Fubo raises monthly prices by $15 as NBCUniversal channels return
Fubo says higher programming costs are driving the increase after a new NBCUniversal deal restores some, but not all, lost channels.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Fubo is increasing monthly subscription prices by $15 after reaching a new agreement to bring back several NBCUniversal channels, according to notices Fubo sent to customers and a support page cited by Ars Technica. The change matters for subscribers because Fubo’s prices are now higher than they were before a November 2025 blackout, while some channels that disappeared during the dispute remain unavailable.
Fubo, a sports-focused live TV streaming service, had carried NBCUniversal programming for years before the companies failed to reach a carriage agreement last November, Ars Technica reported. The blackout removed local NBC stations, Telemundo, nine regional sports networks and 32 national channels from the service.
After losing that programming, Fubo cut prices in December, a move Ars Technica described as unusual in the pay-TV business. The Essential plan fell from $85 a month to $74, the Pro plan dropped from $85 to $75, and the Elite plan went from $95 to $84, according to the report.
Some NBCUniversal channels are back
Under the new agreement, Fubo is restoring NBC affiliates, Telemundo, regional sports channels, Bravo, Cozi, NBC News NOW, Universo, True CRMZ and NBCSN, Ars Technica reported. Fubo told subscribers the returning programming comes with higher costs.
“The rising cost of bringing you the programming you enjoy means that, unfortunately, we need to pass some of these increases on to you,” Fubo said in an email to subscribers and on its online support page, according to Ars Technica. Users have also posted recent notices about the increase as the restored channels roll out.
The new deal does not return every NBCUniversal channel that Fubo carried before the blackout. Ars Technica reported that nine cable networks spun off into Versant in January remain off the service, including CNBC, SYFY, USA Network, E! and MS NOW, the channel formerly known as MSNBC.
Versant channels were central to the dispute
During the carriage fight, Fubo accused NBCUniversal of seeking too much money for the Versant networks, Ars Technica reported. In a December statement, Fubo said the channels were “not being worth the cost to Fubo subscribers” and said it had offered to carry them for one year.
Fubo said at the time that NBCUniversal wanted a multi-year agreement extending beyond the period when Versant would still be under NBCUniversal ownership, according to Ars Technica. The company also said then that it wanted to add NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service to its channel store.
The agreement that ended the blackout appears to have restored part of the prior lineup without bringing back the Versant channels or adding everything Fubo had sought, Ars Technica reported. Fubo has previously argued that programmers require it to carry more channels than it wants, contributing to higher subscription prices.
The price increase arrives as Fubo continues competing with larger live TV streaming rivals, including YouTube TV, according to Ars Technica. For customers, the practical result is a higher monthly bill tied to a partial restoration of NBCUniversal programming.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.