Google and NBCUniversal Seal Multi-Year Deal for YouTube TV Good news for YouTube TV subscribers who are fans of Sunday Night Football and other NBCUniversal content. A new multi-year agreement has been reached between the tech giant and the broadcaster, ensuring that popular channels and shows will remain on the streaming platform for the foreseeable future. This new deal comes after a period of uncertainty. The companies’ original contract was nearing its end, and YouTube TV had publicly stated that NBC was asking for an unfair price, claiming it was more than what consumers pay for the same content directly on Peacock. This, YouTube TV argued, would have forced them to raise prices for their own subscribers. A last-minute short-term extension was put in place to avoid a blackout while the two sides worked on this more permanent solution. The agreement secures access to the full NBCUniversal portfolio for YouTube TV users. This includes major networks like NBC, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, and USA, as well as Syfy, E!, Golf Channel, Oxygen True Crime, and Spanish-language channels Telemundo and Universo. In a notable move, the deal also includes the relaunch of the NBC Sports Network, a cable channel that was shut down in 2021. It is set to return to YouTube TV later this fall, where it will complement the sports already broadcast on the main NBC network. Furthermore, YouTube TV will integrate Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, as an add-on subscription in the coming months. This will be available through YouTube Primetime Channels, allowing users to manage their subscriptions in one place. Movies and shows from Universal Pictures will also continue to be available for purchase or rental through Google TV and YouTube TV. The Peacock app will remain available for download via Google Play. A YouTube executive stated that this agreement strengthens their long-standing partnership with NBCUniversal and acknowledges the importance of making content available to viewers on their preferred platforms. While Google successfully navigated a deal with NBCUniversal, its negotiations with Univision, the largest Spanish-language broadcaster in the US, ended without an agreement. Google stated that Univision’s demands were not justified by its performance on YouTube TV over the past four years. Univision’s parent company had previously alerted customers that YouTube TV intended to remove its channels from the standard package and place them in a more expensive add-on tier. As a result, Univision channels are no longer available on YouTube TV.
