Several Paramount Global-owned channels, including CBS, Comedy Central, and MTV, were removed from YouTube TV on Thursday after both companies failed to reach a contract renewal.
YouTube TV, owned by Alphabet, informed subscribers that it is “working hard to reach a fair agreement with Paramount” but negotiations have not yet been successful.
“Paramount is an important partner for us, and as you can imagine, this is not the outcome that we want,” YouTube TV stated. “We’re still in active conversations with Paramount and are hopeful we can come to an agreement to keep their content available.”
Paramount, on a dedicated webpage, accused YouTube TV of pushing for “unfavorable and one-sided terms” and said it had proposed a “comprehensive deal” to keep its channels on the platform.
YouTube TV is offering subscribers an $8 credit if Paramount’s channels remain unavailable for an extended period and is encouraging them to subscribe to Paramount+ to access CBS and other content.
The dispute follows YouTube TV’s recent price hike, increasing its basic package by $10 to $82.99 per month. The service, with around 8 million subscribers, is the leading internet-based pay-TV platform, surpassing rivals like DirecTV Stream and Fubo.
YouTube TV previously faced a similar standoff with Disney in 2021, causing its channels to disappear for two days before a new agreement was reached.
