A POPULAR Roku and Amazon Fire TV channel faces backlash after removing users’ least-watched channels without their permission.
Fubo, also known as FuboTV, is a paid streaming service that has enjoyed a surge in popularity due to its expansive portfolio of live TV.
While Roku and the Amazon Fire TV Stick are free to use, there is no free subscription to Fubo just yet – making the issue all the more infuriating.
Channels began mysteriously vanishing from users’ accounts, leading them to ask other users online if they’ve experienced a similar phenomenon.
Many reported receiving a notification that the channels had been “temporarily disabled” due to inactivity.
The streamer’s motivation behind the removal is crystal clear.
Fubo must pay for the channels even if users aren’t watching them, so moving customers to packages without them means the service can stop paying to license the content.
If you’re a frustrated Fubo user, fear not – there’s a trick to getting these “hidden” channels back.
Simply reactivate the channels to regain access “at no extra cost.”
The controversial move comes as Fubo strives towards profitability.
The service reported $402 million in North American revenues last quarter – a 29% increase from the previous year.
Fubo is perhaps best known for its sports content and live TV, boasting over 350 channels.
The company bills itself as a solution to cable, with unlimited DVR and channels to suit different tastes, from entertainment to news.
However, the company has struggled to set itself apart in a crowded market, with major competitors like ESPN+ nipping at its heels.
The preeminence of free, ad-supported streaming services only compounds the issue.
Fubo offers three paid subscription tiers: Pro, Elite, and Premier, with an additional Spanish-language channel.
The lowest-end Pro option costs $79.99 per month, totaling just shy of $960 per year.
The service offers certain channels at different price points based on location. Regional sports network fees applied at checkout cost between $11 and $14.
Fubo was forced to drop some popular offerings in April after failing to reach an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery.
The streamer removed 19 Discovery-owned networks including Food Network, HGTV, and TLC– and they won’t return anytime soon.
What is Fubo?
Fubo is a cable alternative to stream live sports and television.
Fubo was founded in 2015 by CEO David Gandler. Gandler is also a co-owner of the soccer team Paris FC and serves as a trustee for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation.
The company is a sports-first live television streaming platform available in the US, Canada, and Spain.
Fubo operates a service called Molotov in France.
There are several plans that Fubo subscribers can purchase from $79.99 to $99.99.
All plans include a free trial, unlimited hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens.
The more expensive plans include more channels to stream.
Subscribers can stream Fubo on computers, iPhones, iPads, Androids, Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV.
Fubo has popular channels including ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, Fox Sports, NFL Network, Fox News, FX, and Paramount Network.
Subscribers can also watch a variety of sports including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, golf, tennis, boxing, MMA, and college sports.
To make matters worse, Fubo is enveloped in a legal battle with WBD, Disney, and Fox’s joint venture, Venu Sports.
Fubo filed a federal lawsuit when the streaming service was announced in February, fearing its parents would squeeze out competitors to control the market.
On Friday, a New York federal court judge ruled in favor of Fubo, granting a request to block Venu Sports on antitrust grounds.
The judge claimed the companies had created a “monopolistic runway” that would provide incentives to “thwart competition and hike prices on both consumers and other distributors.”
However, the ruling is only a temporary resolution, as the powerful triad has vowed to appeal.