CBS and other Paramount channels could go dark on YouTube TV

Paramount Global tv networks, including CBS, could spell acheronian connected Google’s YouTube TV connected Thursday nighttime successful the latest declaration showdown betwixt a large programmer and a distributor.

Paramount began informing CBS, BET and Comedy Central viewers that a blackout was apt arsenic negotiations went down to the ligament with executives who tally YouTube TV. The deadline for a caller carriage woody is 8 p.m. PT connected Thursday.

“We stay hopeful that we tin scope an statement that reasonably recognizes the afloat powerfulness of our brands and fashionable programming,” Paramount’s leaders said successful a enactment to employees.

YouTube TV has grown into 1 of the industry’s astir fashionable multichannel distributors, with 8 cardinal customers.

“We’ve been moving hard to scope a just statement with Paramount that allows america to support their channels, including CBS and CBS Sports, connected YouTube TV without passing connected further costs to our subscribers,” YouTube said successful a blog post. “Unfortunately, contempt our bully religion negotiations, we haven’t been palmy yet.”

YouTube TV got a subscriber boost erstwhile it took implicit the NFL’s “Sunday Ticket” offering successful 2023 aft that bundle became excessively costly for longtime rights-holder DirecTV. However, the astir $2-billion-a-year terms for the Sunday day NFL games drove up the outgo of operating YouTube TV, prompting Google to scrutinize different declaration costs.

Cable transmission interest disputes person go increasingly communal successful the tv industry. This quality shows that Google is not immune from the fiscal challenges facing accepted distributors, including DirecTV, Dish Network, Charter Spectrum and Comcast Xfinity.

YouTube TV has offered lower-cost promotions to enlistee customers defecting from DirecTV and different services.

Last month, YouTube TV raised its complaint to customers to $82.99 a month, up from $72.99 a month.

The institution said it would connection YouTube TV customers an $8 recognition a period “if we can’t scope an statement and [Paramount] contented is unavailable for an extended play of time,” Google said successful a blog post. “Paramount is an important spouse for america and arsenic you tin imagine, this is not the result that we want.”

Paramount entered this year’s negotiations with a weaker hand than it had erstwhile YouTube TV launched 8 years ago.

Paramount’s cablegram channels, including Nickelodeon and MTV, person mislaid millions of subscribers amid a migration to specified video-on-demand streaming services arsenic Netflix, Disney+ and Paramount+. In August, Paramount took a $6-billion write-down to relationship for the declining worth of its cablegram tv portfolio. The institution has endured respective rounds of layoffs.

CBS, with its quality and amusement programming, including “Tracker,” “Ghosts” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” is Paramount’s biggest draw.

Paramount controlling shareholder Shari Redstone struck a woody past summertime to merchantability the institution to David Ellison’s Skydance Media. The $8-billion woody has deed a snag astatine the Federal Communications Commission. The bureau indispensable motion disconnected connected the transportation of the CBS tv licenses to Ellison for the woody to spell forward.

The quality with Google becomes Paramount’s latest firm headache. CBS is besides sparring with Sony Pictures Television to clasp organisation rights for Sony’s hugely fashionable “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune.”