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Fox and Google Make Amends With Fiber TV Agreement; AMC, HBO Still Missing

Phillip Dampier November 13, 2012 Consumer News, Google Fiber & Wireless No Comments

Google recognizes that television lineups still matter. The Kansas City gigabit fiber broadband project is not just about faster Internet access, and some KCMO and KCK residents have made it clear if Google Fiber lacks the television channels they want to see, they won’t switch providers.

Since late summer, Google has been quickly signing deals with the remaining holdout programmers to present a television lineup nearly equivalent to what its competitors Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-verse offer.

In early September, Google announced an important deal with Disney which brought ABC Family, ABC News Now, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN2, ESPNews, and ESPNU to the lineup. The company also signed deals for the important regional sports channel The Longhorn Network, and niche channels Ovation, SOAPnet, TBN, TBN Enlace, and Velocity.

In mid-September, additional deals with Time Warner (Entertainment) and its Turner division netted Google Fiber TV: Boomerang, Cartoon Network, CNN, CNN en Español, CNN International, HLN, hTV, infinito, MLB Network Strike Zone (as part of an add-on package),TBS, TCM: Turner Classic Movies, TNT and truTV.

On Monday, Google landed a deal with News Corp., parent company of Fox, for a bunch of additional sports, news, and general entertainment channels. The latest additions: BabyTV, Big Ten Network, Fox Business Network, Fox College Sports Atlantic, Fox College Sports Central, Fox College Sports Pacific, Fox Deportes, Fox Movie Channel, Fox News Channel, Fox Soccer, Fox Soccer Plus, FS Kansas City, Fuel TV, Speed and FX. Other additions also announced: HSN2, KPXE-TV DT2 – Qubo, KPXE-TV DT3 – ION Life, Nat Geo Mundo, Nat Geo WILD, National Geographic Channel, and Utilisima,

The deal for Fox programming shows Google and News Corp. coming full circle. News Corp. used to call Google a “parasite” for aggregating copyrighted content in search engine results and other features. Google opposed broad-reaching piracy legislation earlier this year. News Corp. was a strong supporter.

The latest programming deals narrow the gap between Google and its television competitors. The most notable remaining network missing from the lineup is HBO. Google has also yet to conclude a deal with AMC Networks, which shares close ties with Cablevision Industries. Until Google reaches an arrangement, AMC, the Independent Film Channel, WEtv, and the Sundance Channel will not be on the Google TV lineup.

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