YouTube TV and Sinclair have ended a
blackout that began late last month through an agreement in which the
streaming service will carry 19 of Sinclair’s 21 Fox Sports regional networks in “select areas.”
The deal does not include the country’s two biggest markets, Los
Angeles and New York.
As of March 5, YouTube TV will no longer carry Sinclair’s Los Angeles-based Prime Ticket or Fox Sports West, which carry L.A. Clippers, L.A. Kings, L.A. Angels and
Anaheim Ducks, among other teams.
It will also drop the New York Yankees’ YES Network, in which Sinclair owns a stake.
In addition, under the new Sinclair agreement,
YouTube TV appears to have curtailed areas where some or all of the 19 Fox RSNs had been available, reports Variety. YouTube is telling customers that they can check which channels are
available in their Zip codes on tv.youtube.com.
YouTube TV “will continue carrying the Fox RSNs in select areas only,” YouTube said in a statement. “Affected members who
no longer have access to this content will receive a notification in the YouTube TV app soon."
The RSNs that YouTube has resumed transmission of include Fox Sports Arizona, Carolinas, Detroit,
Florida, Indiana, Kansas City, Midwest, New Orleans, North, Ohio, Oklahoma, San Diego, South, Southeast and Southwest, Tennessee, Fox Sports Sun and SportsTime Ohio.
It's unclear if YouTube TV
will carry the Marquee Sports Network, Sinclair’s new TV network carrying Chicago Cubs games.
“We value our ongoing relationship with YouTube TV, however, we are deeply
disappointed with its decision to not carry certain RSNs," Sinclair SVP and general counsel David Gibber said in a statement. “We offered competitive market terms but, ultimately, YouTube TV
declined. We encourage YouTube TV subscribers who value these RSNs to turn to other streaming services or their local cable or satellite provider for continued access, or to directly contact YouTube
TV with feedback.”
YES Network issued a statement asserting that, “When YouTube TV realized it could not get a sweetheart, below-market deal, it dropped the YES Network.”