Canada's Optik TV, which is Telus' Internet-based television service, has informed its subscribers that starting February 28 they will lose Spike TV and BET.
"As of Feb. 28, 2013, Spike TV on channel 150 and BET on channel 154 will no longer be available on Optik TV. All other channels in the Adventure and Entertainment Extra theme packs remain unchanged," Telus announced on its website.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two channels owned by Viacom will no longer be available to subscribers because of a contract renewal dispute.
"We wanted to keep these channels but did not want to increase rates, so we chose not to proceed with a new agreement," a Telus spokesman told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.
For now Spike TV and BET will be blacked out “for the foreseeable future” after February 28 unless both sides come to an agreement on their fee dispute.
Optik TV was launched in 2010 and has been successful in taking subscribers away from one of its rival television services run by western Canadian cable giant Shaw Communications.