Prediction: Will YouTube TV & Hulu Lose Monumental Sports Network This Week?

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

TV Answer Man, do you think YouTube TV will make a deal with Monumental Sports for the 2025/2026 season? I’m a big Caps fan! – Jo, Arlington, Virginia.

Jo, YouTube TV could lose the Monumental Sports Network on September 30, 2025 (Tuesday) if it does not reach a new carriage agreement with the channel by then. Monumental Sports is the regional TV home of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards.

The looming blackout has YouTube TV sports fans in the Washington, D.C. area concerned with the NHL regular season starting October 7 and the NBA tipping off on October 21. Monumental says YouTube TV is refusing to pay fair market rates for the channel while the streamer says the exact opposite, of course.

This is how it goes in public carriage discussions a few days before an agreement is set to expire. It sounds like the two companies are so far apart that there’s no chance of a settlement in time to avoid a blackout.

However, in this case, I think there will be a blackout and not just because the two sides are far apart in their financial positions. YouTube TV has demonstrated over the last few years that it’s not bullish on paying to carry regional sports networks. In fact, the streamer now has just five RSNs:

NBC Sports Bay Area
NBC Sports Boston
NBC Sports California
NBC Sports Philadelphia
Monumental Sports Network

Since YouTube TV is the exclusive carrier of the NFL Sunday Ticket, the company believes that’s sufficient to attract and keep subscribers who are sports fans. And if someone really wants a RSN, in most cases, he can subscribe directly to the channel’s standalone streaming service. In Monumental Sports’ case, the standalone app is just $20 a month.

The odds are good that YouTube TV sees Tuesday’s expiration of the current deal with Monumental Sports as an opportunity to jettison yet another RSN. So, I predict that’s what will happen this week.

Update: YouTube TV Loses Monumental Sports.

As for Hulu, whose agreement with Monumental Sports also expires this week, I think the odds of a settlement is better but not significantly better. Hulu has also been lukewarm towards RSNs, carrying less than 10.

Jo, I hope that answers your question. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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