YouTube vs. NBCUniversal, explained

Bad news for YouTube TV subscribers who like watching “Sunday Night Football” or “Snapped!”

Fourteen NBCUniversal channels, plus some local sports networks, could disappear from YouTube TV tomorrow. That’s when the contract between the Google-owned platform and NBCU expires, and the 2 haven’t been able to reach a new agreement, per The Hollywood Reporter.

YouTube TV currently offers its ~3m subscribers 85+ channels. Its deal with NBCU includes CNBC, Golf Channel, Bravo, MSNBC, USA Network, SYFY, and more.

The beef:

• NBCU says it wants Google to pay “fair rates” for its content
• But YouTube wants a guarantee it will pay the same rates as similarly sized services
• YouTube doesn’t want to bundle NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, which viewers would have to use a different app to watch

NBCU is suggesting viewers tweet at YouTube, chat with them, or switch providers…

… while YouTube TV is promising a discount

YouTube TV was $35/mo. when it launched in 2017 and most recently hiked its rate by $15 in 2020 due to the “rising cost of content.”

It currently costs $64.99/mo. — the same as competitor Hulu Live TV, which has ~4.1m subscribers.

If YouTube TV loses NBCU’s channels, it will drop to $54.99/mo. — a $10 discount.

Meanwhile, Peacock has 54m subscribers — it got a boost thanks to the Olympics — and costs $4.99/mo.

So, oddly enough, it may actually be a better deal for viewers to get the discounted YouTube TV and Peacock.