YouTube TV shared this afternoon that negotiations with Paramount have failed to result in an agreement. If there’s no deal, “all Paramount content, including CBS and CBS Sports, will be unavailable on YouTube TV.”
Update 2/13: Google at 8 p.m. PT on February 13 shared an update:
We’ve reached a short-term extension as we work toward a deal with Paramount to keep their content on YouTube TV. YouTube TV subscribers continue to have access to Paramount channels, including CBS, and any recordings that are in their Library. 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.
Original 2/12: This will impact the following Paramount channels across the Base plan and Spanish plan, as well as the BET+, Entertainment plus, Paramount+ with Showtime, and Spanish plus add-ons:
| National | Local |
| BET | Atlanta 69 (WUPA) |
| BET Her | Boston TV38 (WSBK) |
| CBS | Dallas-Fort Worth KTXA |
| CBS Sports Network | New York (WLNYDT ) |
| CMT | Philadelphia 57 (WPSG) |
| Comedy Central | Pittsburgh KDKA+ (WPCW) |
| Comet TV | Sacramento KMAX 31 (KMAX) |
| Dabl | San Francisco KPIX+ (KPYX) |
| MTV | Seattle 11 (KSTW) |
| MTV Classic | Tampa Bay 44 (WTOG) |
| MTV2 | |
| MyNetwork TV | |
| NewsNation | |
| Nick Jr. | |
| Nick Toons | |
| Nickelodeon | |
| Paramount | |
| Pop | |
| Smithsonian Channel | |
| Start TV | |
| Teen Nick | |
| Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas | |
| TV Land | |
| VH1 |
YouTube TV will lose those channels “after February 13, 2025.” At that time, DVR recordings will not be accessible.
If “content is unavailable for an extended period of time,” YouTube TV members will get an $8 credit that’s ostensibly for the standalone Paramount+ subscription:
You can still watch Paramount shows and movies by signing up for their streaming service, Paramount+, starting at $7.99 a month.
Additionally:
- If you have Entertainment Plus, you’ll automatically get $10 off this bundle for each bill received while Paramount’s content remains unavailable.
- If you have Paramount+ with Showtime or BET+, you won’t be billed for your subscription and you’ll receive an automatic refund on your last charge amount.
YouTube says it has 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.” Negotiations remain underway.
Paramount is an important partner for us and as you can imagine, this is not the outcome that we want. We’re still in active conversations with Paramount and are hopeful we can come to an agreement to keep their content available on YouTube TV.
Contract disputes happen every few years, with 2021 notably seeing battles with NBC and then Disney. Paramount Global is currently going through a merger with Skydance Media.
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