There have been warnings that Paramount content will soon disappear from Google’s pay TV service YouTubeTV. However, the two companies announced late on Saturday that they had reached an agreement to avoid any disruption to channel supply. The announcements did not include many details about the deal, but a statement from a Paramount spokesperson said the agreement includes "an expanded streaming partnership."
This means that not only will YouTube Prime Time Channels continue to offer Paramount+ with Showtime and BET+ as additional streaming services, but Google also gains the "right to offer Paramount+ services to eligible YouTube TV users."
This is not the first time that YouTube TV has had high-profile contract disputes with media companies. It has been in a similar situation with Disney. Google said in its own statement: "We are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement to retain Paramount's channels, including CBS, CBS Sports, Nickelodeon and more... To our subscribers, thank you for your patience while we negotiate on your behalf."
The company earlier warned in a blog post that all Paramount content, including CBS and CBS Sports, would disappear from YouTube TV on February 13. At the time, the two companies seemed close to reaching an agreement, so there was a brief extension of the deadline.
At the time, Google said it was "working on a deal that avoids additional costs and gives [subscribers] more flexibility in watching their favorite sports and series." (Pay TV providers have reportedly been pushing for more flexible ways to bundle channels, especially at their base service tiers.)
At the same time, Paramount's co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins sent an internal memo to employees, saying that Google was "unwilling to agree to reasonable terms that are consistent with market conditions and would rather risk the entertainment experience of users at the expense of consumer interests."
"In fact, the success of video products would not be possible without Paramount, one of the leading media conglomerates in television ratings," the CEOs said.