Update (2/16) - After several days of intensive negotiations, YouTube TV and Paramount Global have renewed their carriage deal for CBS stations nationwide, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and 20 other channels on the service, Variety is reporting.
In addition, under the new agreement, YouTube TV has the right to bundle Paramount+ to “qualifying” customers.
The companies announced the multiyear pact Saturday (Feb. 15) evening, after Paramount began warning YouTube TV customers of the standoff and a potential blackout of its channels earlier this week. Talks continued after the previous deal expired Thursday evening and the two sides inked a temporary extension.
The renewal means YouTube TV customers will not miss the NCAA March Madness coverage on CBS or the network’s other programming. Other channels that will remain on YouTube TV include CBS Sports Network, BET, Nick Jr., NickToons, TV Land, Paramount Network, CMT, Smithsonian Channel and VH1.
Financial terms of YouTube TV’s renewal with Paramount weren’t disclosed. Paramount had been seeking a rate hike, while YouTube said it was working to reach a “fair agreement” with Paramount “without passing on additional costs to our subscribers.”
A Paramount rep said Saturday, “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.” The multiyear deal also features “an expanded streaming relationship,” with the ongoing inclusion of Paramount+ with Showtime and BET+ among YouTube Primetime Channels and giving Google the right to make Paramount+ available to qualifying YouTube TV customers.
A YouTube rep said, “We’re happy to share that we’ve reached a deal to continue carrying Paramount channels, including CBS, CBS Sports, Nickelodeon and more. With this agreement, YouTube TV will continue to offer 100-plus channels and add-ons including Paramount+ and will enable more user choice in the future. To our subscribers, we appreciate your patience while we negotiated on your behalf.”
The keepparamount.com and keepnick.com websites have also been updated to include the message:
RENEWED PARAMOUNT-GOOGLE AGREEMENTWe 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. 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. We look forward to extending our long-standing partnership and giving audiences greater access to their favorite programming.
Previous updates:
Update (2/14) - YouTube TV and Paramount Global, still haggling over a new distribution deal, have reached a short-term extension to let the internet TV service continue carrying CBS and more than 20 other networks — for now.
The companies are sparring over financial terms, with Paramount seeking a rate hike, Variety reports Their existing deal expired at 11 p.m. ET on Feb. 13.
On Thursday evening shortly after that deadline passed, YouTube TV said in a post on X/Twitter, “We’ve reached a short-term extension with Paramount to keep their content on YouTube TV. Subscribers continue to have access to Paramount channels, including CBS. We appreciate your patience as we continue to negotiate on your behalf.” A Paramount rep confirmed the short-term deal extension with YouTube.
YouTube TV is the largest broadband-delivered subscription TV service in the U.S. with more than 8 million customers, ahead of rivals like Hulu + Live TV and Dish’s Sling TV.
The channels at risk of going dark on YouTube TV include CBS stations nationwide, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., CBS Sports Network, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, TV Land, Paramount Network, CMT and VH1. In addition, YouTube TV customers would lose access to recorded Paramount content as well as add-on subscriptions to Paramount+ with Showtime and BET+ if the companies can’t reach a long-term agreement.
Paramount began alerting customers to the potential blackout on Wednesday. The company says it provides “some of the most-watched programming in YouTube TV households.” In such carriage disputes, programmers will try to gain leverage in negotiations by publicizing the spat and urging viewers to voice their displeasure with the pay-TV service in question — which is what Paramount has done here, setting up a websites keepparamount.com and keepnick.com, which include a link to contact YouTube TV customer support.
Paramount, which is in the midst of closing a $8 billion deal to merge with Skydance Media, has alleged that YouTube TV “is attempting to pressure Paramount to agree to unfavorable and one-sided terms” and that “YouTube TV is prioritizing their own interests over a fair agreement.” The media company claims it has offered renewal terms to YouTube TV to continue carrying its broadcast and cable networks “at a fair price.”
YouTube, for its part, said it was “working hard to reach a fair agreement with Paramount that allows us to keep their channels, including CBS and CBS Sports, on YouTube TV without passing on additional costs to our subscribers.”
YouTube TV has told customers that if Paramount’s content is “unavailable for an extended period of time,” they will be able to claim an $8 credit at tv.youtube.com. YouTube also pointed out that users can watch Paramount shows and movies by signing up for Paramount+, which starts at $7.99/month.
YouTube TV hiked its baseline price by $10 per month effective Jan. 13, 2025, rising from $72.99 to $82.99 per month.
Such programming standoffs have been a feature of the pay-TV biz for years, but YouTube TV has largely managed to steer clear of blackouts. In 2021, YouTube TV had a two-day blackout of ESPN and other Disney channels before the parties reached an agreement.
Within the past year, Paramount cut new multiyear deals with the two biggest U.S. cable operators — Comcast in January, and Charter Communications last May — with both encompassing rights to offer Paramount+ as part of their services.
Paramount Global is notifying YouTube TV subscribers that more than 20 channels, including Nickelodeon, CBS, BET, Comedy Central and MTV could go dark on the service as soon as Thursday, Feb. 13.
Other Paramount channels in danger of being removed from YouTube TV include Nick Jr., CBS Sports Network, Paramount Network, CMT, Smithsonian Channel, TV Land and VH1. In addition, the dispute threatens to pull the Paramount+, SHOWTIME and BET+ subscription services from YouTube TV Primetime Channels.
CBS stations nationwide would be dropped from YouTube TV if the two sides can’t reach a deal. In addition, 10 other local stations that are part of the CBS News and Stations division could go dark in Atlanta (WUPA), Boston (WSBK), Dallas-Fort Worth (KTXA), New York (WLNY), Philadelphia (WPSG), Pittsburgh (WPCW), Sacramento (KMAX), San Francisco (KPYX), Seattle (KSTW) and Tampa Bay (WTOG).
In the event of a Paramount blackout on YouTube TV, customers also would lose their DVR recordings of Paramount content.
“YouTube TV is attempting to pressure Paramount to agree to one-sided terms, and these non-market demands may lead to an avoidable loss of Paramount’s networks on YouTube TV, in addition to the removal of Paramount+ and BET+ from YouTube’s Primetime Channels, on February 13,” a Paramount spokesperson told Variety.
In a blog post, YouTube said in part, “We’ve been working hard to reach a fair agreement with Paramount that allows us to keep their channels, including CBS and CBS Sports, on YouTube TV without passing on additional costs to our subscribers. Unfortunately, despite our good faith negotiations, we haven’t been successful yet.” It continued, “Paramount is an important partner for us and as you can imagine, this is not the outcome that we want. We’re still in active conversations with Paramount and are hopeful we can come to an agreement to keep their content available on YouTube TV.”
YouTube said that if it can’t reach an agreement with Paramount “and their content is unavailable for an extended period of time,” YouTube TV subscribers will be able to claim an $8 credit at tv.youtube.com. The company noted that users can watch Paramount shows and movies by signing up for Paramount+, which starts at $7.99/month.
The carriage dispute has flared up after YouTube TV hiked its baseline price by $10/month effective Jan. 13, 2025 — rising from $72.99 to $82.99 per month.
According to the Paramount rep, “We have made a series of fair offers to continue our long-standing relationship with Google’s YouTube TV, providing subscribers access to the full array of Paramount’s entertainment, news and sports programming,” a Paramount rep said in a statement. “Paramount has become an essential partner with a leading portfolio of channels among YouTube TV households, including CBS — America’s most-watched network — and hit franchises like Paramount Network’s Yellowstone, the top entertainment show on cable.”
Paramount claimed it has a “long track record of successfully and amicably renewing partnerships with every major distributor” and that it will “continue our efforts to reach a new agreement with YouTube TV.”
YouTube TV, which was launched in February 2017, has more than 8 million subscribers, according to Google. That makes it the biggest internet-delivered pay-TV service in the U.S.
In a memo to all employees about the YouTube TV standoff, Paramount Global co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins wrote that the company is continuing “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.”
“We remain hopeful that we can reach an agreement [with YouTube] that fairly recognizes the full power of our brands and popular programming,” the CEOs said in the memo. “Thank you to everyone for your hard work, support and dedication to our audiences and partners. We’ll update you as this situation develops in the coming days.”
The co-CEOs also noted that “Many of you, your families and friends may be YouTube TV subscribers, so please feel free to share a link to KeepParamount.com, which will be updated with relevant news and information.”
Like virtually every other pay-TV provider, YouTube TV has clashed in contract disputes with programmers before. In 2021, it experienced a two-day blackout of Disney channels before the parties reached an agreement. That same year, NBCUniversal’s distribution deal for YouTube TV expired but the companies reached a short-term extension before inking a long-term pact.
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Originally published: February 13, 2025.
Original post titles: YouTube TV Could Lose Nickelodeon, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Paramount+ and More in Contract Dispute With Paramount; YouTube TV, Paramount Agree to Deal Extension to Avoid Blackout of Nickelodeon, CBS, Other Networks While Talks Continue.
H/T: Special thanks to @916786wc.
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