YouTube TV reaches 'short-term extension' in dispute with Fox, warding
off immediate disruptions
[August 28, 2025]
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS
NEW YORK (AP) — YouTube TV says it's reached a “short-term extension” in
its contract dispute with Fox, meaning subscribers of the Google-owned
streamer won't see immediate disruptions of Fox channels on the
platform.
The current carriage agreement between YouTube TV and Fox originally
faced a Wednesday afternoon deadline — with YouTube previously warning
that networks like Fox Sports, Business and News would become
unavailable on its streaming platform if the two sides didn't reach a
new deal by 5 p.m. ET.
That would have left YouTube TV customers without Week 1 of some college
football games and other broadcast programming from Fox. But shortly
after the clock hit 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, YouTube said it was able to
“prevent disruption” as it continues to work towards a new agreement.
“We are committed to advocating on behalf of our subscribers as we work
toward a fair deal and will keep you updated on our progress,” YouTube
said in a brief update announcing the extension.
A spokesperson for Fox had no addition comment, but confirmed that the
broadcast giant had agreed to the short-term extension. It was not
immediately clear how long the extension would be.
In a statement earlier Wednesday, Fox said that it was “disappointed
that Google continually exploits its outsized influence by proposing
terms that are out of step with the marketplace.” Fox also directed
subscribers to a site called keepfox.com for more information and to
call on YouTube to come to an agreement.
In addition to Fox Sports, Business and News, keepfox.com notes that
YouTube TV may no longer carry FS1 and the Big Ten Network (which is
majority-owned by Fox) if a deal isn’t reached.
Meanwhile, in blog post earlier this week, YouTube said Fox was “asking
for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable
content offerings receive.” The company added that it hoped to reach a
deal that's “fair for both sides" without "passing on additional costs
to our subscribers.”
If Fox content becomes unavailable on YouTube TV “for an extended period
of time,” YouTube also noted it would provide members with a $10 credit.
YouTube TV's base plan — which currently boasts access to over 100 live
channels — costs $82.99 a month.
[to top of second column]
|
YouTube TV logo is seen at the YouTube Space LA in Los Angeles, Feb.
28, 2017. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
 Brendan Carr, chairman of the
Federal Communications Commission, also chimed in on the dispute
leading up to Wednesday's deadline — while appearing to target
Google particularly. He called on the tech company to “get a deal
done” in a post on social media.
“Google removing Fox channels from YouTube TV would be a terrible
outcome,” Carr wrote in a Tuesday post on X. “Millions of Americans
are relying on YouTube to resolve this dispute so they can keep
watching the news and sports they want—including this week’s Big
Game: Texas @ Ohio State.”
From sports events to awards shows, live programming that was once
reserved for broadcast has increasingly made its way into the
streaming world over the years — as more and more consumers ditch
traditional cable or satellite TV subscriptions for content they can
get online. But renewing carriage agreements can also mean tense
contract negotiations — at times resulting in service disruptions.
YouTube TV has been down this road before. In 2021 YouTube TV
subscribers briefly lost access to all Disney content on the
platform, including networks like ESPN and local ABC stations, after
a contract breakdown between the two companies. That outage lasted
less than two days, with the companies eventually reaching an
agreement.
Beyond deals with YouTube TV and others, Fox last week launched its
own streaming platform. “Fox One," which has a starting price of
$19.99 a month.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
