Hey, YouTube TV! It’s June 1 – Where’s the Tennis Channel?!

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman

TV Answer Man, hey, it’s June 1 and the Tennis Channel isn’t on YouTube TV yet! What’s going on here? I want to watch the French Open and it was supposed to be on the Tennis Channel which is supposed to be on now, right? Can you help? — Melinda, Manhattan Beach, California.

Melinda, you are not alone in your frustration. YouTube TV and Sinclair, the owner of the Tennis Channel, said in April that they had signed an agreement that would allow the live streaming service to add the channel on June 1. Well, it’s June 1 and scores of YouTube TV subscribers are complaining on social media that they can’t find the channel in their lineups.

The tennis fans are particularly upset because the 2023 French Open tennis tournament, which is also known as the Roland-Garros, is now on the Tennis Channel. And it’s been on since the tournament’s opening day last Sunday. This was supposed to be the day that YouTube TV subs could begin watching.

Well, here’s the deal: The channel is still coming, but it may not show up as an option until later today or possibly even until tomorrow, the YouTube TV support team tells me. Also, and this is very important, you will need to order the $10.99 a month Sports Plus add-on package to get the Tennis Channel. This was not specified in the April press release announcing the Tennis Channel carriage, which could make some subscribers upset. But it is what it is.

Finally, you might want to refresh your YouTube TV app today to see if the Tennis Channel shows up in the Sports Plus add-on package; sometimes, it takes a while for a new channel to load.

Update at 1:45 p.m. ET: The Tennis Channel is now live on YouTube TV with the Sports Plus add-on package.

Melinda, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!