Paramount Global is warning of a looming carriage impasse with YouTube TV, meaning channels such as CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and others could go dark Thursday for millions of subscribers.“We have made a series of fair offers to continue our long-standing relationship with Google’s YouTube TV, providing subscribers access to the full array of Paramount’s entertainment, news and sports programming,” a spokesperson for Paramount said in a statement provided to Deadline.The statement goes on to note that Paramount has reached renewals with multiple distributors in recent months. Streaming outlets Paramount+ and BET+ also could be removed from YouTube’s channel store, Paramount said.“YouTube TV is attempting to pressure Paramount to agree to one-sided terms, and these non-market demands may lead to an avoidable loss of Paramount’s networks,” the statement added.Paramount Co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins, who are already trying to steer the company through a delicate period as it looks to close an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, communicated the situation to employees in a memo.In a blog post, YouTube TV did not sound especially optimistic about a last-minute reprieve. It said it planned to refund customers $8 for an anticipated lapse in Paramount programming and also suggested that subscribers sign up for Paramount+, which carries a range of the company’s shows.“We’ve been working hard to reach a fair agreement with Paramount that allows us to keep their channels, including CBS and CBS Sports, on YouTube TV without passing on additional costs to our subscribers,” the post said, noting that talks are ongoing. “Unfortunately, despite our good faith negotiations, we haven’t been successful yet.”Since launching in 2017, YouTube TV has grown into one of the dominant pay-TV providers in the U.S., reaching 8 million subscribers as of last year. It recently phased in its second price hike in the past year and a half, with the $18 monthly increase reflecting the tech giant’s growing leverage in the marketplace. YouTube TV added NFL Sunday Ticket in 2022, a move that cost several billion dollars but also yielded a bump in subscribers to the pay bundle.The realm of pay-TV distribution, long prone to squabbles over carriage fees and deal terms that commonly result in blackouts, has become even more contentious in the current era of cord-cutting. Programmers like Paramount are coping with a steady loss of millions of video customers while at the same time trying to scale their direct-to-consumer streaming services. Disney has had major friction with Charter Communications and DirecTV over the past couple of years as those operators have bridled at Disney’s demands for higher fees.
© 2025 Deadline.