Until Saturday afternoon, the NBC affiliate serving Western Pennsylvania had been blocked by law from subscribers to Verizon Fios‘ cable television services due to a two-month long retransmission consent impasse. For those wishing to watch the Winter Olympics from Cortina, Italy or Super Bowl LX, getting another alternative seemed to be imperative.
Then, just like that, the conflict ended.
By 3pm on February 7, viewers of Cox Media Group-owned WPXI-11, the NBC affiliate in the Pittsburgh DMA, could again watch the station on Verizon Fios.
In a short “welcome back” message, WPXI confirmed that the channel is once again available to Verizon customers across Western Pennsylvania, “just in time for the biggest moments of the Olympics and Sunday’s Super Bowl … We look forward to providing you all the news, weather, sports and entertainment you expect from our team.”
Similarly, CMG-owned FOX affiliate WFXT “Boston 25” returned to Verizon Fios local lineups in the Boston DMA on Saturday. Key matchups leading up to Super Bowl LX featuring the New England Patriots had been blocked to subscribers; January 2026 saw Verizon offer rebates to impacted customers in both Pittsburgh and Boston in lieu of a fresh retransmission accord.
It all ended on Saturday. For Verizon, its statement noted that digital multicast networks associated with both WFXT and WPXI were also being restored. “We appreciate your patience and support, and look forward to continuing to serve you as a valued Fios TV customer,” the company said.
The “blackout” of WPXI and WFXT began in mid-December, with the American Television Alliance — a decidedly pro-MVPD advocacy group that regularly puts the blame on a retrans impasse on broadcasters — quick to jump in with its own version of the potential “blackout” of WPXI and WFXT.
Blockage under federal law of WPXI and WFXT to Verizon Fios subscribers in Pittsburgh and Boston was hardly fresh ground for Cox Media Group. In November 2022, CMG’s stations were again blocked from Dish subscribers due to a retransmission consent impasse. This came following a July 2020 breakdown in negotiations leading to a seven-month “blackout” of CMG stations on Dish.
At the end of January 2021, a particularly bitter battle between Suddenlink and CMG ended after three weeks. Then, in February 2021, DirecTV and CMG failed to reach a fresh retransmission consent deal, leading to a “blackout.”
