Gov. Abbott: Newsmax Back on DirecTV ‘Huge Win’

Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott hailed the “huge win” for preserving “conservative voices and viewpoints” as Newsmax is returning to DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse on Thursday.

“This agreement between Newsmax and DirecTV is a huge win in protecting the right of conservative voices and viewpoints to be heard, and I am proud to have helped facilitate this pivotal business renewal to preserve the strength of public discourse on television,” Abbott wrote in a statement Wednesday. “The United States was founded on freedom of speech and healthy public debate, and we must preserve the free flow of information in our country to maintain the dignity of our nation’s core values.

“Efforts to silence conservative viewpoints are antithetical to the very principles our Founding Fathers wrote in our Constitution.

“This agreement will set the standard for future business deals to maintain our nation’s position as a beacon of freedom. Here in Texas, we will always fight to defend First Amendment rights for Texans and Americans.”

The multiyear distribution deal returns the Newsmax channel to DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse on Thursday.

“Newsmax recognizes and appreciates that DirecTV clearly supports diverse voices, including conservative ones,” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy said in a statement. “As a standalone company, DirecTV gave Newsmax its start nearly a decade ago as it continues to do with upcoming news networks, which is why we are pleased to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that will deliver our network to DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse customers over the next several years.”

DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow praised DirecTV’s dedication to offering a wide array of perspectives.

“This resolution with Newsmax, resolving an all-too-common carriage dispute, underscores our dedication to delivering a wide array of programming and perspectives to all our customers,” Morrow wrote in a statement. “Through our persistent negotiations, we reached a resolution under mutually agreeable business terms allowing us to deliver the conservative news network at the right value — a reflection of the free market at work.”