AN iconic sports TV network has just announced its return four years after it was shut down.
NBC and YouTube officially agreed on a long-term carriage agreement that will keep NBCUniversal networks on Google’s platform.
YouTube TV and NBCUniversal agreed a long-term carriage deal[/caption]
The agreement also sees the return of NBC Sports Network after being shut down four years ago[/caption]
This comes off the back of a long negotiation that made the possibility of a blackout look likely for a while.
The agreement between the two networks ran out on October 1.
But YouTube and NBC agreed on a short-term deal to make sure there was no possibility of a blackout.
The broadcasters have now reached a long-term carriage deal, with YouTube set to keep showing NBCUniversal networks.
This arrangement will also see the revival of NBC Sports Network.
NBC currently have the rights to some college football and basketball games, as well as the NBA and NFL.
The new version of NBCSN will likely be used to carry some of Peacock’s exclusive live sports programming.
The channel had a 26-year run, starting in the summer of 1995.
But it ceased operations in December 2021 after losing its rights to the NHL earlier that year.
NBCUniversal distribution executive Matt Schnaars released a statement saying, “We’ve secured long-term access to our full portfolio of broadcast and cable networks on YouTube TV.
“We’re advancing our Peacock strategy with an upcoming launch on YouTube Primetime Channels and ongoing presence on Google TV.”
The two giants clashed over price and distribution, but there was another thorny issue on the table: “ingestion.”
This is the practice of pulling another service’s content directly into your own app.
YouTube won the right to pull Peacock content straight into its own app.
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This gives it valuable viewer data and boosts its all-important watch-time stats.
But NBC only partially gave ground, letting Peacock shows appear on YouTube Primetime Channels for an extra cost, rather than fully bundled into YouTube TV.
The move is part of a larger trend in streaming.
Platforms are negotiating ways to integrate or bundle content to attract viewers and collect data.
This agreement could set an industry-wide precedent, with YouTube TV set to negotiate with Disney the following month.
But for fans, the deal means uninterrupted access to NBCUniversal networks and live sports without worrying about blackouts.
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