Google-owned YouTube TV has warned its roughly 9.4 million subscribers that Fox-owned networks, including the Fox broadcast network, Fox News and Fox Sports, could be removed from the streaming bundle if the companies fail to renew their carriage agreement by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 27. The notice comes just days before the first full weekend of college football and two weeks ahead of the NFL’s opening Sunday, putting marquee games such as Texas–Ohio State at risk for viewers who rely on the service. YouTube TV said in a blog post and customer emails that Fox is demanding “payments far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive,” adding that it will credit customers $10 on their next bill if the channels go dark. Fox countered that Google is leveraging its market power to secure “unfavorable and one-sided terms,” and has begun on-air and online campaigns urging subscribers to pressure YouTube TV or switch providers. The dispute is the latest in a string of last-minute negotiations between programmers and distributors as cord-cutting accelerates. A blackout would interrupt access to national networks such as FS1 and the Big Ten Network as well as Fox-owned stations in major markets including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The standoff also coincides with Fox’s rollout of Fox One, a $20-a-month direct-to-consumer package that could give viewers an alternative if talks collapse.
If you're a YouTube TV subscriber and also a football fan, we have some (potentially) bad news for you. https://t.co/2IsTuj8wbn
YouTube TV could lose Fox channels this week https://t.co/gf0KchBXRK
YouTube says that Fox is asking for payments "far higher than what partners with comparable content" receive; YouTube TV's renewal date with Fox is Wednesday (@jenn_elias / CNBC) https://t.co/RLV16QpJ8y https://t.co/bcf5zwl78Q