YouTube TV, NBCUniversal Continue Fight Over Integrating Content on Their Platform

Published: October 2, 2025

By India McCarty

YouTube TV continues to duke it out with NBCUniversal as they argue over the streamer’s drive to incorporate rivals’ content into the platform.

“In the model preferred by YouTube, even streaming exclusives (like Premier League soccer on Peacock, for example) would be accessible directly via YouTube TV as opposed to having to leave the app,” Deadline explained.

YouTube would receive “better engagement,” as well as “improved advertising and subscriber metrics,” but NBCU “would have a tougher time attracting and keeping” subscribers on their own streaming platform.

While many streamers were initially happy to feature their content on other platforms, thinking it would drive subscribers to them, they are now discovering that isn’t the case.

“Legacy media companies have realized just how hard direct-to-consumer streaming is compared to the historic stickiness (friction) of physical hardware in a subscriber’s home tied to large bundles of programming,” Lightshed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield explained in a recent blog post. “Unsurprisingly, we have seen all the legacy media streaming platforms shift back toward wholesaling their streaming services.”

Tensions got so high between the two companies that NBCU warned of a potential carriage blackout of their content on YouTube in September.

“YouTube TV has refused the best rates and terms in the market, demanding preferential treatment and seeking an unfair advantage over competitors to dominate the video marketplace — all under the false pretense of fighting for the consumer,” a statement from a spokesperson reads.

YouTube hit back, claiming NBCU 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,” the statement continued. “If their content is unavailable for an extended period of time, we’ll offer our subscribers a $10 credit.”

As of now, YouTube’s parent company, Google, and NBCU have come to a tentative agreement.

“We’ve reached a short-term extension to avoid disruption to our service while we work toward a new agreement with NBCUniversal,” a Google spokesperson said. “We appreciate our subscribers’ patience while we negotiate on their behalf.”

NBCUniversal And YouTube TV Reach Short-Term Extension As They Negotiate Carriage Renewal https://t.co/lwPL4m1IwN

— Deadline (@DEADLINE) October 1, 2025

YouTube and NBCU have yet to come to a solid, long-term agreement, but their fight will set a precedent for how many streamers interact with each other — and how they integrate their content into third-party platforms.

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