Exclusive: Newsmax Strikes Comcast Carriage Deal

Newsmax TV has struck a carriage deal with Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator. The deal is expected to be announced later today.

"Comcast is the largest cable operator and we already have almost all the other major distributors, testifying to the strong demand Newsmax is generating from viewers across the country," said Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, confirming the agreement.

Newsmax struck a deal with Dish last November, and also has carriage on DirecTV, FiOS, U-verse, and a number of cable systems, a universe that has now expanded considerably with the addition of Comcast.

Newsmax TV is a conservative 24-hour news channel currently available in 50 million homes via cable and satellite.

Related: NewsMax Adds Two Ex-Fox Execs

The agreement is for carriage in Comcast's XFinity "digital starter" package on the X1 platform, which will add another 10 million homes at the outset. Newsmax is looking to be in 80 million homes by the end of 2019. It currently programs 12 hours per day of original news content and is preparing to boost coverage as it preps for the 2020 presidential election.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.