NFL, Dish reach new carriage deal, ending fee dispute
(Adds details on NFL dispute, Tribune Media and background)
By Malathi Nayak
NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Dish Network Corp struck a new carriage agreement with the National Football League's NFL Network and NFL Redzone channels, ending a dispute over distribution fees, the satellite TV operator said on Wednesday.
Dish has restored NFL Network and NFL Redzone on its satellite-TV service, it said in a statement. Both channels will be added to its online video service Sling TV in time for NFL season, it said.
Details on the pricing of NFL Network and NFL RedZone on Sling TV will be disclosed shortly, Dish said.
The NFL channels, which went dark on Dish's network in mid-June amid a disagreement over fees, now will be back before the new football season kicks off in September.
Cable and satellite TV distributors are increasingly negotiating hard with programmers, resisting demands for price increases to carry content at a time when viewers are being drawn to Netflix Inc, Amazon Prime and other online services. Such contract standoffs have made blackouts commonplace in the television industry.
Dish is currently locked in a battle with Tribune Media Co over fees to carry Tribune-owned stations and cable network WGN America.
Dish's shares closed up 4.3 percent at $51.32 on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Malathi Nayak; editing by Diane Craft)