Why Fios Customers Lost Starz on Oct. 1 When the Licensing Deal Expired Without Renewal

Carriage disputes decide which channels reach a household, and they often surface as a blank screen. A programmer such as Starz licenses its networks to a distributor such as Verizon Fios. The two sides agree on a licensing deal with an end date. When that date passes without a new agreement, the channel can disappear for the distributor's subscribers.

The most recent example is Starz and Fios. According to TheWrap, the parties' licensing deal expired at midnight at the end of September 30, 2026. Fios customers lost Starz channels, Starz On Demand and the Starz app on Thursday, October 1. Viewers can still sign up for Starz separately through streaming, according to TheWrap.

What a Carriage Deal Sets Out

TheDesk describes broadcast retransmission fees as a monthly rate per subscriber.

TheDesk also notes that these terms are typically confidential, and that the vast majority get done without any public drama.

The Starz talks followed that pattern of a fixed end date and, by Verizon's account, a dispute over rates. Starz says it made extensive efforts to reach a renewal and that Verizon was unwilling to negotiate. Verizon says Starz is attempting to use public pressure to force higher rates, which would drive up monthly bills. TheWrap's report does not describe a new agreement or a date for restoring the channels.

Why Broadcast Stations Follow a Different Track

Local broadcast stations operate under a separate framework. TheDesk says that under Section 325 of the 1992 Cable Act, pay TV providers generally need a local station's permission, usually paid for, before carrying its signal. Every three years, commercial stations choose between must-carry, which means carriage without compensation, and retransmission consent, which means negotiated payment. Noncommercial stations can only seek must-carry.

The federal regulation at 47 CFR 76.64 sets the consent requirement and the election schedule. It requires consent agreements to be in writing and prohibits exclusive retransmission consent agreements. It also states that a station that misses an election deadline is deemed to have elected must-carry. The rule covers commercial station signals.

TheDesk reports that S&P Global Market Intelligence projected the average monthly retransmission rate would rise to $4.83 per subscriber in 2025 for Big Four owned-and-operated and affiliate stations. That figure is up 7 percent from $4.52 the year before, according to the same report.

How a Blackout Starts and How Long It Lasts

If a station and a provider fail to agree, the station can pull its signal from the provider's lineup. Subscribers lose the local channels until the dispute is resolved. TheDesk says disputes usually last a few days or weeks, though some run for months or years.

A recent broadcast example appears in the same report. In mid-2026, 54 Scripps stations in 36 markets went dark on DirecTV. The dispute was settled after five weeks.

The Starz outage followed a different sequence. The licensing deal expired, and the channels were removed with no renewal in place, as TheWrap reports. The article does not say whether the removal was immediate or staged.

What Subscribers Get Back, and What Is Proposed

No federal requirement currently obliges a provider to give a credit for lost channels. According to TheDesk, whether a provider offers one is up to the provider.

The FCC has voted to seek public comment on a proposal that would require providers to give subscribers rebates for programming lost during disputes.

Reporting already applies to long outages. TheDesk says that since 2025, the FCC has required cable and satellite providers to report retransmission blackouts lasting more than 24 hours. The start and end dates are public, while subscriber counts are confidential.

The Starz and Fios Dispute, Step by Step

In the Starz case, the sequence runs in a short window. The deal expired at midnight at the end of September 30, and Fios customers woke on October 1 without the channels. Verizon says Starz publicly signaled a possible removal while talks were ongoing, which it calls an unnecessary pressure tactic.

The two sides give different accounts of access. Verizon says Starz channels were still accessible on the day of its statement. TheWrap's report describes the loss of the channels, Starz On Demand and the app on Fios. Each account is the position of the party that gave it.

Starz says it stands ready to reach a fair agreement that restores Starz to Verizon customers as quickly as possible. TheWrap reports that viewers can still sign up for Starz separately via streaming.

What It Means for Studios and Streamers

For a studio or streamer that sells channels through distributors, a removal cuts the number of homes that can watch the channel on that distributor. The channel's direct service may remain open, as the Starz case shows.

Because the terms are typically confidential, the public sees the outcome of a dispute, such as a removal or a restoration, rather than the rate.

For broadcast stations, the 24-hour reporting rule means that the start and end dates of a long blackout are reported publicly. Networks such as Starz are negotiated under their own contracts, and the sources reviewed for this piece do not set out the federal rules that would apply to them.