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UPDATE (8/29): Football fans can continue watching their favorite games on YouTube TV. The streamer has reached a contract renewal agreement with Fox to keep the network's channels.
"We're happy to share that we've reached an agreement with Fox to keep their content on YouTube TV, preserve the value of our service for our subscribers, and offer more flexibility in the future. This means that Fox channels, including the Fox Broadcast Network, Fox News, and Fox Sports, remain available for our subscribers along with 100+ channels, and football fans will not miss any of the action this weekend," YouTube said in an updated blog post.
Terms of the renewal were not revealed. The original contract expired on Aug. 27, but the two parties were initially unable to reach a deal. The entire episode has now turned out to be an exact repeat of YouTube's public fight with Paramount earlier this year.
Original Story (8/26):
The NFL season kicks off next week, and if you were planning to watch games via Fox on YouTube TV, we have some bad news.
YouTube TV's contract with Fox expires this week, but the two sides have yet to reach a deal. If a deal isn't finalized by 5 p.m. ET on Aug. 27, the live TV streaming service will drop Fox's sports, business, and news channels, Google announced in a blog post.
Both sides are blaming each other, per usual. "Fox is asking for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive," Google says. "Our priority is to reach a deal that reflects the value of their content and is fair for both sides without passing on additional costs to our subscribers."
Fox, on the other hand, claims Google is using its strong market presence to negotiate a deal tilted in its favor. "Google is attempting to use its market power to pressure Fox to agree to unfavorable and one-sided terms, prioritizing their own interests over a fair agreement for its customers," Fox says on its website.
Negotiations are ongoing. If Fox content is pulled from YouTube TV "for an extended period of time," Google says it will give customers a $10 credit. YouTube TV costs $82.99 per month.
The public spat comes just days after Fox launched its own standalone streaming service, Fox One. At $19.99 per month or $199 annually, it unlocks a range of Fox networks, including Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Fox Deportes. "In the event that Fox content becomes unavailable, you will still be able to watch their shows and sports by signing up for Fox One," Google reminds its YouTube TV subscribers.
These disputes over what's known as carriage agreements happen often. YouTube TV fought a similar battle with Paramount earlier this year. Often, these companies reach a deal before any channels go dark, but blackouts have occurred. Fox is encouraging YouTube TV users to "take action" by contacting the streamer or posting on social media, as if the average person has any control over a multi-billion-dollar company. We'll find out tomorrow.