YouTube TV May Drop Fox News, Fox Local TV and More Channels in Contract Dispute

YouTube TV‘s millions of subscribers could lose Fox News, FS1, local Fox TV stations and more as soon as this Wednesday if the Google-owned video service can’t reach a deal with Fox Corp.

The current YouTube TV distribution agreement with Fox Corp. expires Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 5 p.m. ET.

Fox Corp. on Monday began warning viewers of the potential blackout of its channels on YouTube TV, pointing them to the website keepfox.com with its side of the spat. The company rattled its saber around big upcoming sporting events: “YouTube TV customers could be deprived of some of the fall’s biggest television sporting events, including NFL on Fox, College Football on Fox, FS1 and Big Ten Network, and MLB on Fox and FS1,” the company says on the website.

The media company said in a statement: “While Fox remains committed to reaching a fair agreement with Google’s YouTube TV, we are disappointed that Google continually exploits its outsized influence by proposing terms that are out of step with the marketplace. We are alerting Fox viewers who are YouTube TV subscribers that they could lose access to much of their favorite news, sports, entertainment and local station programming unless Google engages in a meaningful way soon.”

In a message to its subscribers, YouTube TV said its “agreement with Fox is nearing renewal, and we’re actively negotiating to reach a fair deal for both sides, as well as our subscribers.”

YouTube TV’s statement continued, “Our goal is to keep Fox content, including channels like the Fox Broadcast Network, Fox News, and Fox Sports on YouTube TV. We hope to reach a deal, but we want to be transparent that if we’re unable to reach an agreement by August 27, their content may become unavailable.”

According to YouTube, if it is unable to reach a deal renewal with Fox Corp. and Fox’s content “becomes unavailable for an extended period of time, we’ll offer our YouTube TV subscribers a $10 credit.”

The channels in danger of going dark on YouTube TV are: Fox local stations; BTN; Fox Business; Fox Deportes; Fox News; Fox Soccer Plus; Fox Soul; Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and Fox Sports 2 (FS2); Fox Weather;
KTVU Plus; and LiveNow from Fox. In addition, YouTube TV customers who subscribe to Fox Nation as an optional add-on would lose access to that service.

Such carriage fights are a regular feature of the pay-TV business — and typically center on a programmer’s interest in getting higher fees from a distributor.

YouTube TV has clashed in contract disputes with programmers before. In February of this year, YouTube TV and Paramount Global (now Paramount Skydance) renewed their agreement to carry CBS stations nationwide and more than 20 other channels after contentious deal talks became public.

In 2021, YouTube TV had a two-day blackout of Disney channels before the parties reached an agreement. That same year, NBCUniversal’s distribution deal for YouTube TV expired but the companies reached a short-term extension before inking a long-term pact.