CENSORSHIP: AT&T's DirecTV cut Newsmax's signal

Last week, AT&T's DirecTV cut Newsmax's signal, immediately shutting the network off from more than 13 million customers of the satellite service, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse.  NewsmaxTV is the only station that carries Trump rallies, so they’re basically blanking him out before the 2024 election.

This is the second time in the past year AT&T has moved to cancel a conservative channel, with DirecTV deplatforming OAN in April.

"This is a blatant act of political discrimination and censorship against Newsmax," Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, said.

Despite Newsmax being the 4th highest-rated cable news channel in the nation, a top 20 cable news channel overall, and watched by 25 million Americans on cable alone, according to Nielsen, DirecTV said it was taking the step as a "cost-cutting" measure and would never pay Newsmax a cable license fee.

DirecTV pays cable license fees to all top 75 cable channels and to all 22 liberal news channels it carries.

Almost all of these channels are paid hefty license fees significantly greater than Newsmax was seeking — and despite the fact that most of the channels have far lower ratings than Newsmax.

"The most extreme liberal channels, even with tiny ratings, get fees from AT&T's DirecTV, but [in their view] Newsmax and OAN need to be deplatformed," Ruddy said.

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Newsmax Statement

AT&T DirecTV’s de-platforming of Newsmax is the second conservative channel to be cancelled in the past year.

DirecTV believes Newsmax should receive ZERO cable fees, even though it is the 4 highest-rated cable news channel in the nation, according to Nielsen. Newsmax is also a top 16th ranked channel for all of cable in daytime.

DirecTV carries 22 liberal or liberal-leaning channels, all of whom get fees. DirecTV believes only one conservative channel should get a fee.

"This is a blatant act of political discrimination and censorship against Newsmax," Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax Media, said. "The most extreme liberal channels, even with tiny ratings, get fees from AT&T's DirecTV, but Newsmax and OAN needed to be de-platformed," Ruddy added.

Background Information:

1. Newsmax was a free site before this renewal as many networks are free upon launch. Fox News paid operators to launch in the 1990s. Our current agreement with DirecTV makes provisions for a rate upon renewal.

2. Last year Newsmax had 3 major renewals up, all agreed to Newsmax’s rate. These were DISH, Verizon and NCTC.

3. Newsmax is seeking a modest fee, 75% discounted to our market rate.

4. DirecTV is not losing money. They made a $2.7 billion in profit last year.

5. Of the top 75 channels, Newsmax has higher ratings than more than 50 channels, and almost all of these channels get higher fees than Newsmax was asking for despite their lower ratings.

6. Newsmax’s free stream ends in 2023. We never require any operator, including DirecTV, to pay us a fee while the channel streams free. DirecTV is well aware of this and continues to give the press false information.

7. Vice gets full carriage and license fees from DirecTV. TPG, the operator and 30% owner of DirecTV, is a major investor in Vice. Vice has tiny ratings, 20% of Newsmax’s, but is currently getting fees comparable to what Newsmax is seeking.