Streaming news roundup: NFL Network and RedZone return to Xfinity just in time, and the NBA's TV dates take shape

Comcast and Disney settled their carriage dispute, so NFL Network and RedZone are returning to Xfinity right as the season starts. The NBA revealed its Opening Night and Christmas Day TV schedules for 2026-27. And California's attorney general is reportedly softening on the Paramount-Warner merger. Here's what it all means for where you watch.

The gist: Timing is everything this week. With preseason underway, Comcast and Disney finally ended a months-long blackout that had pulled NFL Network and RedZone off Xfinity, restoring them with days to spare. Basketball's turn is coming too, as the NBA locked in its biggest national TV dates for the new season. And the merger that could reshape sports TV showed a first hint of a settlement. Here's what changed.

NFL Network and RedZone return to Xfinity, just in time

When ESPN and Disney took over NFL Media earlier this year, the NFL Network and RedZone carriage deals with Comcast expired, and the channels went dark on Xfinity at the end of April. Comcast objected that Disney was seeking roughly double the previous fees; about 11 million Xfinity TV subscribers lost access in the meantime.

On Monday, the two sides settled. NFL Network returns in time for the preseason, and RedZone returns for the start of the regular season. Financial terms weren't disclosed, and it's unclear whether Disney got the fee increase it wanted.

If you're an Xfinity subscriber, the practical news is simple: NFL Network is back now, and RedZone will be back by Week 1. It's also a reminder that even with the NFL's own channels now owned by ESPN, carriage disputes can still pull them off your lineup. This is the second time in three years NFL Network has gone dark on Comcast. For where all of the league's games live this season, see our NFL viewing guide.

The NBA's 2026-27 TV dates take shape

The NBA and its networks revealed the season's marquee dates this week. Opening Night is Tuesday, October 20, and NBC and Peacock will air a tripleheader, the first time NBC has carried three NBA games in a single day, as part of the league's return to the network.

Christmas Day features five games on ESPN and ABC. That sets up a genuine holiday streaming showdown: the NBA on ESPN/ABC against the NFL's Christmas games, two of which stream on Netflix and one on FOX, as we mapped out in the NFL guide.

The bigger picture: this is the second season of the NBA's national TV deal with NBC/Peacock, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon Prime Video (TNT no longer carries the league). So the national picture is firming up even as the NBA's local streaming picture, led by DAZN's team-by-team deals, is still coming together.

A possible thaw in the Paramount-Warner merger

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has led the antitrust challenge to Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, is reportedly signaling more openness to a negotiated resolution with structural remedies rather than a drawn-out court fight. It remains contentious: Paramount floated relocating out of California, which Bonta pushed back on sharply, and nothing is settled. But it's the first hint of a possible path forward for a deal that would put CBS Sports and TNT Sports under one owner, the outcome that shapes how much of the sports calendar ends up with a single company.

Not sure which of this week's games you can already watch? StreamCaddy maps the cheapest correct way to watch all of your teams and events for your exact location and subscriptions.

Sources

1. Awful Announcing — "NFL Network, NFL RedZone returning to Xfinity as Disney, Comcast settle dispute" (channels went dark on Xfinity at the end of April after ESPN took over NFL Media and Disney sought roughly double the fees; ~11 million Xfinity subscribers affected; settled Monday, with NFL Network back for preseason and RedZone for the start of the regular season; terms undisclosed; second time in three years the channel went dark on Comcast), August 10, 2026 — https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/network-redzone-xfinity-comcast-carriage-dispute-disney.html
2. Cord Cutters News — "Peacock Reveals 3-Game NBA Opening Day Lineup With LeBron James, Knicks, Wemby, and More" (NBC Sports' 2026-27 opening-day schedule; American Express NBA Tip-Off tripleheader Tuesday, October 20; first time NBC will broadcast three NBA games on the same day), August 11, 2026 — https://cordcuttersnews.com/peacock-reveals-3-game-nba-opening-day-lineup-with-lebron-james-knicks-wemby-and-more/
3. Cord Cutters News — "ESPN Reveals the NBA's 2026 Christmas Day Schedule as the League Takes on the NFL, Netflix, and FOX" (ESPN and ABC to air five NBA games on Christmas Day, opposite the NFL's holiday games), August 11, 2026 — https://cordcuttersnews.com/espn-reveals-the-nbas-2026-christmas-day-schedule-as-the-league-takes-on-the-nfl-netflix-and-fox/
4. Awful Announcing — "NBA reveals Opening Night, Christmas Day slate for 2026-27 season" (both schedules unveiled; second season of the NBA's deal with NBC/Peacock, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon Prime Video), August 11, 2026 — https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/2026-27-opening-night-christmas-day-schedule-lebron-sixers.html
5. Cord Cutters News — "California's Attorney General Is Softening His Stance on Paramount Buying Warner Bros. Discovery & Is Now Open To a Deal" (Bonta signaling openness to structural remedies and a negotiated resolution; Paramount reportedly floated relocating out of California), August 11, 2026 — https://cordcuttersnews.com/californias-attorney-general-is-softening-his-stance-on-paramount-buying-warner-bros-discovery-is-now-open-to-a-deal/