Fox Corp. and YouTube TV have agreed on a renewal of their carriage deal, ending the threat of a blackout that would have affected a major college football game and potentially the start of the NFL season.
The companies did not release details or offer anything more than a brief statement affirming that the Fox broadcast network, Fox News, plus six other networks and more than two dozen local stations will remain active. YouTube TV, which launched in 2017, is now a leading pay-TV provider, with more than 8 million subscribers.
As the Wednesday afternoon contract deadline approached, Fox and YouTube agreed on a short-term extension to continue negotiating, indicating a resolution was imminent.
Fox will carry a highly anticipated college football matchup on Saturday between Ohio State and Texas, the first time in decades that two of the top three ranked teams have squared off in Week 1 of the season. The NFL season, which starts next Thursday, often sees its biggest ratings of a given week with Fox’s late-afternoon NFC window.
Watch on Deadline
As the saber-rattling began in recent days, YouTube TV told its customers they would have the option to sign up for Fox’s just-launched subscription streaming outlet Fox One in the event of a blackout. The pay-TV operator was also promising a $10 credit on subscribers’ bills.
MORE to come …