YouTube TV subscribers may soon lose access to CBS and other Paramount channels. An internal memo (shared by Deadline.com) from CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, and Brian Robbins revealed that ongoing negotiations have stalled, placing subscribers at risk of losing several stations by Feb. 13.
“Paramount has been negotiating a renewal agreement with Google to provide YouTube TV subscribers with continued access to their favorite premium content from BET, CBS, CBS Sports Network, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, and more. Unfortunately, Google is unwilling to agree to reasonable terms consistent with the market, choosing to jeopardize the entertainment experience at the expense of consumers.”
“As a result, tonight we will begin warning subscribers that Google may drop all Paramount channels, including Paramount+ and BET+ from YouTube Primetime Channels, when our contract expires on February 13. Many of you, your families, and friends may be YouTube TV subscribers, so please feel free to share a link to KeepParamount.com, which will be updated with relevant news and information.”
YouTube TV has notified its subscribers about the dispute in an email and issued a statement on its official blog, stating, “We’ve 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. Unfortunately, despite our good faith negotiations, we haven’t been successful yet.”
“We’re still actively negotiating with Paramount and will keep you updated on our progress. If we can’t reach an agreement and their content is unavailable for an extended period of time, we’ll offer subscribers an $8 credit. You can still watch Paramount shows and movies by signing up for their streaming service, Paramount+, starting at $7.99 a month.”
Among the notable events covered on Paramount stations is the NCAA Basketball Tournament, formerly known as March Madness, which is set to begin with the First Four on March 18 and 19.
