FCC Chair Joins Fox–YouTube TV Fight With Big Game on the Line

Another sports-related media dispute is now feeling the weight of federal attention.

Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr has publicly addressed the ongoing Fox–YouTube TV carriage dispute, calling on YouTube TV parent Google to resolve the matter.

YouTube TV is threatening to remove Fox channels from its streaming service if a new carriage agreement is not reached by Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET. A blackout of those channels, while broader than just sports, would potentially impact the distribution of Saturday’s college football mega-clash between No. 1–ranked Texas and No. 3 and defending national champion Ohio State.

Notably, Carr placed the onus to make a deal on Google, and not Fox, a network that has had close ties to the Trump White House. Carr is an appointee of U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Google removing Fox channels from YouTube TV would be a terrible outcome,” Carr said in a social media post. “Millions of Americans are relying on YouTube so they can keep watching the news and sports they want—including this week’s Big Game: Texas at Ohio State. Get a deal done Google!”

The company quickly responded in its own post, saying it is attempting to resolve the issue with Fox as quickly as possible. Like many other media distribution battles, the Fox–YouTube TV issue largely centers on the fees the network charges for its programming. YouTube TV is the No. 4 U.S. pay-TV distributor, with an estimated 9.4 million subscribers.

“We love football, too!” YouTube said. “We’re working hard to negotiate a deal that’s fair to Fox, our valued subscribers, and all of our partners. Stay tuned.”

Not the First Time

Carr has taken an increasingly active role in these types of issues throughout the year. In the spring, he was directly involved in the YES Network–Comcast battle that ultimately led to a deal for the 2025 MLB season. 

Last month, Carr also weighed in on Skydance’s acquisition of CBS Sports parent Paramount, imposing several conditions, including the installation of an ombudsman to monitor the network’s news division.

Just last weekend, Carr threw out a first pitch at a Yankees game and appeared in the YES Network booth, a particularly notable move as the regional sports network’s negotiations with Comcast are about to restart.

“I’m a big [baseball] fan,” Carr said during last Saturday’s YES Network broadcast of a Red Sox–Yankees game. “The Yankees are such an incredible organization.”