Report: YouTube TV Could Drop NBC in Coming Days

The biggest live TV streaming service might be due for its most aggressive carriage fight yet. CNBC reports YouTube TV could drop NBC and its affiliated channels when their current deal ends at the end of September.

Carriage fights happen nearly every year, and they almost always coincide with the start of the football season. Just this year, YouTube TV and Fox went to war for a few days before everything was resolved. You can rely on temporary blackouts while the two sides negotiate. Almost always, the dispute is resolved and the result is higher fees that are passed on to subscribers.

However, the report suggests YouTube TV is prepared to make an example of NBC by being more aggressive. It helps that NBC only has one NFL game per week, so they’re easier to pick on.

CNBC suggests YouTube TV is upset that NBC’s Peacock platform has been offering so much content at such a low price. That anger may have contributed to Peacock’s price hike in July.

YouTube TV also has to lock down a carriage deal with Disney (ABC, FX, ESPN, etc.) at the end of October. If YouTube TV applied pressure to Disney, that could explain their recent price increases as well. We know that ESPN is one of the most expensive channels to carry – Disney charges companies like YouTube TV $9.42 per subscriber per month for ESPN access.

Overall, YouTube TV is a good value for the price, but that value looks worse if you can buy standalone channel streamers much cheaper. That’s YouTube TV’s issue.

If YouTube TV Dropped NBCUniversal, Which Channels Would Be Lost?

If YouTube TV is trying to “make an example” of NBCUniversal, here are the channels that would go away:

• NBC
• CNBC
• MSNBC
• Telemundo
• Bravo
• E!
• Golf Channel
• Oxygen
• Syfy
• USA Network
• CoziTV
• NBC Sports Boston, Bay Area, California, Philadelphia

Remember that many of these channels will soon be part of their own company, but they’re all bundled together now.

Will a Blackout Last Long?

Historically, these things are resolved in a few days. You may miss a weekend of football at most. We only have one precedent of a live TV provider battling companies indefinitely. Fubo still doesn’t carry any Warner Bros. Discovery channels because they could never come to an agreement.

Every other fight, including YouTube’s ridiculously brief standoff with Fox, has been resolved within a week or so.

YouTube TV usually offers its customers a small credit to stay subscribed through any blackout.

For most of us, NBC is available with an antenna, and every cord-cutter should have one in their lineup, just in case.