FuboTV lost TNT, TBS, and CNN in September 2024 and has not announced plans to restore them

FuboTV and Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TNT, TBS, and CNN, ended their carriage agreement on September 1, 2024. The dispute centered on the price Warner Bros. Discovery wanted to charge for these channels. FuboTV removed all three channels from its lineup rather than accept the new terms. As of now, FuboTV has not said whether it will bring these channels back.

The removal affected sports programming most directly — TNT carries NBA games, playoff hockey, and other live sports that many FuboTV subscribers relied on. TBS carries some sports and entertainment content. CNN is the news channel. If you subscribed to FuboTV specifically for TNT sports, you lost access to those games when the channels went dark.

Key Takeaways

  • FuboTV removed TNT, TBS, and CNN in September 2024 after negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery broke down over channel pricing.
  • No timeline or announcement has been made about when or whether these channels will return to FuboTV.
  • The dispute is about what Warner Bros. Discovery charges FuboTV to carry the channels, not about technical issues or licensing problems.
  • Other streaming services like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling TV still carry TNT, TBS, and CNN if you need access to those channels.
  • FuboTV has offered account credits or refunds to subscribers who want to leave because of the missing channels.

Why FuboTV and Warner Bros. Discovery are in a dispute

Carriage disputes happen when a streaming service and a channel owner cannot agree on price. Warner Bros. Discovery asked FuboTV to pay more money per subscriber to carry TNT, TBS, and CNN. FuboTV decided the new price was too high and chose to drop the channels instead of passing the cost to subscribers or absorbing the loss.

This is a business negotiation, not a technical problem. Both sides have leverage: Warner Bros. Discovery wants distribution for its channels, and FuboTV wants popular content to keep subscribers. When neither side will budge, the channels go dark. The same thing has happened between other streaming services and channel owners multiple times over the past few years.

What FuboTV has said about bringing TNT back

FuboTV has not announced a timeline for restoring TNT, TBS, or CNN. The company issued a statement when the channels were removed saying it was "disappointed" by the outcome and that it was "committed to bringing these channels back." However, "committed to bringing back" does not mean negotiations are close or that a deal is likely soon.

Carriage disputes can last weeks, months, or longer. Some disputes end in a few weeks when both sides reach a compromise. Others drag on for years. Without a public statement from either FuboTV or Warner Bros. Discovery saying talks are progressing, there is no way to know which direction this one is heading.

How long these disputes typically last

There is no standard timeline. In 2022, YouTube TV lost access to Disney-owned channels (ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel) for about two weeks before a deal was reached. In 2023, Dish Network and Disney were in a dispute that lasted several months. Some disputes between smaller services and channel owners have lasted a year or more.

The length depends on how far apart the two sides are on price and how much pressure each one feels. If FuboTV is losing many subscribers over the missing channels, it may be more willing to pay higher rates. If Warner Bros. Discovery is not seeing much impact from being off FuboTV, it may not feel pressure to lower its asking price.

What to do if you need TNT, TBS, or CNN right now

If you subscribed to FuboTV for NBA games or other TNT content, you have a few options. YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling TV all currently carry TNT, TBS, and CNN. You can switch to one of those services if you want when ready access. FuboTV has offered account credits or refunds to subscribers who want to cancel because of the missing channels — contact FuboTV support to ask about this.

You could also wait and see whether a deal gets announced. If you are willing to go without these channels for a few weeks or months, keeping your FuboTV subscription costs less than switching services and then switching back later. That choice depends on how much you need access to TNT sports or CNN news right now.

How carriage disputes work in streaming

When you pay for a streaming service, you are paying for a bundle of channels. The streaming service has to negotiate with each channel owner to carry that channel. Channel owners charge per subscriber — the more subscribers a streaming service has, the more it pays in total. When a channel owner wants to raise its per-subscriber rate and the streaming service refuses, the channel gets removed.

This is different from cable, where the same system has been in place for decades. Streaming services have less negotiating power than large cable companies because they have fewer subscribers. A channel owner might accept a lower rate from a cable company with 10 million subscribers than from a streaming service with 1 million, because the cable company reaches more people overall.

Whether FuboTV is likely to get TNT back

FuboTV will probably get TNT, TBS, and CNN back at some point, but there is no certainty. Most carriage disputes eventually end in a deal because both sides have an incentive to reach one. However, the terms of that deal are unknown — FuboTV might have to pay the higher rate Warner Bros. Discovery originally asked for, or the two sides might meet somewhere in the middle.

The fact that FuboTV removed the channels rather than paying the higher rate suggests the company thought the price was unreasonable. That does not mean FuboTV will never pay it — just that it was not willing to do so when ready. If subscriber losses mount or if Warner Bros. Discovery lowers its asking price, a deal could happen. Without public statements from either side, it is impossible to predict when or if that will occur.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a refund from FuboTV because TNT is gone?

FuboTV has offered credits or refunds to subscribers who want to leave because of the missing channels. Contact FuboTV customer support directly to ask about this option. The company has not announced how long this offer will remain available, so if you want to pursue it, do so sooner rather than later.

Will TNT come back before the NBA season starts?

There is no announcement about timing. The NBA season runs from October through June, so if TNT is not back by now, you will miss games this season. If you need to watch NBA games on TNT, switching to another streaming service is more reliable than waiting for a deal.

Why did FuboTV remove the channels instead of just raising prices?

FuboTV likely calculated that losing some subscribers over missing channels would cost less than raising prices for all subscribers to cover the higher carriage fees. The company may also have believed that removing the channels would pressure Warner Bros. Discovery to lower its asking price.

Do other streaming services have the same problem with TNT?

No. YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling TV all currently carry TNT, TBS, and CNN. Only FuboTV removed these channels. This suggests FuboTV and Warner Bros. Discovery had a specific disagreement about pricing that did not affect other services.

What happens if the dispute never gets resolved?

It will get resolved eventually. Carriage disputes always end in either a deal or a permanent split. A permanent split is rare because both sides lose money — the channel owner loses distribution and the streaming service loses subscribers. A deal is far more likely, even if it takes months.