With the start of the NFL season looming, it’s also a window where many TV contracts are up for renewal, and on Monday evening, YouTube TV and Fox sent out alerts indicating that their contract could come to an end as soon as August 27th, at 5PM ET. Google-owned YouTube TV says that “Fox is asking for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive,” while Fox claims that “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 customer.”
Channels at risk include Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Sports, and the Big Ten Network. But in areas where Fox also owns the local broadcast network, a disruption could also cost viewers access to a chunk of NFL games, which is why the contract is up for renewal now. Awful Announcing points out that the first big game on the slate is a college football matchup, Texas vs. Ohio State on Saturday, before week one of NFL games starts the following weekend.
Other than navigating the shrinking reach and influence of traditional cable TV, another complication for a new deal could be Fox’s just-launched Fox One direct-to-consumer streaming package, which currently includes access for pay TV subscribers at no additional charge to them over their existing bill. It’s unclear how that might affect the negotiations, or outbursts from Trump and other politicians if Fox News is unavailable to YouTube TV’s subscribers, which analyst MoffettNathanson recently estimated at 9.4 million.
YouTube TV’s announcement says that if they can’t reach a deal, then Fox One is an option for consumers, and that it will credit members $10 “…if Fox content becomes unavailable for an extended period of time.”
