YouTube TV to gain 14 more ViacomCBS channels in expanded distribution deal
YouTube TV is expanding its lineup of channels thanks to a new, multi-year distribution agreement with ViacomCBS, announced this morning. The Google-owned streaming TV service is gaining 14 new ViacomCBS channels as a result of the deal, including news, sports, and entertainment offerings. It will also continue to carry CBS broadcast stations, CBS Sports Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and The CW.
New channels including BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land and VH1 will arrive on YouTube TV this summer, where they'll reach the service's over 2 million subscribers.
Other channels, such as BET Her, MTV2, Nick Jr., NickToons, TeenNick and MTV Classic, will roll out at a later time as part of YouTube TV's base package.
In addition, YouTube TV will continue to offer ViacomCBS' premium subscription services, including Showtime, on its YouTube TV service and as an extended partnership on YouTube's broader platforms.
The YouTube TV service today costs $49.99/month for a lineup of over 70 networks, including live and local sports, news, shows, movies and more, as well as an unlimited cloud DVR for recording favorites.
We are thrilled to have reached an expanded agreement with YouTube TV that recognizes the full power of our newly combined portfolio as ViacomCBS," said Ray Hopkins, President, U.S. Networks Distribution, ViacomCBS, in a statement about the deal. Google has been an excellent partner, and we look forward to bringing even more of our entertainment networks to YouTube TV subscribers for the first time."
The YouTube TV deal follows a series of distribution agreements ViacomCBS has secured over the past six months, including a new agreement with Verizon FiOS (disclosure: TechCrunch parent's parent company is Verizon). The Verizon deal was its first carriage deal for ViacomCBS' full portfolio of networks since the merger between Viacom and CBS closed in December.
ViacomCBS also did distribution deals with Comcast in January, and with News Corp-controlled Australian pay TV company Foxtel in March.
Meanwhile, the ViacomCBS free streaming service Pluto TV has also recently confirmed new distribution deals with TiVo and Verizon, the latter across Verizon's wireless network, on connected TV platforms like Stream TV, and on its pay TV service, FiOS.
We're excited to launch ViacomCBS' portfolio on YouTube TV this summer, " said Lori Conkling, Global Head of Partnerships at YouTube TV, in an announcement. Our expanded partnership delivers on our promise to offer a premium portfolio of content to our YouTube TV subscribers, as well as across the YouTube platforms."