YouTube TV may pull Fox channels ahead of football season due to contract dispute

Fox channels could soon be pulled from YouTube TV if the two sides don’t ink a new content use deal Wednesday, potentially leaving subscribers of the Google-owned streamer without Week 1 of some college football games and other content.

That’s because the current carriage agreement between YouTube TV and Fox is nearing a renewal deadline. And if terms of a new deal aren’t met by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Fox channels like Fox Sports, Business and News will become unavailable on the platform.

In a Monday blog post, YouTube said Fox was “asking for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive.” The company added that it hoped to reach a deal that’s “fair for both sides” without “passing on additional costs to our subscribers.”

If Fox content becomes unavailable on YouTube TV “for an extended period of time,” YouTube also noted it would provide members with a $10 credit. YouTube TV’s base plan — which currently boasts access to over 100 live channels — costs $82.99 a month.

A spokesperson for Google did not have any additional comments when reached Wednesday by The Associated Press.

Fox said Wednesday that it was “disappointed that Google continually exploits its outsized influence by proposing terms that are out of step with the marketplace.” The broadcast giant added that it remained committed to reaching an agreement, but was alerting viewers that they could potentially lose access to Fox programming on YouTube TV “unless Google engages in a meaningful way soon.”

Fox directed subscribers to keepfox.com — a site noting that, in addition to Fox Sports, Business and News, YouTube TV may no longer carry FS1 and the Big Ten Network, which is majority-owned by Fox, if a deal isn’t reached.

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has also chimed in on the dispute — while appearing to target Google particularly. He called on the tech company to “get a deal done” in a post on social media Tuesday.

“Google removing Fox channels from YouTube TV would be a terrible outcome,” Carr wrote on X. “Millions of Americans are relying on YouTube to resolve this dispute so they can keep watching the news and sports they want—including this week’s Big Game: Texas @ Ohio State.”

—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, AP business writer