Blackout lifted in time for NFL preseason

CBS and AT&T have reached an agreement over programming fees that ends the blackout of 17 CBS-owned TV stations, including Miami’s WFOR-Ch. 4, the companies announced Thursday morning.

The agreement was reached in time for Thursday’s slate of NFL preseason games to air as scheduled on AT&T’s DirecTV and Uverse systems, including the Miami Dolphins’ game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Blacked-out stations are returning to affected homes today, AT&T said in a news release.

The blackout began July 20. AT&T accused CBS of seeking excessive re-transmission fees to carry its channels and content on AT&T’s systems. CBS accused AT&T of refusing to pay fair market prices.

The new agreement includes re-transmission consent for all 26 CBS-owned stations in the 17 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Tampa, Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. In the Miami market that serves Broward and Miami-Dade counties, the agreement also returns WBFSCh. 33.

In addition, all CBS affiliates will return to the streaming app AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now). CBS Sports Network and Smithsonian Channel will also return to the AT&T platforms, the news release said.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“CBS and AT&T regret any inconvenience to their customers and viewers and thank them for their patience,” the statement said.