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No—YouTube TV did not permanently lose Paramount channels. The headline refers to a real carriage dispute in February 2025, after YouTube TV raised its standard monthly price from $72.99 to $82.99. Paramount channels, including CBS, were threatened with removal, but a short-term extension and then a longer-term agreement prevented the blackout. The episode is over; the higher price is a separate reason subscribers may want to reassess their plan.
What happened, and when?
The dispute followed a January 2025 price increase, but the available public information does not establish that the increase was specifically intended to pay Paramount. The companies did not disclose the full terms of their carriage-fee negotiations. YouTube TV said it was negotiating to keep Paramount programming without passing additional costs to subscribers; Paramount said it had made “fair offers.” The timing prompted understandable frustration, but it does not prove the price hike caused the dispute.
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Paramount+ eGift Card | $100.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Paramount+ $25 eGift Card - Standard | $25.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Netflix Physical Gift Card | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Visa Physical Gift Card $100 (plus $5.95 Purchase Fee) | $105.95 | Buy on Amazon |
- January 2025: YouTube TV raised its standard plan from $72.99 to $82.99 per month.
- February 12: YouTube TV warned that Paramount programming could become unavailable if the companies did not reach an agreement.
- February 13: The companies agreed to a short-term extension, keeping the channels and existing recordings available while negotiations continued.
- February 15: YouTube TV announced a longer-term agreement to continue carrying Paramount programming.
That sequence matters: the proposed blackout was real, but it was avoided. YouTube TV’s updates on the dispute and resolution confirm the extension and final agreement.
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Which channels were at risk?
YouTube TV’s February warning and contemporaneous reporting listed a broad group of Paramount-owned or distributed networks, along with some local stations. The threatened list included BET, BET Her, CBS, CBS Sports Network, CMT, Comedy Central, Comet TV, Dabl, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV2, MyNetworkTV, NewsNation, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, TeenNick, Tr e9s, TV Land and VH1, as well as various local CBS-owned or affiliated stations depending on market. See the official notice and contemporary channel-list reporting.
#1 Best Overall
- Watch over 40,000 full episodes on demand from hit series like Survivor, NCIS, Big Brother and more
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- To Redeem: Go to paramountplus.com/redeem
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards.
This was a list of channels that could have been removed, not a list of channels YouTube TV ultimately dropped. Paramount Network was only one of the networks at issue; “Paramount channels” described a much larger package.
Why CBS made the threat especially significant
CBS was among the threatened programming, so a prolonged blackout could have affected local CBS broadcasts as well as national programming such as CBS news, primetime shows and sports carried through CBS. Local CBS availability depends on the subscriber’s home market and affiliate arrangement. The warning therefore did not mean every subscriber had the same CBS channel or would have been affected in exactly the same way.
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- Watch over 40,000 full episodes on demand from hit series like Survivor, NCIS, Big Brother and more
- Get hooked on subscriber-only originals
- Make every night a movie night with blockbuster hits and fan-favorite films
- To Redeem: Go to paramountplus.com/redeem
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards.
What else could a blackout have affected?
The potential loss was not limited to watching a live channel. YouTube TV warned that subscribers could also lose access to Library recordings from Paramount channels and the ability to schedule new recordings from them. The warning also covered Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and BET+ add-ons. YouTube TV said it would continue those add-ons under the final agreement.
YouTube TV proposed an $8 credit if Paramount programming became unavailable for an extended period. That was a conditional remedy, not a permanent monthly discount or a payment every subscriber necessarily received. Because the blackout was avoided, do not assume the credit was issued to all subscribers. The proposed $8 was also less than the $10 increase to the standard plan, a gap that helped fuel the “paying more for less” reaction.
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- Watch over 40,000 full episodes on demand from hit series like Survivor, NCIS, Big Brother and more
- Get hooked on subscriber-only originals
- Make every night a movie night with blockbuster hits and fan-favorite films
- To Redeem: Go to paramountplus.com/redeem
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards.
What the resolution means now
The February 15 agreement kept Paramount channels on YouTube TV, including CBS, CBS Sports and Nickelodeon. The dispute is not evidence of a current channel blackout. Carriage agreements can change, so subscribers with a present-day missing-channel problem should check their account and current lineup rather than assume the February 2025 dispute is still in effect.
Paramount+ was mentioned during the dispute as a way to watch some Paramount shows and movies; YouTube TV’s notice cited a starting price of $7.99 per month at that time. That historical price is not a current quote. More importantly, Paramount+ is not a full substitute for YouTube TV: its on-demand catalog and selected live programming do not automatically replicate local CBS affiliates, every linear Paramount network, YouTube TV’s broader live guide or its DVR library. Check Paramount+’s current plans and content at its official site.
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- Codes are applied to your account as a gift balance. Gift codes can be added to any plan, regardless of the amount.
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Is YouTube TV still worth the price?
The standard YouTube TV plan was listed by Google at $82.99 per month plus tax in the latest official pricing information in the supplied sources. YouTube also announced genre-based plans in 2026, with published ongoing rates and introductory offers. Its announcement listed Sports at $64.99 per month (a $54.99 introductory price for eligible new users), Sports + News at $71.99 ($56.99 introductory), Entertainment at $54.99 ($44.99 introductory), and News + Entertainment + Family at $69.99 ($59.99 introductory). Offers, eligibility, taxes, channel lineups and regional availability can change; confirm the current terms before subscribing or changing plans. See YouTube TV’s billing help page and its genre-plan announcement.
A cheaper plan may be worthwhile if it includes the channels your household watches. Do not assume a genre plan carries every Paramount network or local affiliate: check the lineup available for your ZIP code. Compare your actual monthly total, including taxes, add-ons and the cost after any introductory offer ends.
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- To report your Lost or Stolen Physical Visa Card, call Customer Service 24/7 at 1 (888) 524-1283 to cancel your Gift Card as soon as you can. You will be asked to provide the Gift Card number and other identifying information.
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| Option | May fit if… | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Keep YouTube TV | You rely on local channels, a broad live-TV guide, its DVR library or channels across several genres. | Your market’s CBS affiliate, the channels in your plan, add-ons and ongoing price. |
| Choose a YouTube TV genre plan | Your household mainly watches a narrower set of sports, news, entertainment or family channels. | Exact channel lineup, local coverage, eligibility and what the price becomes after a promotion. |
| Add or use Paramount+ | You mainly want Paramount-related shows and movies rather than a broad live-TV bundle. | Current price and whether the specific live or on-demand program you want is included. It does not reproduce YouTube TV’s full live-TV and DVR service. |
| Switch to another live-TV service | A different package, promotion or channel agreement better matches your needs. | Availability by ZIP code, CBS and other local affiliates, specific Paramount networks, DVR rules, simultaneous streams and ongoing—not introductory—price. Compare services such as Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, DIRECTV STREAM and Sling TV directly; current prices and lineups are not established here. |
For a household that needs CBS, sports, local broadcasts and a DVR, the relevant comparison is the complete replacement package, not just a lower advertised starting price. If you mainly watch one Paramount series, a direct streaming subscription may be more economical. If you only need to trim the bill, first check whether a narrower YouTube TV plan preserves the channels you actually use.
If a channel appears to be missing today
Do not treat a current app or account issue as proof of another carriage dispute. Try these checks:
- Search for the exact channel in YouTube TV and check the live guide, not only a saved shortcut.
- Confirm your account’s home area, especially if you are traveling; local channels can vary by market.
- Test the channel on the web, mobile app and TV app, and confirm you are signed into the correct account with an active membership.
- Check whether one channel is missing or whether multiple Paramount channels are unavailable.
- If the problem continues, contact YouTube TV support with the channel name, home ZIP code, date noticed and screenshots. Restarting a device cannot restore a channel removed through a carriage decision.
Bottom line: YouTube TV raised prices and then briefly faced a genuine threat of losing CBS and other Paramount programming. But the parties extended their agreement and reached a deal on February 15, 2025, so the threatened blackout did not become a permanent loss. The lasting consumer question is whether the current plan—and its total cost—matches the channels and DVR features your household uses.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
