FOX-YouTube TV Dispute: FCC chair calls for Google to resolve issue before Texas-Ohio State game
FCC chairman Brendan Carr called for Google to resolve the carriage dispute between FOX and YouTube TV. He specifically pointed out the implications of Saturday’s Texas vs. Ohio State game – which will air on FOX.
The dispute between FOX and YouTube TV started brewing earlier this week in the lead-up to Week 1. The contract was due to expire Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET, providing a timeline for a new agreement to come together. Otherwise, millions of fans were preparing to lose the start of Week 1.
Carr called for Google to take the lead on the situation and figure things out. Texas vs. Ohio State is already being billed as one of the top games of the season, which added to the pressure for something to come together.
“Google removing Fox channels from YouTube TV would be a terrible outcome,” Carr wrote in a Wednesday post on X. “Millions of Americans are relying on YouTube to resolve this dispute so they can keep watching the news and sports they want—including this week’s Big Game: Texas @ Ohio State. Get a deal done Google!”
In a statement to Front Office Sports Monday night, FOX Corp accused Google and YouTube TV of failing to engage in negotiations. As a result, FOX is telling viewers they could lose those channels.
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“While FOX remains committed to reaching a fair agreement with Google’s YouTube TV, we are disappointed that Google continually exploits its outsized influence by proposing terms that are out of step with the marketplace,” the statement read. “We are alerting FOX viewers who are YouTube TV subscribers that they could lose access to much of their favorite news, sports, entertainment, and local station programming unless Google engages in a meaningful way soon.”
Minutes after Wednesday’s deadline, though, YouTube TV released a major update on the situation. The two sides agreed to a short-term extension of the deal with FOX to avoid any disruption, meaning fans can still expect to week Thursday’s first games of Week 1 and the rest of the slate – including Texas vs. Ohio State.
“We’ve reached a short-term extension with Fox to avoid service disruption for YouTube TV subscribers while we work on a new agreement,” the tweet read. “We’re committed to advocating on behalf of our members as we work toward a fair deal and will keep you posted on our progress.”