How Verizon May Have Pulled One Over On Content Giants

I've been watching with interest the seeming outrage from Disney (NYSE:DIS) and 21st Century Fox (NASDAQ:FOX) (FOX) especially, concerning the alleged breaking of an existing content agreement between them and Verizon (NYSE:VZ).

The basic kerfuffle is over whether or not existing agreements allow Verizon to offer sports channels in bundles separate from other channels by the respective content owners. Disney, Fox, and others claim it violates existing agreements, while Verizon says it doesn't.

Verizon won't back down from its FiOS Custom TV,, as Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said: "We have launched the product, we are not retracting it, and we believe we are in our legal rights to launch it."

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Ford (NYSE:F) Says No to Super Bowl Advertising

The Super Bowl is usually a showcase for the auto industry, with most major automakers having an advertising entry during the game. That won't be the case with Ford (NYSE:F) this year, which has decided to go another route instead.

Ford announced their alternative advertising will be for the pre-game show, where they'll sponsor "Focus Rally: America Pre-Kick" at 6 PM EST, on Fox (NYSE:NWS) instead.

Ford said in a statement, "Focus Rally: America" features six teams vying to complete challenges during a cross-country road rally in the 2012 Ford Focus. The winning team gets a grand prize of $100,000 and team members will win a new Focus. Registered "virtual team members" will compete for eight Focus vehicles through "daily interaction."

The specific vehicle models presented in the ads will be the 2012 Ford Focus and the Ford F-150.

Ford was trading at $15.79, up $0.03, or 0.19 percent, as of 11:39 AM EST.