Crisis averted: NBCUniversal channels are staying on YouTube TV

The two companies announced a new deal this morning

It’s never good when a cable company and a network are disputing over contract terms — in the end, only the consumer gets hurt. Thankfully, YouTube TV and NBCUniversal have managed to avoid channel blackouts, as negotiations have ended with a new agreement made.

This announcement isn’t all too surprising following yesterday’s short-term contract extension. While negotiations between cable providers and media corporations often end with channels getting temporarily delisted from the service, YouTube TV managed to keep NBCUniversal’s programming lineup from being dropped — even after missing the deadline late Thursday night.

Twenty channels in total, including Bravo, Syfy, and several sports networks, would’ve been affected had this deal not been reached. YouTube TV offered users a $10 per month discount in the case of pulled programming. While customers won’t see savings on their ever-growing monthly bills, it’s good to know that Google plans to reimburse customers in the event of future failed contract negotiations.

In case you missed it, this entire squabble started over NBCUniversal’s insistence that Peacock memberships be bundled into YouTube TV memberships. The company’s streaming service has been a public failure, with a rumored relaunch planned for sometime in 2022. As you might’ve guessed, Peacock is not included with YouTube TV moving forward.

About The Author