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NBCUniversal and YouTube TV Reach Short-Term Deal to Avoid Programming Blackout

Alphabet’s YouTube TV and Comcast-owned NBCUniversal have reached a short-term contract extension, preventing a major programming blackout and keeping popular NBC content available to millions of YouTube TV subscribers while negotiations continue.

The deal, confirmed by both companies on Wednesday, came just hours before NBC programming such as “Sunday Night Football” and “America’s Got Talent” risked being pulled from the platform if the parties failed to renew their agreement by midnight Tuesday.

“We’ve reached a short-term extension with Google to avoid YouTube TV customers losing access to NBCUniversal programming as we continue negotiations,” said a NBCUniversal spokesperson. YouTube confirmed the same in a parallel statement.

At the core of the dispute are carriage fees—the rates YouTube TV pays to carry NBCUniversal’s portfolio of channels to its 10 million subscribers. According to sources cited by Reuters, NBCUniversal is seeking to maintain the same terms it has offered other large distributors, including Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, while also pushing to integrate its streaming service Peacock into YouTube TV’s bundle of offerings.

The standoff reflects the ongoing tension between traditional media giants and digital distributors as viewing habits shift toward streaming. With YouTube now holding the largest share of U.S. TV viewership, surpassing both Netflix and legacy broadcasters like Disney, such negotiations could shape the future economics of television distribution.

The temporary deal ensures continuity for viewers but suggests that a long-term agreement remains uncertain, as both sides seek to protect their positions in a rapidly evolving media landscape.