YouTube and Fox are locked in a serious dispute as their contract expires on Tuesday, August 27. Both sides have failed to reach an agreement, and NFL fans in the U.S. could be the most affected.
Negotiations continue, but subscribers grow increasingly uncertain. These subscribers, who already paid for access, expect to watch FOX 35 Orlando, FOX Sports, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, FOX Deportes, and FOX News Channel.
Consequences of no agreement
According to Mundo Deportivo, the fall sports season will feature major U.S. events, including NFL on FOX, college football on FOX, FS1 and Big Ten Network, plus MLB on FOX and FS1. If YouTube and Fox don’t renew their deal, subscribers will lose access to all of them.
Fiery statement from Fox Corp to @FOS about its ongoing negotiations with YouTube TV. Accuses Google (who owns YouTube) of not engaging “in a meaningful way.” pic.twitter.com/3oilDjpw2J
— Amanda Christovich (@achristovichh) August 26, 2025
The NFL clarified that the Sunday Ticket package will not be affected by this dispute. Subscribers will still access out-of-market games, regardless of the broadcasting channel, NBC Pro Football Talk reported, citing a league spokesperson.
However, YouTube TV customers risk losing local FOX affiliates, meaning they won’t be able to watch local games. Sunday Ticket does not include those matchups since it only covers out-of-market contests.
If YouTube TV drops FOX, subscribers would also lose access to local news, sports, traffic, and weather updates from FOX 35 Orlando. This poses a big disadvantage, especially during hurricane season.
The dispute began after Fox accused YouTube TV of abusing its “disproportionate influence” to impose conditions outside the market. YouTube TV fired back, saying Fox is “demanding much higher payments than other partners with comparable content”.
