DirecTV To Add Conservative Outlet The First After Dropping Newsmax

deadline.com:

DirecTV said that it was adding the conservative channel The First to its lineup, after it dropped Newsmax from its lineup in a dispute that stirred the ire of Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The First, which features personalities including Bill O’Reilly and Dana Loesch, will be available on DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse at no extra fees for subscribers.

Up to now, it has been available only through streaming distribution, including on FAST networks. The announcement comes as Newsmax went dark on DirecTV.

The satellite service owned by AT&T and private equity firm TPG blamed the removal on Newsmax’s insistence on its demands for “significant fees” from DirecTV at a time when the conservative network already is available for free on streaming platforms and online.