YouTubeTV and NBC Universal (NBCU)

[Auggie]

Received this email the other day (below). Looks like NBCU is trying to force viewers to sign up for Peacock+ by not renewing their contract with Google (or they're asking for more money). Channels lost would include the NBC Network, MSNBC, NBC Golf, Bravo, Oxygen, USA, SYFY, local sports programming and a few others.

If YouTubeTV drops their price by $10 that would be more than enough to cover the cost of Peacock+, though it does mean one more subscription to manage.

Anyone else getting these messages from YouTubeTV? It's been an outstanding source for what live TV I watch (mostly sports and MCNBC), offers a great DVR service, and their tech -- app, intuitive menu, streaming -- works exceptionally well.

We know that you love watching the wide variety of live sports, news, and shows available to you on YouTube TV. That’s why we have been working so hard to renew our deal with NBCUniversal to continue carrying their content on YouTube TV. However, since our agreement expires on Thursday, September 30, 2021, and we have not yet been able to reach an equitable agreement, we wanted to give you an early heads-up so you understand your choices.
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Our ask is that NBCU treats YouTube TV like any other distributor. In other words, for the duration of our agreement, YouTube TV seeks the same rates that services of similar size get from NBCU so we can continue offering YouTube TV to members at a competitive and fair price.
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If NBCU offers us the equitable terms we are asking for, we will renew our agreement with them. However, if we are unable to reach a deal by Thursday, the NBCU lineup of channels will no longer be available on YouTube TV, and we will decrease our monthly price from $64.99 to $54.99 (while this content remains off our platform).
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At that time, you can sign up for NBCUniversal’s own streaming service, Peacock Premium,* which NBC currently offers starting at $4.99/month to continue watching NBCU content, such as live football.
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While we would love every member to stay with our service, we understand that you may still choose to pause or cancel your membership. We want to make YouTube TV flexible, so members can pause or cancel anytime. We will give you updates as negotiations continue, and going forward, please continue to check this webpage for additional information and updates.
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Please know that NBCU is an important partner for us, and as you can imagine, this is not the outcome that we want. We are still in active conversations with NBCU and are hopeful we can keep their content available on YouTube TV.
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Thanks for your patience and for being a YouTube TV member.
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Sincerely,
The YouTube TV team