YouTube TV reached a new agreement with Sinclair Broadcasting Group on Thursday that will bring back most of the regional sports networks that were set to leave the service. Thursday’s deal, however, doesn’t include the YES Network — the local carrier for the New York Yankees — and both Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket, which carry several pro teams in Southern California.
Overall, 19 of Sinclair’s 21 RSNs will continue to be featured on YouTube TV, including: Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports North, Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports San Diego, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports Southeast, Fox Sports Sun and SportsTime Ohio. The deal will keep the RSNs on YouTube TV through the end of the 2020 MLB season.
“We are pleased that YouTube TV was able to agree to terms on 19 of our RSNs and that they will continue to provide subscribers with access to some of the most in-demand sports networks in the nation,” said David Gibber, senior vice president and general counsel of Sinclair, in a statement. “Millions of fans across the country tune into sports content daily and, at Sinclair, our goal is to make this as widely accessible as possible.”
While most of the RSNs are returning, YouTube TV is losing channels in the country’s two biggest markets. Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket carry the Los Angeles Kings, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Angels of Anaheim, and Anaheim Ducks; The YES Network also carries the Brooklyn Nets along with its Yankees coverage. The channels will not be available on YouTube TV starting on Thursday.
YouTube TV’s deal with Sinclair was set to expire at the end of February, but the two sides later agreed to an extension that would allow them to try and hammer out a deal.
Sinclair bought 21 Fox RSNs from Disney last August for $10.6 billion. Out of 30 MLB teams, 15 have their local games carried by Fox RSNs.