YouTube TV customers will continue to get NBCUniversal‘s suite of cable channels and local NBC stations after Google and NBCU announced an official agreement Saturday.
YouTube TV said the price of the internet-television package will remain the same. In reaching the carriage renewal, NBCU dropped its ask that YouTube TV bundle Peacock Premium with the streaming service.
YouTube TV said in a statement Saturday, “We’re thrilled to share that we have now reached an agreement with NBCUniversal. You’ll continue to have access to 85+ channels, including all NBCU channels, their Regional Sports Networks, and your local NBC station, with no change to our current monthly price.” The service currently costs $64.99/month.
An NBCU rep said in a statement to PvNew, “We are thrilled to have reached a deal with YouTube TV and can continue to offer our full network portfolio, without interruption. YouTube is a valued partner, and we never want to involve our fans in a dispute but felt obligated to let them know what was at stake. We thank our viewers for their loyalty and promise to continue bringing them the networks and programs they love.”
The previous agreement was set to expire Sept. 30 at midnight ET, but the parties reached a short-term extension while they continued working to hammer out a long-term deal.
The contract fight escalated earlier this week, after NBCU on Sunday began warning YouTube TV customers they could lose networks like NBC, USA Network and CNBC over the stalled talks.
Google has claimed that NBCU is asking for higher rates than it charges YouTube TV’s pay-TV competitors. In addition, the internet giant said NBCU, by looking to bundle Peacock Premium with YouTube, that would effectively double-charge customers for the same content (while requiring them to log in separately to Peacock’s apps).
NBCU had said that it was seeking “fair rates from Google for YouTube TV’s continued carriage of the only portfolio offering entertainment, Hispanic, news and sports networks.”
NBCU channels that YouTube TV subscribers had been in danger of losing were NBC, Bravo, CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, MSNBC, Oxygen, Syfy, Telemundo, the Olympic Channel, Universal Kids, Universo and USA Network, as well as NBC Sports regional networks including NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Philadelphia, SNY and NBC Sports Washington.
YouTube TV, available only in the U.S., offers 85-plus channels including local channels for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. The service last raised its rates in June 2020.
