YouTube TV Customers Could Lose Fox Just As Football Season Starts: What We Know

Topline

Fox and YouTube TV have struggled to reach a carriage agreement, according to a YouTube statement, putting Fox content available through the streamer in jeopardy of being removed if the two companies cannot reach a deal.

The YouTube TV logo appears on the screen of a smartphone and in the background on the computer screen in Reno, United States, on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Key Facts

The renewal date between Fox and YouTube TV’s streaming agreement is nearing as YouTube has accused Fox of “asking for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive.”

YouTube said a deal must be reached by 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday or else channels like Fox Sports, Fox Business and Fox News will be removed from YouTube TV listings.

YouTube TV, which said it is in “active and ongoing negotiations” with Fox, has vowed to give users a $10 credit if Fox content “becomes unavailable for an extended period of time.”

Fox has accused YouTube TV of exploiting “its outsized influence by proposing terms that are out of step with the marketplace.”

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What College Football Games Could Be Impacted By A Fox Blackout?

Fox is slated to broadcast the highest-profile game of week one of college football this season as No. 1 Texas takes on No. 3 Ohio State. No. 21 Indiana versus Old Dominion, No. 22 Iowa State versus South Dakota and Auburn versus Baylor will also be broadcast either on Fox or Fox Sports 1.

Will A Fox Blackout Impact Nfl Sunday Ticket?

No, according to NBC’s Pro Football Talk, which cited an NFL spokesperson who said NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers will still have access to all out-of-market games regardless of the broadcaster. But YouTube TV customers would lose access to Fox games on local affiliates if the dispute is not settled by the start of week one, which takes place the weekend after Labor Day. The customers would not have the option of watching their local Fox games through NFL Sunday Ticket, since the service is built for access to out-of-market games.

Key Background

The disagreement between Fox and YouTube TV is the streamer’s latest dispute with a carrier. In February, YouTube TV narrowly avoided a blackout of Paramount channels including CBS, Nickelodeon and MTV, offering an $8 credit to customers if the Paramount content was unavailable for an extended period of time. Disney channels became unavailable on YouTube TV in 2021 following failed negotiations. It is unclear how much money YouTube TV pays to carriers like Fox and Paramount. The streamer’s base plan costs $82.99 a month for unlimited DVR space and over 100 live channels. YouTube TV, which does not publicly disclose its revenue, has 9.4 million subscribers as of this year, according to research firm MoffettNathanson.