Updated: YouTube TV vs. Paramount: How Long Is the Short-Term Extension?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, do you know how long the short-term agreement is between YouTube TV and Paramount? I am nervous about losing March Madness and all of the CBS sports!! — Robert, Trenton, New Jersey.

Update: YouTube TV and Paramount sign multi-year deal. No blackout.

Robert, YouTube TV late last night announced that it has reached a ‘short-term extension’ to continue carrying Paramount’s channels, including CBS, CBS Sports Network and Nickelodeon. The old agreement was scheduled to expire last night at 11 p.m. ET.

The YouTube TV statement did not reveal the length of the extension. But someone else has.

WISC-TV, the CBS affiliate in Madison, Wisconsin, has just posted an alert to its viewers that says the short-term extension is for 24 hours. meaning it will expire tonight at 11 p.m. ET. (YouTube TV will lose all CBS affiliates, including WISC-TV, if a new deal is not signed.)

Update: As of 3:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, the Paramount channels are still on. There have been no further announcements from the two companies.

Update #2: WISC-TV on Saturday removed the reference to the 24 hour extension. It’s unclear if that’s because there is a new extension or if the original post from the station was incorrect. Either way, the channels are still on as of 1 pm ET on Saturday.

“YouTubeTV and Paramount have agreed to a 24-hour extension. The current agreement now expires at 11 p.m. ET/10 p.m. CT Friday,” the station says at its web site. “Attention YouTubeTV Subscribers: If you watch WISC-TV through a subscription with YouTubeTV, your service could be interrupted as part of a nationwide outage involving CBS’ parent company, Paramount. YouTubeTV and Paramount are negotiating for continued carriage of this station. Your local station is cut out of those discussions. If those negotiations aren’t successful, this station won’t be available on YouTubeTV.”

Which Channels Could Be Removed From YouTube TV?

The two companies revealed on Wednesday night that YouTube TV could lose the Paramount channels which include CBS, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, MTV2, CBS Sports Network, Paramount Network, CMT, Nick Jr., TV Land, VH1, Smithsonian Channel. (YouTube TV has a complete list of affected channels here.)

YouTube TV and Paramount are fighting over how much the TV provider should pay to carry them.

The TV Answer Man will continue to monitor this programming dispute and will report back here if we get any significant updates.

Until then, happy viewing and stay safe!

Have a question about a favorite show, streaming service or new TV product? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered  television for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.