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As of October 8, 2026, the Gray Media blackout that affected some CBS affiliates carried by DISH has ended in the markets covered by the companies’ May agreement. DISH said the deal restored 226 local channels across 113 U.S. markets, including various CBS affiliates. That does not mean every local CBS station nationwide is on DISH: affiliates have different owners and carriage arrangements.
Was the dispute with CBS or Gray Media?
The 2026 dispute was with Gray Media, a local-station owner—not evidence of a nationwide blackout of the CBS network. Viewers usually receive CBS through a local affiliate, and the owner of that station may negotiate carriage separately with DISH. Gray’s stations include affiliates of several networks, among them CBS.
On March 10, 2026, DISH said Gray Media had blacked out 226 local stations in 113 markets after negotiations failed. That number described the stations unavailable at the time, according to DISH, not the status after the agreement. DISH’s March announcement presented the company’s account of the dispute.
There was also a separate, direct CBS–DISH dispute in 2014. CBS News reported that the companies reached an agreement after some CBS programming went dark. That historical dispute is distinct from the 2026 Gray Media blackout. CBS News covered the 2014 agreement.
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What changed in May 2026?
On May 1, DISH announced a multi-year carriage agreement with Gray Media and said 226 local channels in 113 U.S. markets had been restored. The lineup included various CBS affiliates as well as stations affiliated with ABC, FOX, NBC, CW, MyNetworkTV, Telemundo and other Gray-owned channels. DISH described the agreement as multi-year but did not publish a precise expiration date. Read DISH’s May 1 announcement.
The announcement supports saying the identified Gray blackout was resolved for the stations covered by the agreement. It does not establish that every CBS affiliate in every market is carried by DISH, or guarantee what will happen in future negotiations. DISH’s latest relevant Gray carriage update as of October 8, 2026, was the May restoration announcement.
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Why might CBS still be missing on your DISH service?
Your local affiliate may not be covered by the Gray agreement
The agreement concerns Gray-owned stations. If your market’s CBS affiliate has a different owner, its carriage status depends on that station’s own arrangement and current lineup. Identify the affiliate’s call letters and owner, then check DISH’s local channel lineup and the station’s carriage updates. The May announcement does not provide a market-by-market list establishing the status of every CBS affiliate.
The program or game may be blacked out, not the station
A sports event can be unavailable because of rights restrictions even when the local CBS channel is available. DISH says restrictions can depend on the rights held by a league, network or regional channel and on the viewer’s market. Check the event’s official listing or DISH’s blackout guidance and Game Finder for alternate channels.
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There may be a local service or technical issue
If your affiliate is listed as carried but the channel is still absent, check your receiver’s channel lineup and account or contact DISH support. A station-specific reception or service issue is different from a carriage dispute; the Gray agreement alone cannot diagnose an individual account or receiver.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can you watch CBS while checking availability?
- Confirm the station and market. Find your local CBS affiliate’s call letters and owner, then compare the station with DISH’s current local lineup. Do not assume the Gray deal covers an affiliate owned by another company.
- Try an over-the-air antenna if reception allows. During the blackout, DISH said most affected channels could be received free with an antenna. Whether a home can receive the station depends on location and reception conditions, so this is not guaranteed for every household.
- Check streaming for the specific program and market. DISH named Paramount+ and network-specific streaming options as possible ways to watch some local network programming. That statement does not guarantee a live local CBS feed or a particular show; availability can depend on location, plan and rights.
- For a sports event, check its rights listing separately. Use DISH Game Finder or the event or network’s official listing to see whether the event is available on another channel or service.
Choose a workaround based on what you need: an antenna may offer the local broadcast where signal reception permits, while a streaming option may carry only certain programming or be subject to local rights. Neither option should be treated as a guaranteed substitute for a live local CBS station.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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