YouTubeTV, Paramount reach agreement, avoid blackout
23 channels stay on service
Days after YouTubeTV emailed subscribers (including this writer) that it was on the verge of losing 23 channels owned and/or operated by Paramount Global, the two reached a resolution Saturday night with a new deal.
Terms were not disclosed.
News of the impending blackout made news Wednesday night and intensified Thursday, as CBS ran ads during its network programming warning viewers they would it (including affiliates not owned by Paramount) and 22 other channels from Paramount Global, including MTV, Nickelodeon, CBS Sports Network, Smithsonian Channel, and others. YouTubeTV would have also lost digital subchannels Dabl and Start TV, as even though they are managed by Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting, they are still Paramount-owned properties through CBS.
YouTubeTV released a list of channels on its blog that would’ve been impacted but erroneously included three (NewsNation, Comet, and MyNetworkTV, which isn’t even a network but a small programming service) not owned by Paramount but by other media companies. Minutes after an 11 p.m. CT deadline to renew their contract expired, both parties announced a short-term extension to keep the Paramount channels on the service.
“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+ channels and add-ons, including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and will enable more user choice in the future. To our subscribers, we appreciate your patience while we negotiated on your behalf.” in a letter emailed to YouTubeTV subscribers and posted on their official blog.
Unlike Disney’s deal with Charter, which saw several channels removed from its Spectrum service, all 23 Paramount channels will remain on YouTubeTV, including numerous lesser-watched niche channels including BETHer, TVLand, and MTV Classic. In 2017, this space looked at the future of cable TV amid cord-cutting and noted MTV Classic’s primetime viewership at the time was around 35,000 on average – about the same size as northwest suburban Park Ridge. Most of Paramount’s channels air mainly reruns of off-network sitcoms and dramas and movies, content that can be easily found elsewhere, including several streamers.
Given YouTubeTV recently raised its base price by ten dollars to $83 a month, the new deal with Paramount is disappointing for subscribers as the virtual provider was supposed to be an alternative to cable. Despite marketing itself to sports fans, YouTubeTV doesn’t carry regional sports networks such as CHSN and Marquee – not even as add-ons – but will continue to include channels carrying Big Bang Theory and Friends reruns, fare found easily elsewhere. Not exactly a great value if you are a sports fan – or even if you’re not.