After renegotiating with Sinclair to continue providing access to regional sports networks earlier this year, YouTube TV has announced that the contract extension is expiring and the streaming service will drop FOX RSNs beginning this Thursday, October 1.
YouTube TV shared the news on Twitter with this message:
To bring you 85+ channels, we periodically renegotiate contracts with content owners. In February, we announced we had negotiated an extension with Sinclair to continue providing FOX Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) through the end of MLB, NHL and NBA seasons.
Now that the seasons are over, that extension is expiring. Starting October 1, 2020, FOX RSNs will no longer be available on YouTube TV. Members that are impacted will no longer have access to Library recordings from the FOX RSNs.
This was a difficult decision made after months of negotiations. We hope we can bring FOX RSNs back in the future. We thank you for your membership as we work to make YouTube TV the best streaming experience. You will receive an email today if you are impacted by this change.
When the channels are removed from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live and AT&T TV Now will be the only streaming options for Fox Regional Sports Networks
The Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned channels include:
- Fox Sports Arizona
- Fox Sports Carolinas
- Fox Sports Detroit
- Fox Sports Florida
- Fox Sports Indiana
- Fox Sports Kansas City
- Fox Sports Midwest
- Fox Sports New Orleans
- Fox Sports North
- Fox Sports Ohio
- Fox Sports Oklahoma
- Fox Sports Prime Ticket
- Fox Sports San Diego
- Fox Sports South
- Fox Sports Southeast
- Fox Sports Southwest
- Fox Sports Sun
- Fox Sports Tennessee
- Fox Sports West
- Fox Sports Wisconsin
- SportsTime Ohio
- YES Network
While the removal of FOX RSNs is the big story, YouTube TV also quietly added one new channel to the lineup today – NBC News is now available on the service, joining other NBC news channels including CNBC, CNBC World and MSNBC.