YouTube TV Adding Nexstar-Owned Affiliates in Chicago, San Francisco, More This Week
One of the main reasons that prospective cord-cutters decide not to cancel a cable or satellite subscription is because they fear losing access to their local broadcast channels. Most TV watchers don’t have an antenna to get over-the-air broadcasts anymore, meaning it’s cable or bust for viewers who value local channels.
YouTube TV is attempting to alleviate those concerns in some of the biggest media markets in the country. KRON 4 in San Francisco and WGN in Chicago have both confirmed that they will join YouTube TV’s channel lineup on June 30. The additions are part of a deal struck between YouTube TV and Nexstar — the largest broadcast ownership group in the United States— in March of this year.
The carriage agreement will bring a total of 59 Nexstar-owned local affiliate stations to YouTube TV, including 29 channels affiliated with The CW, 26 MyNetworkTV stations, and four independent broadcasters (in Baton Rouge, Chicago, Oklahoma City, and Washington D.C); WGN is the Windy City’s representative. The Streamable has reached out to YouTube TV to learn if any more of these stations will be added to the platform on June 30, but thus far has not received a reply.
There’s plenty of data available to show that local broadcast channels are still highly valuable to TV audiences. A survey from early June found that local news programs on broadcast TV outperformed streaming series with an audience 8-12 times as large on average. A study from February revealed that 76% of American audiences still watch broadcast TV every day.
Even so, it’s getting harder for major cable and satellite providers to justify carrying local stations. DISH chairman Charles Ergen called being forced to carry local affiliates “a tax” in February, as there are no longer enough customers paying into the ecosystem to justify the carriage fees demanded by networks to carry local broadcasters.
It appears YouTube TV doesn’t feel that way, or at least its carriage agreement with Nexstar makes enough sense financially for the platform. Users in Chicago and San Francisco will see their local stations added to the live TV streaming service on June 30, and other markets may be following soon after.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $72.99/month. This plan includes local channels, 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The service includes an unlimited DVR.