carriage obligations as cable operators.