YouTube TV, Paramount reach temporary agreement after threatened blackout of CBS channels
Negotiations between the two could have blacked out CBS-affiliated channels on YouTube TV — just before the start of March Madness and the Masters
Sports fans excited about March Madness and the Masters may face a significant obstacle if they subscribe to YouTube TV.
Paramount announced on Thursday that its contract with YouTube TV was set to expire Thursday by the end of the night if a new agreement is not reached. That means CBS and CBS Sports, among 21 other networks under the Paramount umbrella, wouldn't be available to YouTube TV subscribers as of Thursday night at 11 p.m. ET.
In certain markets, local CBS News affiliates won't be available, either. The list of affected affiliates includes top 10 TV markets in New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston and Atlanta.
But the CBS blackout has been averted for now: On Thursday evening, YouTube TV announced that it had reached a "short-term extension" with Paramount.
"We appreciate your patience as we continued to negotiate on your behalf. We also value Paramount's partnership and willingness to work towards an agreement," YouTube TV said in a statement.
An update for our members: We’ve reached a short-term extension with Paramount to keep their content on YouTube TV. Subscribers continue to have access to Paramount channels, including CBS. We appreciate your patience as we continue to negotiate on your behalf.… https://t.co/xMAs8m6jFU
— YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) February 14, 2025
The carriage dispute came to a head approximately a month before two of the year's biggest sporting events, leaving men's college basketball and golf fans potentially deprived. The first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament is scheduled to tip off March 18, while the Masters begins April 10. Both of those events will be available for streaming on Paramount+.
As could be expected, YouTube TV and Paramount were initially pointing a finger at the other side in the carriage dispute reaching this point.
"We've been working hard to reach a fair agreement with Paramount that allows us to keep their channels, including CBS and CBS Sports, on YouTube TV without passing on additional costs to our subscribers," YouTube said in a statement. "Unfortunately, despite our good faith negotiations, we haven't been successful yet."
"YouTube TV is prioritizing their own interests over a fair agreement," Paramount said on a website created to address the dispute.
YouTube TV said it would offer subscribers an $8 credit if the dispute keeps Paramount channels off the service for an extended period of time.
This is the second major carriage dispute between a TV provider and network conglomerate in six months. Last September, Disney channels went dark on DirecTV. That dispute lasted approximately two weeks before being resolved, costing subscribers the ability to watch several college football matchups, including Texas-Michigan on ABC, in addition to the Week 1 "Monday Night Football" telecast featuring the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers.
One year prior, Disney and Charter Communications had a carriage dispute that lasted nearly two weeks before the sides reached a new agreement just before Week 1's "MNF" broadcast.
YouTube TV recently increased its monthly subscription fee to $82.99, up from $72.99 per month. That was the streaming service’s second increase since April 2023, when the price raised from $64.99. YouTube TV currently has more than eight million subscribers.
