YouTube TV, Fox locked in carriage dispute ahead of big football weekend

YouTube TV and Fox are locked in a carriage dispute that could leave subscribers to the streaming platform unable to watch Week 1 of the college football season this weekend.

The sides have until 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday to reach a deal. If an agreement is not reached, YouTube TV subscribers will lose access to Fox channels, including Fox Sports, FS1, Fox News and the Fox broadcast network. That means college football fans would not be able to watch Saturday’s premier matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State, among other contests. Viewers could also eventually miss out on the NFL, as Fox begins showing regular-season games on Sunday, Sept. 7.

YouTube said that subscribers would receive a $10 credit if access to Fox channels is lost.

While the sides are continuing to negotiate, YouTube TV asserted in a blog post Monday that Fox is “asking for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive. Our priority is to reach a deal that reflects the value of their content and is fair for both sides without passing on additional costs to our subscribers.”

“We value our partnership with Fox and will continue our discussions toward reaching a deal that keeps their content on YouTube TV,” the post read.

In a responding statement, Fox said: “While Fox remains committed to reaching a fair agreement with Google’s YouTube TV, we are disappointed that Google continually exploits its outsized influence by proposing terms that are out of step with the marketplace.”

Last week, Fox launched a direct-to-consumer streaming service called FOX One. The service includes Fox Sports properties and is priced at $19.99 per month with a seven-day free trial or $199.99 per year.

(Photo: Chris McGrath / Getty Images)