NEW YORK—NBCUniversal and YouTube TV reached a new carriage agreement for its channels and stations on the virtual MVPD on October 3, 2021 avoiding a blackout.
NBCU warned last week that its channels could go dark on the virtual MVPD when the old agreement ended on September 30.
The two parties stepped back from the brink of a blackout however, and agreed to a short extension on September 30 to continue negotiating.
One early sticking point was the cost of a new deal and NBCU’s desire to have its streaming service Peacock added to YouTube TV. Peacock was not mentioned as part of the October 3 deal.
In a statement sent to TV Tech, an NBCU spokesman said: “We are thrilled to have reached a deal with YouTube TV and can continue to offer our full network portfolio, without interruption. YouTube is a valued partner and we never want to involve our fans in a dispute, but we felt obligated to let them know what was at stake. We thank our viewers for their loyalty and promise to continue bringing them the networks and programs they love.”
YouTube TV said in a statement: “We’re thrilled to share that we have now reached an agreement with NBCUniversal. You’ll continue to have access to 85+ channels, including all NBCU channels, their Regional Sports Networks, and your local NBC station, with no change to our current monthly price.”
