According to Deadline, NBCUniversal is warning YouTube TV subscribers its programming could soon go dark on the pay-TV service due to the latest dispute over carriage fees and terms. Customer’s would lose the USA Network and the ability to watch WWE SmackDown.
The report notes that with negotiations, at the time of publication, YouTube TV has proposed programming offered exclusively on Peacock to be incorporated into the main user YouTube TV interface as opposed to making customers exit the streaming service and have to access Peacock separately.
In a statement provided to Deadline, an NBCU spokesperson specifically pointed to the $3 trillion valuation of YouTube’s parent company Google. NBCU noted the tech giant “already controls what Americans see online through search and ads – now it wants to control what we watch. YouTube TV has refused the best rates and terms in the market, demanding preferential treatment and seeking an unfair advantage over competitors to dominate the video marketplace – all under the false pretense of fighting for the consumer.”
YouTube has stated they have already offered to compensate NBCU for the integration, but not as of yet at an acceptable level. It was added that even though Peacock is still behind in subscribers to other streaming services, they held steady during the April-to-June quarter at 41 million subscribers and did score big with viewers and advertisers for the 2024 Olympics in Paris and the start of the new long-term deal with the NBA begins in October.
A YouTube spokesperson told Deadline that NBCU is “asking us to pay more than what they charge consumers for the same content on Peacock, which would mean less flexibility and higher prices for our subscribers. We are committed to working with NBCUniversal to reach a fair deal for both sides ahead of our current agreement expiring on September 30. If their content is unavailable for an extended period of time, we’ll offer our subscribers a $10 credit.”