YouTube TV Subscribers Bracing for Bad News Amid Deadline

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 10:08 AM ET

Late Thursday, as Week 4 of the NFL season loomed, NBCUniversal warned that its channels, including NBC’s broadcast of "Sunday Night Football," marquee college football windows and NBA rights, could disappear from YouTube TV unless a new deal is struck by the end of the month, according to Front Office Sports.

The current distribution agreement is set to expire on Tuesday, and both sides have already taken their case to viewers.

YouTube’s short public statement noted how, "NBCUniversal is asking us to pay more than what they charge consumers for the same content on Peacock, which would mean less flexibility and higher prices for our subscribers. We are committed to working with NBCUniversal to reach a fair deal for both sides ahead of our current agreement expiring on September 30."

YouTube also pledged that if NBC content is unavailable "for an extended period of time," affected subscribers would receive a $10 credit.

NBC Sports may disappear from YouTube TV by Tuesday without a new deal.

Sunday Night Football, college football, and NBA games could be gone, with a $10 credit for affected subscribers.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) September 28, 2025

This is a big deal because YouTube TV is a major distributor and a blackout would remove NBC’s national and local feeds for a large number of customers.

That would pull down NBC’s prime-time NFL window ("Sunday Night Football") from the YouTube TV lineups.

Negotiations can still be resolved at the wire, but for now, fans who rely on YouTube TV for both local NBC programming and the NFL’s national windows should plan contingencies (other authenticated apps, alternate streaming providers, etc.) and watch the Tuesday deadline closely.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: