


Newsmax will return to DirecTV after the companies announced a deal to resolve a bitter dispute over carriage fees led to the popular conservative news channel being dumped for two months.
Newsmax Media and DirecTV announced Wednesday that a multi-year distribution deal had been reached, making Newsmax available once again to viewers of DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse starting Thursday.
“This resolution with Newsmax, resolving an all-too-common carriage dispute, underscores our dedication to delivering a wide array of programming and perspectives to our customers,” said Bill Morrow, chief executive of DirecTV.
“Through our persistent negotiations, we reached a resolution under mutually-agreeable business terms allowing us to deliver the conservative news network at the right value — a reflection of the free market at work,” he said.
Conservatives had accused DirecTV of seeking to censor right-of-center voices by dropping Newsmax on Jan. 25 after having previously dumped the One America News Network, leading to calls for a boycott campaign against AT&T, which owns DirecTV.
Days after cutting off Newsmax, DirecTV picked up The First TV, a conservative opinion channel whose personalities include former Fox host Bill O’Reilly.
Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy made it clear in a statement that all is forgiven on the political-censorship front.
“Newsmax recognizes and appreciates that DIRECTV clearly supports diverse voices, including conservative ones,” he said. “As a standalone company, DIRECTV gave Newsmax its start nearly a decade ago as it continues to do with upcoming news networks, which is why we are pleased to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that will deliver our network to DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM and U-verse customers over the next several years.”
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but the companies emphasized that Newsmax would be available “at no additional cost to customers.”