YouTube TV is facing a potential blackout of several popular channels, including CBS, Comedy Central, and MTV, if it fails to reach a contract renewal agreement with Paramount Global by Thursday night. The two companies have been in negotiations for a fair deal, but so far, no agreement has been reached.
Paramount has accused YouTube TV of trying to pressure them into unfavorable terms, while YouTube TV claims that they are working hard to reach a comprehensive deal. If the channels disappear, YouTube TV subscribers will receive an $8 credit on their website and can sign up for Paramount+ to keep watching CBS and other content.
This dispute comes just a month after YouTube TV raised its basic package price by $10 to $82.99 per month. The service has around 8 million subscribers and is the most popular internet-based pay-TV service, surpassing competitors like DirecTV Stream and Fubo. A similar situation occurred in 2021 when YouTube TV’s collection of channels disappeared from the service for two days before a contract renewal was struck.
The blackout will take effect at 11 pm ET on Thursday if no agreement is reached, leaving subscribers with limited options to access popular content.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/13/media/paramount-youtube-contract-renewal/index.html