Crisis averted for NBC Sports parent NBCUniversal and YouTube TV.
The programmer and the Google-owned streamer have reached a long-term distribution agreement, ending what had been another fractious carriage battle in an increasingly difficult television business. The two sides had previously reached a short-term extension that kept the channels on with the No. 4 pay-TV distributor while negotiations continued.
The full deal, however, ensures carriage for NBCUniversal’s full suite of channels, including the NBC broadcast network, CNBC, Golf Channel, and a revived NBC Sports Network.
“This deal builds on our long-standing partnership with NBCU while addressing the evolving media landscape and recognizing the importance of making content available where and how viewers want to watch it,” YouTube global head of media and sports Justin Connolly said in a statement.
The deal averts blackouts within this weekend’s sports programming on NBC, including a hefty slate of college football and the Oct. 5 Sunday Night Football game between the Patriots and Bills. YouTube TV has nearly 10 million subscribers, according to unofficial estimates, trailing only Charter, Comcast, and DirecTV among major distributors.
NBCUniversal’s Peacock will be available as a subscription offering within YouTube Primetime Channels. Peacock had been a particular point of conflict in the negotiations, as YouTube had alleged that it was being undercut by much of the same programming under discussion being available on that platform at a lower cost.
The deal also includes long-term rights for NBCUniversal’s premium programming to show up as short-form clips and highlights on the flagship YouTube.
“Our new agreement with Google is a clear win for both our business and our viewers,” said NBCUniversal president of platform distribution and partnerships Matt Schnaars.
YouTube TV is still in the midst of other distribution battles with TelevisaUnivision and with Monumental Sports Network, and those channels are dark on the service.
