🏈 Just a heads up. YouTubeTV has two carriage agreements that expire in the next few weeks: NBC and Disney.

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YouTube TV's next two carriage fights could change everything

YouTube TV's upcoming contract negotiations with NBC and Disney could reshape the sports streaming landscape as we know it.

awfulannouncing.com

Here’s the thing that makes these negotiations different: every major media company now has its own streaming service. NBC has Peacock. Disney has ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service, which launched last month, as well as Disney+. Fox just launched Fox One. That changes the entire dynamic when carriage disputes happen.

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During the Fox standoff, YouTube TV actively encouraged subscribers to sign up for Fox One if Fox channels were to go dark. The service even offered a $10 monthly discount to help offset the cost. It was a strategy that would have been impossible in the traditional cable era, when losing Fox meant you were basically out of luck as a sports fan.

However, YouTube TV can’t exactly instruct subscribers to opt for Peacock and ESPN’s standalone service if those negotiations go awry. Unlike Fox One, which is essentially repackaged Fox programming, Peacock and ESPN’s new offering have exclusive content and critical programming. Peacock has exclusive NFL playoff games and Premier League matches. ESPN’s new service will carry the main ESPN programming that millions of sports fans depend on.

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That gives NBC and Disney significantly more leverage than Fox had. If you’re a sports fan and YouTube TV loses NBC, you’re missing Sunday Night Football. If they lose Disney, you’re missing Monday Night Football and a considerable chunk of college sports.

According to Ourand, the money might not even be the biggest issue, though. These negotiations are taking place at a time when streaming services are attempting to establish their long-term business models. Do they want to be independent platforms that compete with each other? Or do they want to become content libraries that reside within larger distributors?

Amazon already offers a feature called Prime Video Channels, which allows you to subscribe to services like Paramount+ directly through its interface. YouTube TV appears to be testing a similar approach with Fox One, based on their recent agreement.

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From a consumer standpoint, that model makes sense. Who wants to juggle six different streaming apps when you could access everything through one interface? However, from a business perspective, it means relinquishing direct control over customer relationships and data.