NBC May Soon Be Unavailable for YouTube TV Customers

Yet again, a dispute between broadcast companies and TV streamers over rights and money could lead to another blackout for consumers.

Deadline reports that, in the latest instance of corporate greed, YouTube and NBCUniversal are at odds over carriage fees.

If not resolved quickly, YouTube TV customers will lose access to all of NBC’s in-house programming on September 30, like Sunday Night Football, various college football games, the NBA, Real Housewives, Premier League football, WWE, The Voice, and Saturday Night Live.

Apparently, the biggest hang-up between the two corporations is sports. Google wants content like Premier League soccer—which is shown on cable television—to be included in YouTube TV, which is a substitute for cable television. NBC has declined, instead hoping that fans of all the sports leagues instead subscribe to its in-house streaming service Peacock. Google, however, isn’t entirely innocent, as the company has refused to compensate NBC fairly for rights to the broadcasts.

In a statement, an NBCU spokesperson pointed to Google’s $3 trillion worth and said the corporation “already controls what Americans see online through search and ads – now it wants to control what we watch. YouTube TV has refused the best rates and terms in the market, demanding preferential treatment and seeking an unfair advantage over competitors to dominate the video marketplace – all under the false pretense of fighting for the consumer.”

YouTube TV has promised consumers a $10 credit if NBC content is unavailable for a long period of time.