NEW YORK—YES Network is out with YouTube TV, according to a statement released by the network. The sports network that carries New York Yankees games, as well as other New York-based teams, has been dropped by the vMVPD, effective immediately.
The news comes as YouTube TV and Sinclair Broadcast Group, which purchased YES Network in 2019, have been in negotiations over carriage agreements for 21 regional sport networks.
“YouTube TV, for its own selfish reasons and with total disregard for its YES customers, has refused to pay the market rate and accept market terms and conditions that other YES distributors have agreed to,” said Eric Handler of YES Network in a statement. “In fact, YouTube sought a rate that was well below what other YES distributors are paying, and because YES keeps its word to all of its distributors, it could not make the deal. When YouTube TV realized it could not get a sweetheart, below-market deal, it dropped YES Network.”
Sinclair separately announced that it has reached a deal with YouTube TV to carry 19 of its 21 Fox RSNs.
“Sinclair, for its own reasons, elected to make a deal for some but not all of its programming services, which excluded large-market RSNs featuring iconic franchises and star players.”
The New York Yankees, according to YES Network, have informed Major League Baseball and YouTube TV that it will not appear on any national games televised by YouTube TV through its telecast agreement with MLB.
Yankees fans will have other options to watch games, however. It was recently announced that Amazon Prime Video will live stream 21 Yankees games during the 2020 season—though those streams will only be available in select regions. YESNetwork.com, meanwhile, is providing the other streaming services and distributors that carry YES Network.
YouTube TV has not yet made an official comment.
This story has been updated to include information on Sinclair's deal with YouTube TV to carry other RSNs.
