After negotiating a last-second deal yesterday (Oct. 1) to keep NBCUniversal channels on YouTube TV, Google and the Comcast-owned media company have struck a new long-term deal. The multi-year agreement keeps access to Peacock, Universal Pictures media, and NBCUniversal channels across YouTube TV, YouTube and Google TV.
This all helps YouTube TV retain the top spot as one of the best live TV streaming services.
"We’ve secured long-term access to our full portfolio of broadcast and cable networks on YouTube TV, and we’re advancing our Peacock strategy with an upcoming launch on YouTube Primetime Channels and ongoing presence on Google TV," Matt Schnaars, President of Platform Distribution & Partnerships at NBCUniversal, said in a press release.
Prior to October 1, the two companies were negotiating over carriage fees to keep NBCU's content available on the live TV streaming service. NBC had been threatening to pull its channels from YouTube TV.
This deal builds on our long-standing partnership with NBCU while addressing the evolving media landscape.
Justin Connolly, Vice President, Global Head of Media & Sports at YouTube
This isn't the first time NBC channels have gone dark. In 2021, NBCU briefly pulled channels when its carriage deal with YTTV expired, while the two companies were negotiating the just-lapsed agreement.
"This deal builds on our long-standing partnership with NBCU while addressing the evolving media landscape and recognizing the importance of making content available where and how viewers want to watch it,” said Justin Connolly, Vice President, Global Head of Media & Sports at YouTube in the press release.
If you watched any NBC channel in the last week, you may have noticed a scrolling message at the top of the screen begging viewers to contact YouTube TV to deal with NBCU. It was especially noticeable during the big Oregon vs Penn State whiteout game.
There were also advertisements on YouTube and during the game with similar lobbying messages.
Despite the aggressive lobbying, it's unlikely Google and NBCU were going to let anything actually get blacklisted, as both services are highly valuable to one another.
It's unclear from the press release how long this deal is meant to endure. The previous deal lasted four years. If the companies came to a similar agreement, we can expect this dance to happen again in 2029.
What's in the agreement?
Multiple NBCU channels will stay on YTTV, including NBC, Telemundo, Bravo and USA. Additionally, NBCUniversal will be launching a new NBC Sports Network channel that will be available on YouTube TV.
This new channel is meant to complement the sports coverage on the main NBC network. In the coming months, NBC says that the Peacock streaming service will be available as an add-on via the YouTube Primetime channels.
Additionally, media from Universal Pictures will be continue to be available to rent or buy via YouTube, YouTube TV and Google TV. That's in addition to film from NBCUniversal, which will be available on demand on YouTube Premium and YouTube Free Primetime Content.
Lastly, the companies announced that Peacock will continue to be available on Google Play and Google TV.
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