YouTube TV, Paramount Agree on New Deal

A potentially damaging carriage dispute for millions of sports fans has been solved.

Paramount, parent company of CBS and CBS Sports Network, has reached a multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV, the No. 4 pay-TV operator and largest streaming-based carrier with more than eight million subscribers. 

The two sides had been actively preparing for a channel blackout starting last Thursday, a move that would have threatened access to major upcoming sports events shown by CBS such as March Madness and the Masters. 

After initially forging a short-term contract extension Thursday night to keep the channels available, the parties completed a long-term pact late Saturday. The deal involves nearly two dozen Paramount-owned channels and is based in part on also offering Paramount+ in certain YouTube TV streaming packages. 

“We look forward to extending our long-standing partnership and giving audiences greater access to their favorite programming,” Paramount said in a statement. 

YouTube said the Paramount deal “will enable more choice in the future.”

That increased amount of flexibility in programming packages thematically resembles the outcome of other recent carriage battles, such as the one last summer between DirecTV and ESPN parent company Disney.

YouTube TV and Paramount had previously appeared dug in for a protracted standoff, with Paramount even creating a web page dedicated to its various talking points against YouTube TV, and accusing the Google-owned streamer of “prioritizing their own interests over a fair agreement.”

But as the contract deadline approached, YouTube TV faced a torrent of online criticism from consumers, as the Paramount contract battle closely followed a $10 monthly price hike to $82.99 for the streaming service. In addition to the extensive sports presence, CBS is the most-watched U.S. broadcast network, and Paramount’s Nickelodeon enjoys a dedicated following among families.