More for less
Fubo hikes prices by $15 after restoring some NBCU channels lost in November
Fubo subscribers still don’t have Versant channels.
Fubo prices are going up by $15 per month because it will have some NBCUniversal channels again.
For years, Fubo, a sports-centric vMVPD (virtual multichannel video programming distributor, which lets subscribers watch traditional TV channels live over the Internet), offered NBCUniversal channels. That stopped in November 2025 due to a contract dispute.
With the loss of local NBC affiliates, Telemundo, nine regional sports channels, and 32 national channels, Fubo made the sensible but rare decision to lower subscription prices in December. The Essential plan went from $85 per month to $74 per month. The Pro plan dropped from $85 to $75 per month, and the Elite plan dropped from $95 to $84 per month.
But now that Fubo has a new deal with NBCUniversal, all monthly subscription prices are going up by $15. That makes today’s prices higher than they were before the NBCUniversal blackout. Even worse, Fubo didn’t get back all of the channels that it had pre-blackout.
Fubo is restoring access to NBC affiliates, Telemundo, regional sports channels, Bravo, Cozi, NBC News NOW, Universo, True CRMZ, and NBCSN. However, Fubo subscribers still can’t watch nine cable channels that NBCUniversal spun off into the company Versant in January. That includes CNBC, SYFY, USA Network, E!, and MS NOW (formerly MSNBC).
“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 says in an email sent to subscribers and on an online support page. Users have reported receiving notice of the price changes recently as Fubo rolls the channels out to subscribers.
During the dispute, Fubo accused NBCUniversal of overcharging it for Versant channels.
“Despite them not being worth the cost to Fubo subscribers, Fubo offered to distribute Versant channels for one year,” Fubo said in a statement in December. “NBCU wants Fubo to sign a multi-year deal—well past the time the Versant channels will be owned by a separate company. NBCU wants Fubo subscribers to subsidize these channels.”
At the time, Fubo also said it wanted to integrate NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service into its channel store.
However, it seems that the companies ultimately settled on a deal that got Fubo some, but not all, of what it previously had or wanted.
When Fubo originally cut prices due to the blackout, Ars applauded the decision as an attempt to fairly charge customers for what they were getting. We also suggested that the loss of channels could be viewed positively for Fubo and subscribers. The sports-focused streaming service has complained about programmers forcing it to carry more channels than it wanted, which increased prices. The loss of NBCUniversal channels seemed like a way for Fubo to offer slimmer, more focused packages that were also more affordable.
But charging more for fewer channels is questionable, especially as Fubo is already challenged to compete with YouTube TV. It’s plausible that Fubo was forced to pay more for the channels than it previously did, which limited its options.
By forcing customers to pay more for bundled channels they may not want, however, the sports streaming service is reminding people why they left cable in the first place.
