YouTube TV, Fox agree to multi-year carriage deal
YouTube TV, Fox agree to multi-year carriage deal
The two sides looked as if they may be headed for a channel blackout earlier this week, but cooler heads have prevailed.
Fans of Fox programming with a YouTube TV subscription can rest easy heading into the Labor Day holiday weekend. For several days, it appeared as if Fox-owned channels might be pulled from the live TV streamer, as a brewing carriage dispute threatened a service disruption for YouTube TV’s large customer base. But on Thursday evening, YouTube TV announced that it had come to terms with Fox on a new carriage agreement that will keep Fox channels on the streamer for years to come.
Key Details:
- Not fully clear: As per usual with carriage deals, the terms of the agreement between Fox and YouTube TV were undisclosed.
- Threat extinguished: The prospect of a channel blackout was allayed somewhat when the two sides made a temporary deal on Wednesday.
- Price increase coming?: The new carriage contract could mean YouTube TV subscribers are facing a price hike.
The terms of the carriage deal between Fox and YouTube TV were not disclosed, but such agreements typically run for multiple years, so viewers won’t have to worry about a new potential blackout of Fox channels on the streamer for a good while. It would be fascinating to see what YouTube TV had to give to get Fox back to the negotiating table, but the financial terms of these deals are kept strictly confidential. Of course, any time there is a significant carriage deal, the distributor could end up passing the newly added costs onto the customer. So, only time will tell if Google and YouTube TV decide to raise prices in order to maintain their profit margin.
The agreement does remove any threat that Fox channels will be pulled during the 2025 college football season. That prospect made many fans anxious and prompted FCC chairman Brendan Carr to publicly call on Google to make the deal happen. Any such crisis as fans missing the No. 1 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes game on Fox this Saturday has been happily averted.
“I’m very pleased that Google and Fox have now reached a deal,” Carr said on Thursday. “This is great news for college football fans and avoids blackouts.”
Indeed, the worst of the carriage dispute passed on Wednesday, when the two sides agreed to a short-term deal to keep the channels in place. Such placeholder arrangements are usually a good sign that programmers and distributors are preparing the ground for a more comprehensive deal, and such was the case in this little dustup as well.
“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached a deal with Fox to keep their content on YouTube TV,” YouTube TV said in an email to customers. “That means you will continue to have access to Fox channels, including the Fox Broadcast Network, Fox News, and Fox Sports, and any Fox recordings in your Library. If you’re subscribed to add-ons like Spanish Plus, 4K Plus, Sports Plus, and Fox Nation, access to that content also remains uninterrupted.”
When the carriage dispute first erupted into the public eye, The Streamable predicted that the pressure of the upcoming college football and NFL seasons would keep the two sides talking. That prediction as been borne out, but the next question confronting YouTube TV subscribers is whether they’ll face a price increase due to the streamer being forced to pay more for Fox channels. If any such price adjustments occur, The Streamable will have you covered with all the details.
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.