In an increasingly rare turn of events, despite warnings from both sides last week that Paramount Global channels were on the brink of being pulled from YouTube TV, on Saturday night, it was announced that the two companies had agreed on a new deal that will keep channels like CBS, Paramount Network, CBS Sports Network, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ With Showtime, and more on the largest live TV streaming service on the market.

Key Details

• Last week, YouTube TV and Paramount warned that a blackout was imminent.
• After a short-term deal, the two sides have announced a deal to keep Paramount-owned channels on YouTube TV.
• YouTube TV raised its prices last month; there is no news on whether this deal with Paramount will result in another rate hike.

In an email sent to subscribers, YouTube TV announced that an agreement had been made that would allow the streamer to continue carrying Paramount content. While the initial messaging from both sides seemed to portend an imminent blackout, on Friday, the prognosis appeared to improve as the sides announced a short-term deal that would keep the channels on the streamer while negotiations continued. This step appeared to indicate that the two sides were far closer to a resolution than their warnings a day before had indicated.

This is undoubtedly a positive for subscribers as not only will CBS and CBS Sports Network be important channels down the stretch of the college basketball season and into March Madness, but also because it means that they will not have to worry about losing any of the Paramount-owned content that they had previously recorded, which had been part of YouTube’s initial messaging.

“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached a deal to continue carrying Paramount content on YouTube TV,” YouTube TV’s letter to subscribers said. “That means you will continue to have access to Paramount channels, including CBS, CBS Sports, and Nickelodeon, and any recordings in your Library. If you’re subscribed to add-ons like Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, BET+, or the Entertainment Plus package, access to that content also remains uninterrupted.”

This new carriage agreement comes just one month after YouTube TV announced a price increase that took its monthly rates to at least $83 per month. While neither Google — YouTube’s parent company — nor Paramount have disclosed what this carriage dispute was about, it was almost certainly over how much the former was willing to pay for the right to distribute the latter’s channels. Fortunately for subscribers, the sides came to a resolution before anyone lost access to any content, but it remains to be seen if this new agreement will lead to any other price adjustments in the near future.

“With this agreement, YouTube TV will continue to offer 100+ channels, while enabling more user choice in the future,” YouTube said. “Thank you for your patience as we negotiated on your behalf. As always, we appreciate your YouTube TV membership.”