A long-term carriage agreement has been reached between YouTube TV and Paramount, averting a possible blackout of CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV and nearly two dozen other networks, the companies announced on Saturday.
The multi-year deal will see YouTube TV expanding its streaming options with the inclusion of Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and BET+ available to qualifying customers.
“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached a deal to continue carrying Paramount content on YouTube TV. That means you still have access to channels like CBS, CBS Sports, and Nickelodeon. Add-ons like Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and BET+ also remain uninterrupted,” the Google-owned OTT (over-the-top) television streaming service said in a statement. “With this agreement, YouTube TV will continue to offer 100+ channels, while enabling more user choice in the future. Thank you again for your patience, and as always, we appreciate your membership.
“We are pleased to announce a renewed Paramount-Google agreement for the continued carriage of Paramount’s leading portfolio of entertainment, news and sports networks across YouTube TV’s platform,” said Paramount in its statement. “The multi-year deal also features an expanded streaming relationship, with the ongoing inclusion of Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and BET+ among other YouTube Primetime Channels and providing Google the right to make Paramount+ available to qualifying YouTube TV customers.”
“We look forward to extending our long-standing partnership and giving audiences greater access to their favorite programming,” Paramount’s statement concluded.
Days before signing a new deal, YouTube TV announced that it had reached a “short term extension” with Paramount that kept the channels from going dark on its service on Friday. In February 2024, it was revealed that the service had emerged as the fourth-largest TV provider in the U.S. with eight million subscribers.
CBS
The deal comes as CBS prepares to launch the brand new daytime drama series “Beyond the Gates,” and the continued success of its other soap operas, including “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless.”
Next month, CBS will broadcast several high-profile events, including “The Masters” and March Madness games, and follows the network’s successful airing of the Grammys, the Golden Globes and several highly rated NFL playoff games, with the latter two becoming one of the top five most-watched programs of the 2024-2025 broadcast television season.