YouTube TV pledges $10 credit if NBC channels are blacked out
YouTube TV pledges $10 credit if NBC channels are blacked out
The carriage deal between the two sides is set to expire on Tuesday if no new agreement is reached.
What can you buy with $10? The executives at YouTube TV are hoping that $10 will buy them a little goodwill if things don’t go quite right for the streamer. YouTube TV’s carriage deal with NBCUniversal expires on Tuesday, Sept. 30, and if that happens without the two sides reaching a new deal, channels like Bravo, NBC, and USA Network could disappear from the YouTube TV package. If that happens, YouTube TV has pledged a credit of $10 to help tide viewers over.
Key Details:
- Will a Hamilton do?: YouTube TV will provide a $10 credit if an extended blackout of NBC channels affects customers.
- Sound familiar?: YouTube TV was prepared to offer customers the same credit for a blackout of Fox channels.
- What’s the angle?: The dispute could be centered on a desire by YouTube TV to add Peacock for all customers.
Both sides are gearing up for the inevitable finger-pointing campaign that will ensue if YouTube TV customers loses access to NBCU channels. In warring statements, NBCU said that YouTube TV has “refused the best rates and terms in the market,” while YouTube TV says, “NBCUniversal is asking us to pay more than what they charge consumers for the same content on Peacock, which would mean less flexibility and higher prices for our subscribers.”
YouTube TV ended that statement by promising to give its subscribers a $10 credit off their monthly bill if NBCU channels are excluded from its plan for an “extended period of time.” YouTube TV’s normal monthly price is $83, but many viewers have likely signed up using one of the several promotions that the streamer has offered over the course of the summer.
A company spokesperson told CNBC’s Alex Sherman that NBC has never “gone dark” on a TV distributor before. The two have until Tuesday to continue working toward a deal, as their existing carriage agreement will lapse when the calendar turns to October.
YouTube TV followed a similar strategy a few weeks ago, when it appeared that Fox channels might be blacked out on the service. Had Fox channels been pulled, YouTube TV would have paid a $10 credit to customers as well. The two sides reached a last-minute deal to keep Fox channels on YouTube TV for the long haul, but this go-around could be different. Fox had the backing of FCC chairman Brendan Carr in its fight with YouTube TV, but so far, his political heft has been withheld from NBC.
What is YouTube TV really seeking in its fight with NBC? It would hardly be a surprise to learn that the service wants to add Peacock as a subscription benefit at no extra cost for customers. DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, and Philo all offer included content from on-demand streaming services on at least some plans, and YouTube TV is one of the last live TV streaming services left that doesn’t partner with an on-demand platform in this manner. That’s just conjecture, but it seems pretty likely that YouTube TV would ask.
Are you a YouTube TV customer who is potentially about to lose NBC? Tell us about it in the comments, and let us know if another potential carriage fight with Disney — whose deal is next to expire with YouTube TV — would be the final straw for you, or if this impending battle with NBC has you ready to call it quits.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.