PlayStation Vue Ditches Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Spike, BET, CMT & Many More

Sony’s PlayStation Vue live-TV streaming service has been marketed as a true cable-replacement option for cord-cutters, but the company just announced changes to its channel lineup that will see the removal of several big-name cable networks.

According to this official blog post — conveniently dumped in the middle of the presidential election coverage — Vue will lose all Viacom-owned networks starting at 12:01 a.m. ET on Nov. 11.

That means Comedy Central, Nickelodeon (and Nick Jr., NickMusic, NickToons, TeenNick), MTV (and MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV2, mtvU), BET (and BET Gospel, BET Jams, BET Soul), CMT (and CMT Music), Spike, TV Land, VH1, Showtime, Centric, and Logo.

The company is offering little in terms of an explanation, other than to say “we have determined that removing the bundle of channels from Viacom is the best way for us to continue to offer the most compelling value to our fans.”

While nearly two dozen channels are being removed from Vue, Sony has only announced three specific additions to make up for this loss: BBC America, VICE, and NBA TV. The company also says it will soon be adding more local broadcast stations from CBS (formerly part of Viacom) and Fox.

The good thing about Vue is that, unlike cable, you’re not locked into any contract. So if the lack of Comedy Central means Vue is not for you, you’re free to quit the service and you don’t have to return any cable boxes.

Viacom doesn’t seem to be commenting on the loss of Vue, but during its quarterly earnings call this morning the company was clear that its channels will be included in the soon-to-launch DirecTV Now streaming service:

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.