Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Google’s YouTube TV said they reached a new carriage deal, avoiding a blackout.
Sources said a deal was close Friday night. Confirmation from both sides came Saturday midday.
The new deal covers NBCU’s broadcast and cable networks. NBCU had reportedly been seeking carriage of Peacock as well, but the streaming platform was not mentioned as being part of the agreement.
Sources indicated that NBCU routinely includes Peacock as a negotiating point in discussions, but it wasn't a priority, so NBCU took it off the table. Talks eventually boiled down to rates and a deal was worked out.
“We are thrilled to have reached a deal with YouTube TV and can continue to offer our full network portfolio, without interruption," NBCU said in a statement. "YouTube is a valued partner and we never want to involve our fans in a dispute, but we felt obligated to let them know what was at stake. We thank our viewers for their loyalty and promise to continue bringing them the networks and programs they love."
Had a blackout occurred YouTube TV said it would have cut its subscription price by $10 a month.
“We’re thrilled to share that we’ve reached a deal to continue carrying the full NBCUniversal portfolio of channels,” YouTube TV said on its blog.
“That means you won’t lose access to any of their channels, and YouTube TV will continue to offer 85-plus networks for $64.99,“ YouTube TV said. “We appreciate NBCUniversal’s willingness to work toward an agreement, and we also appreciate your patience as we negotiated with them on your behalf.”
