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Fubo hikes prices by $15 after restoring some NBCU channels lost in November
Fubo, the sports-focused streaming TV service, is raising all of its subscription prices by $15 per month after striking a new carriage deal with NBCUniversal to restore channels it lost in a November 2025 contract dispute. The increase matters because it reverses a rare price cut Fubo made in December when the blackout happened, and leaves subscribers paying more than they did before the dispute even began, despite not getting back every channel they previously had.
When the NBCUniversal channels were pulled, Fubo cut its Essential, Pro and Elite plans from $85, $85 and $95 to $74, $75 and $84 respectively; all three are now rising by $15. The new deal restores NBC affiliates, Telemundo, regional sports networks, Bravo, Cozi, NBC News NOW, Universo, True Crime and NBCSN, but nine channels spun off into the separate company Versant in January, including CNBC, USA Network, E! and MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), remain unavailable. Fubo told subscribers it needed to "pass some of these increases on" to cover rising programming costs, while critics note the higher bundled pricing undercuts the service's earlier pitch of slimmer, more affordable packages and puts it at a further disadvantage against rivals like YouTube TV.
In short
- Fubo raising all plans by $15/month after new NBCUniversal deal
- New prices exceed those before November's channel blackout
- Some Versant-owned channels like CNBC, USA still missing
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The streaming industry faces genuinely escalating costs for premium sports content, particularly for rights to regional sports networks and live programming. Fubo must negotiate competitive licensing agreements with major content providers like NBCUniversal, and these rates have become substantially more expensive across the sector. The temporary price reduction during the November blackout was an interim measure, and restoring premium channels requires corresponding investment in programming costs. This price adjustment reflects unavoidable market realities affecting all sports-focused services, and Fubo's model depends on offering comprehensive coverage that subscribers value.
The case against
The price increase is problematic because subscribers now pay considerably more than they did before the blackout whilst still missing nine channels they previously received. The company's original value proposition—offering better value through focused streaming rather than expensive cable bundles—is undermined when prices approach traditional cable costs. This appears to exploit a temporary disruption to reset customer expectations upward, particularly unfair when subscribers were deprived of their full service. Absorbing some cost increases rather than passing all of them through would better align with the service's competitive positioning and honour customer goodwill.
Explained simply
Fubo is a streaming television service focused on live sports content. In November 2025, the company lost access to numerous channels operated by NBCUniversal due to a contract dispute between the two firms. This blackout affected many popular channels that Fubo subscribers relied on for viewing.
In response to losing the channels, Fubo reduced its subscription prices. However, the company has now reached a new agreement with NBCUniversal to restore most of the lost channels. To cover the costs of this restoration and rising programme expenses, Fubo is raising its subscription prices by $15 per month across all tiers.
The price increase matters because it leaves subscribers paying more than they were before the November dispute started, even though some channels from the original blackout remain unavailable. Fubo had originally positioned itself as a more affordable streaming option, and the higher prices represent a shift from that approach.