YouTube TV strikes new carriage deal with OAN
YouTube TV strikes new carriage deal with OAN
The addition of the Trump-loyalist network has some analysts questioning whether Fox News will return to YouTube TV.
YouTube TV reached a new carriage agreement with a right-wing news network on Wednesday — though it may not be the one you’re thinking of. Even as it continues to negotiate a more permanent solution with Fox, YouTube TV has agreed to terms on a carriage pact with One America News Network.
Key Details:
- Next quarter: OAN will join the YouTube TV base package in the fourth quarter.
- It’s been a while: OAN was dropped from live TV partners in 2022.
- Appeasement?: Adding OAN may have been a signal to the Trump administration.
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OAN will roll out on the YouTube TV base package starting in the fourth quarter of 2025. Joining it there will be the A Wealth of Entertainment (AWE) channel, which, like OAN, is owned by Hering Networks. AWE offers ” original vicarious living programming,” with “awe-inspiring travel destinations, outrageous cars, amazing homes and much more.”
Sling TV now carries OAN as well, but the network is not widely available on other live TV streaming services yet. In 2022, OAN was dropped by DIRECTV and Verizon Fios, the only two major pay-TV providers that carried the network at that time.
OAN is about as loyal to President Trump as any news network can be, and has often promoted conspiracy theories pushed by the president despite a lack of evidence. The channel was one of the leading voices in spreading the lie that the 2020 election was rigged against President Trump, and in 2024 reached a settlement with the voting-tech firm Smartmatic over its falsehoods after the company sued for defamation.
The timing of the deal between YouTube TV and OAN has many analysts questioning whether or not the move was meant to appease the Trump administration. On Tuesday, FCC chairman Brendan Carr posted on social media an urging that YouTube TV resolve its carriage dispute with Fox, whose own right-wing news channel Fox News is also a Trump ally. That dispute could have led to a blackout of all Fox-owned channels on the streamer, including Fox News.
Fox and YouTube TV avoided a blackout by reaching a short-term deal on Wednesday, so it’s reasonable to argue that the deal between YouTube TV and OAN was unrelated to the carriage dispute. Whatever the case, YouTube TV subscribers will see OAN in their base channel package starting in Q4.
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.
