YouTube TV, NBCUniversal reach short-term extension as talks proceed

YouTube TV and NBCUniversal reached a short-term extension early Thursday that keeps NBCUniversal’s suite of broadcast and cable channels available on the streaming service while the companies continue negotiating a longer-term carriage agreement. The extension came after a previous contract expired at midnight Eastern on Sept. 30 and follows days of tense public negotiations that threatened to remove NBC, Telemundo and networks such as Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC and USA from roughly 9.5 to 10 million YouTube TV customers.

A Google spokesperson, speaking for YouTube TV, said, "Weve reached a shortterm extension to avoid disruption to our service while we work toward a new agreement with NBCUniversal. We appreciate our subscribers patience while we negotiate on their behalf." The companies did not disclose terms of the temporary deal or how long it will last.

The dispute centers largely on how Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, should be treated in distribution deals. YouTube TV has proposed integrating Peacock-exclusive programming into its interface so subscribers can access that content without switching apps. NBCUniversal has resisted that proposal and has sought higher...