YouTube TV and Fox may have a deal, but larger issues in the cable and streaming industry loom.
As a result, YouTube TV is eyeing a potential option that could have significant implications for sports fans.
Shortly after YouTube TV and Fox announced their new carriage agreement on Thursday night, Puck’s John Ourand published a detailed breakdown of the negotiations and what the deal might mean for the industry as a whole. And while citing sources, the longtime sports media insider revealed that “YouTube TV has discussed launching a broadcast-and-sports tier,” which would give customers access to broadcast and sports-focused channels.
But while such an offering would obviously have plenty of appeal to sports-minded viewers, pulling off such a package could prove easier said than done. In addition to there already being debate about what networks would be included in the tier, Ourand noted that those media companies would presumably also push for their non-sports cable channels to be a part of the package, which could increase its price while lessening its appeal.
“Fox, of course, comes to market with a much smaller group of channels than other media companies: a broadcast channel, FS1, and Fox News,” Ourand writes, citing an example. “If the broadcast channel goes into that tier, Fox will fight for Fox News to follow.”
But as the recent YouTube TV-Fox standoff showed, the networks possess plenty of leverage, especially during football season. Adding another layer to all of this, however, is that each network now has its own streaming service, making it easier for customers to stick with distributors during disputes while adding the channels in question a la carte in the event they go dark.
Factor in the looming negotiations regarding the ‘Channels’ concept (distributors offering add-on subscriptions within their own platforms, which was a major sticking point in the YouTube TV-Fox negotiations) and it’s certainly a fascinating time in the industry. And it’s also not a conversation that will be dying down anytime soon, with YouTube TV’s current agreements with NBCUniversal and Disney also set to expire this fall.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.