YouTube TV and Paramount Global Strike a Deal, Avoiding Channel Blackout

A picture shows the logo of Youtube social media displayed by a tablet and a smartphone in Toulouse, France, on Oct. 5, 2021. Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images

YouTube TV and Paramount Global announced they have reached a new contract renewal agreement, after failed negotiations left the future of their partnership at an impasse.

In an update posted to its website on Feb. 15, YouTube TV thanked customers for their patience as the two parties continued negotiations.

The company initially informed users on Feb. 12 that Paramount channels—which include CBS and CBS Sports, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and more—would be unavailable starting Feb. 14.

“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached a deal to continue carrying Paramount channels,” reads the statement.

“With this agreement, YouTube TV will continue to offer 100+ channels and add-ons including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and will enable more user choice in the future.”

During that time frame, there was a short-term deadline extension as the companies inched closer to a deal, with YouTube TV offering an $8 dollar credit to subscribers if Paramount content remained unavailable for an extended period of time.

Meanwhile, in a statement provided to The Epoch Times, a Paramount spokesperson said the company looks forward to extending their “long-standing partnership” and continuing to give subscribers access to their favorite programming.

“We are pleased to announce a renewed Paramount-Google agreement for the continued carriage of Paramount’s leading portfolio of entertainment, news and sports networks across YouTube TV’s platform,” read the statement.

“The multi-year deal also features an expanded streaming relationship, with the ongoing inclusion of Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and BET+ among YouTube Primetime Channels and providing Google the right to make Paramount+ available to qualifying YouTube TV customers.”

Paramount previously cited “one-sided terms” and “non-market demands,” as the main reasons for stalled negotiations.

In an internal memo to employees, Paramount co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, and Brian Robbins described the Google subsidiary as “unwilling to agree to reasonable terms consistent with the market, choosing to jeopardize the entertainment experience at the expense of consumers.”

“We also continue to modernize and broaden our relationships with distributors to create mutually beneficial value—driving not only our own business forward but also helping to transform the industry to better serve audiences,” reads the memo.

In the past, YouTube TV has faced other contract distribution disagreements, including a two-day blackout in a dispute with Disney in 2021 that revoked subscriber access to channels like ESPN, ABC, and FX.

As of February 2024, YouTube TV had more than 8 million subscribers and is considered the largest internet-delivered pay-TV service in the nation.

Back in December, the company raised its monthly subscription price by $10 dollars, from $72.99 to $82.99. The service has more than doubled from its original $35-a-month price at launch in 2017.