Carriage dispute has YouTube TV customers in danger of losing Paramount channels

YouTube TV subscribers are at risk of losing access to CBS and other Paramount channels.

In an internal memo (which was shared by Deadline.com) from CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins, Paramount revealed that due to the continued stalling of ongoing negotiations, YouTube TV subscribers are at risk of losing several stations as early as Feb. 13.

“Paramount has been negotiating a renewal agreement with Google to provide YouTube TV subscribers with continued access to their favorite premium content from BET, CBS, CBS Sports Network, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network and more. Unfortunately, Google is unwilling to agree to reasonable terms consistent with the market, choosing to jeopardize the entertainment experience at the expense of consumers.”

The statement continued.

“As a result, tonight we will begin warning subscribers that Google may drop all Paramount channels, in addition to Paramount+ and BET+ from YouTube Primetime Channels, when our contract expires on February 13. Many of you, your families and friends may be YouTube TV subscribers, so please feel free to share a link to KeepParamount.com, which will be updated with relevant news and information.”

YouTube TV notified its subscribers of the dispute and potential loss of stations in an email. It also issued a statement on the official YouTube blog site.

“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. Unfortunately, despite our good faith negotiations, we haven’t been successful yet.”

The notification also included an offer of a rebate, as well as a potential alternative for at least some of the programming that would be missed.

“We’re still actively negotiating with Paramount and will keep you updated on our progress. If we can’t reach an agreement and their content is unavailable for an extended period of time, we’ll offer subscribers an $8 credit. You can still watch Paramount shows and movies by signing up for their streaming service, Paramount+, starting at $7.99 a month.”

One of the many events — sports and otherwise — covered on Paramount stations is the NCAA Basketball Tournament, FKA March Madness. That is set to begin with the First Four on March 18 and 19.